Moaveni, Azadeh, 1976-; Iranian American women - Biography; Iranian Americans -Biography; Iran - Social conditions - 1979-1997; Iran - Social conditions - 1997-
Azdaeh Moaveni discusses her book, “Lipstick Jihad.” She begins by sharing her experiences and memories of growing up as an Iranian in Palo Alto, California during the shadow of the Iranian hostage crisis. She then discusses her experiences...
Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.) - Fiction; Motion picture industry - Fiction; Triangles (Interpersonal relations) - Fiction
Bruce Wagner discusses his book, “Chrysanthemum Palace.” He begins by discussing how this is the first book he has written in the first person, which he chose to do because he wanted to capture the feeling of the every man and a “Great...
Adult child abuse victims - United States - Biography; Cancer - Patients - United States - Biography; Poets, American - 20th century - Biography; Dine, Carol
Carol Dine discusses her book, “Places in the Bone.” She begins the interview by explaining that the book is a memoir of her life as a child of an abusive father. She shares her thoughts on her father’s physical, verbal, and emotional abuse....
Chicago (Ill.) - Fiction; Race relations - Fiction; African Americans - Fiction; Civil rights workers - Fiction; Impostors and imposture - Fiction; King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929 - 1968 - Fiction
Charles Johnson discusses his book, “Dreamer.” He begins by explaining the premise of the novel, which is what would have happened if Martin Luther King, Jr. had a double when he brought the Freedom Campaign to Chicago in 1966. In the novel the...
Chinese American families - Fiction; Americans - China - Hong Kong - Fiction; Mothers - Death - Fiction; Missing persons - Fiction; Young men - Fiction; Orange County (Calif.) - Fiction; Hong Kong (China) - Fiction
Chieh Chieng discusses his book, “A Long Stay in a Distant Land.” He begins by sharing that the book explores the life of the protagonist Louis Lum who is a recent college graduate and working at a hot rod magazine. Louis’ family seems to be...
San Francisco (Calif.) - Biography; San Diego (Calif.) - Biography; Inner cities - California - San Diego; African Americans - California - San Diego - Social conditions; African American families - California - San Diego; African Americans -...
Cupcake Brown discusses her book, “A Piece of Cake.” She begins by explaining that the book is a memoir of her life. Her story starts when she was eleven years old and her mother dies unexpectedly. She is then subjected to a series of abusive...
Los Angeles Region (Calif.) - Biography; Los Angeles Region (Calif.) - Politics and government; Los Angeles Region (Calif.) - History; Los Angeles Region (Calif.) - Social life and customs
D.J. Waldie discusses his book, “Where We Are Now: Notes From Los Angeles.” He begins by explaining how the book is a compilation of essays on the meaning of place in Los Angeles. He stresses the importance of building community within Los...
Devyani Saltzman discusses her book, “Shooting Water.” She begins by explaining that the challenge of writing this memoir was balancing three things: the making of the film “Water,” the politics behind making the film, and her personal...
African Americans - Biography - Anecdotes; Inspiration - Anecdotes; Social values - United States - Anecdotes; Spiritual life - Anecdotes; African Americans - Conduct of life - Anecdotes
Eric Copage discusses his book, “Soul Food.” He begins by explaining that the book is a compilation of inspirational stories, poems and fables written by and for African Americans. Some of the authors include, Nikki Giovanni, Oprah Winfrey,...
Family secrets - Fiction; Gender identity - Fiction; Fathers and daughters - Fiction
Felicia Luna Lemus discusses her book, “Like Son.” She begins by explaining the plot of the novel, which follows the story of Frankie, a gay woman who has undergone a sex change to become a man. Frankie’s story starts when her blind,...
Motion picture actors and actresses - Fiction; Children of physicians - Fiction; British - California - Fiction; Fathers and daughters - Fiction; Physicians - Fiction; Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.) - Fiction; Los Angeles (Calif.) - Fiction
Geoff Nicholson discusses his book, “The Hollywood Dodo.” He begins by explaining the book’s plot, which follows the exploits of Henry Cadwallader, an English doctor, whose daughter Dorothy is an aspiring actress. Nicholson discusses the...
Bible O.T. Psalms XXIII - Criticism, interpretation, etc.
Harold Kushner discusses his book, “The Lord is My Shepherd.” He begins by explaining that throughout his years as a rabbi he had often turned to the Twenty-Third Psalm, but had never given much thought to why it was so effective until after...
Heather King discusses her book, “Parched.” She begins by explaining that the book is the story of her life and how she struggled with alcoholism from an early age. She starts with her childhood and how she craved solitude and how she always...
New York (N.Y.) - Fiction; Los Angeles (Calif.) - Fiction; City and town life - Fiction; Brooklyn Dodgers (Baseball team) - Fiction
Heather Woodbury discusses her play, “Tale of 2cities.” She begins by explaining that the play traces the impact of the Dodgers’ 1957 move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. The play is in six acts, which are separated into two parts. The story...
Helen Scully discusses her book, “In the Hope of Rising Again.” She begins by explaining the plot of her novel which follows three generations of a family in Mobile, Alabama. The book takes place during major historic time periods such as, the...
Civil rights movement; United States. Army; Segregation; Television acting; Korean War, 1950-1953; Veterans
James McEachin discusses his book, “Pebbles in the Roadway.” He begins by explaining that his book is a collection of essays and stories, which he wrote in an effort to “purge the mind.” He shares his memories of serving in the army and his...
Southern States - Poetry Book; African American families - Poetry
Janice Harrington discusses her book, “Even the Hollow My Body Made is Gone.” She begins by explaining that her work received the 2008 Kate Tufts Discovery Award. She then discusses her career as a librarian before becoming a writer and...
Shakur, Afeni; Shakur, Tupac, 1971-1996 - Family; African American women - Biography; Civil rights workers - United States - Biography; Women revolutionaries - United States - Biography; African Americans - Civil rights - History - 20th century;...
Jasmine Guy discusses her book, “Afeni Shakur.” She begins by exploring Afeni Shakur’s ties to her land and the sense of disenfranchisement that she has lived with her whole life. Guy details Shakur’s early life growing up as Alice Faye...
African American families - Fiction; Racially mixed people - Fiction; African Americans - Fiction; New Orleans (La.) - Fiction; Los Angeles (Calif.) - Fiction
Jervey Tervalon discusses his book, “Lita.” He begins by discussing his previous book, "Dead Above Ground" and how this book begins where the last one ended. Tervalon explores the plot of this new book which follows the protagonist Lita Du...
John Menkes discusses his book, “After the Tempest.” He begins by explaining the book’s plot, which begins in post World War II Venice. One of his central characters is a young man who was drafted into the army and worked in a concentration...
