Dating (Social customs) - Fiction; Love - Fiction; Novels in verse
Sonya Sones discusses her book, "What My Mother Doesn't Know." The story is about a Jewish teenage girl, Sophie, who is 14.5 years old. Sophie has two friends named Rachel and Grace and have been friends with them since the third grade. Sophie...
Fox, Paula; Love, Courtney, 1965-; Psychotherapists - United States - Biography; Mothers and daughters - United States - Biography
Linda Carroll discusses her book, “Her Mother’s Daughter: A Memoir of the Mother I Never Knew and of My Daughter, Courtney Love.” Carroll says she was adopted when she was ten days old and that she had dysfunctional parents. She talks about...
Gender identity - United States; Families - United States; Lesbian mothers - United States - Biography; Children of gay parents - United States - Biography
Troy Johnson discusses his book, “Family Outing.” He begins by sharing that the book is a personal memoir of his metamorphosis from a homophobic child to a mature adult who could accept his mother’s sexual orientation. Johnson explains how at...
Families - Fiction; Mothers - Death - Fiction; Mothers and daughters - Fiction
Eliza Minot discusses her book, “The Tiny One.” She explains that the novel follows the story of eight-year-old Via Mahoney Revere. When Via’s mother dies unexpectedly in a violent car crash, Via struggles with her grief. She is confused by...
Rachel Robinson discusses her book, “Without My Mother’s Love.” She begins by describing her family and the molestation that began at the age of five. Robinson says her mother was her worst enemy and that she did not allow her to attend a...
Freedman, Eleanor, 1924-1974; Hatkin family; Jews - New York (State) - New York - Biography; Cancer - Patients - New Jersey - Highland Park - Biography; Bronx (New York, N.Y.) - Biography; New York (N.Y.) - Biography; Highland Park (N.J.) -...
Samuel Freedman discusses his book, “Who She Was.” He begins by discussing his reasons for writing the book. He shares that his mother died when he was a teenager and he later decided to research her life because he did not know that she had...
Clar, Reva Howitt; Dancers - United States - Biography; Vaudeville - United States - History
Mimi Melnick discusses her mother Reva Howitt Clar’s autobiography, “Lollipop.” She begins by explaining how her mother was a vaudevillian ballerina for the Fanchon and Marco vaudeville company and that her stage name was Lollipop. Melnick...
Elizabeth Kendall discusses her book, “American Daughter.” She begins by explaining that she was driving her car as a teenager, and got in an accident that killed her mother. She talks about growing up in an affluent part of St. Louis,...
Gerber, Merrill Joan - Family;
Authors, American - 20th century - Family relationships;
Mothers and daughters - United States;
Older women - United States;
Cats - United States
Merrill Joan Gerber discusses her book, “Old Mother, Little Cat: A Writer’s Reflection on Her Kitten, Her Aged Mother… and Life.” She begins by explaining that she often writes stories about her family that are both fact and fiction. She...
Rapp, Joel; Television writers - United States - Biography; Screenwriters - United States - Biography; Gardeners - United States - Biography; Radio broadcasters - United States - Biography
Joel Rapp discusses his autobiography, “Radio, TV, Mother Earth, & Me.” He begins by explaining that his father was a television program writer, and both of his parents were vaudeville actors. He talks about attending the University of...
Students, Foreign - Northern Ireland - Fiction; Upper West Side (New York, N.Y.) - Fiction; Americans - Northern Ireland - Fiction; Mothers and daughters - Fiction; Protest movements - Fiction; Northern Ireland - Fiction; Hunger strikes - Fiction
Mary Gordon discusses her book, “Pearl.” Martinson sets up the conversation by talking about a scene from the book in which a mother is notified that her daughter is on a hunger and water strike. Gordon then goes on to ask how does a mother...
Alexander, Shana;
Ager, Milton, 1893-1979;
Journalists - United States - Biography;
Musicians - United States - 20th century - Biography
Shana Alexander discusses her autobiography, “Happy Days.” She begins by explaining that she is the daughter of famous composer Milton Ager, and her mother was a screenwriter for MGM Studios. She talks about her early life and how her parents...
Taylor, Kenneth Z.;
Taylor, Teresa, 1959-;
Murder - New Jersey - Case studies;
Trials (Murder) - New Jersey;
Custody of children - New Jersey
Peter Maas discusses his book, “In a Child’s Name: The Legacy of a Mother’s Murder.” He begins by explaining that his book is a true story about Ken and Teresa Taylor. Teresa was Ken’s third wife, whom he beat to death, and then...
Bil Wright discusses his book, "Sunday You Learn How to Box." Wright describes Jeanette, the main character Louis' mother. He describes her as a woman who has a very specific dream of what she wants her life to be. Wright then goes on to...
Tammi Schneider discusses her book, "Sarah: Mother of Nations." She says she always thought of Sarah as a strong character and taught a course on women in the Bible. Schneider explains that as soon as one translates a text, she interprets it, and...
United States - Emigration and immigration - Case studies; Honduras - Emigration and immigration - Case studies; Illegal aliens - United States - Social conditions - Case studies; Immigrant children - United States - Social conditions - Case...
Sonia Nazario discusses her book, “Enrique’s Journey.” She begins by explaining that the book is the true story of a young boy named Enrique who travels from Honduras to the United States to find his mother. Nazario explains that when Enrique...
Washington (D.C.) - Biography; United States - Race relations; African Americans - Washington (D.C.) - Biography; Racially mixed women - Washington (D.C.) - Biography; Passing (Identity) - United States - Case studies; Racially mixed women - United...
Shirlee Taylor Haizlip discusses her book, “Finding Grace.” She begins by explaining that the book continues her family’s story that she began to tell in her book “The Sweeter the Juice.” She tells the story of her biracial heritage and...
Burstyn, Ellen, 1932-; Actors - United States - Biography
Ellen Burstyn discusses her book, “Lessons in Becoming Myself.” She begins by sharing stories from her childhood. She tells how she was sent away to boarding school at an early age and when she returned home she lived under the rule of a...
Bradley, Ernestine, 1935-; Bradley, Bill, 1943- - Family; Legislators’ spouses - United States - Biography; United States - Biography; Germany - History - 1933-1945; Germany - History - 1945-1955
Ernestine Bradley discusses her book, “The Way Home.” She begins by explaining that the book is the story of her life growing up in post World War II Germany and how she later went on to become a professor of comparative literature and the wife...
Ivory, Steven - Relations with women; Journalists - United States - Biography
Steven Ivory discusses his autobiography, “Fool In Love.” He begins by telling how his book came into production after readers of his online column asked him to compile his essays. He talks about how his book is grouped into three parts:...
