Calvin Trillin discusses his book, “Too Soon to Tell,” a collection of essays from his syndicated newspaper column and pieces from “The New Yorker.” Trillin talks about technology and how the computer has transformed lives. He goes on to...
Baja California (Mexico : Peninsula) - History; Baja California (Mexico : Peninsula) - Social life and customs; Baja California (Mexico : Peninsula) - Biography
Harry Crosby discusses his book “Last of the Californios,” which he wrote and took photographs for. He begins by explaining the word Californio, which was a term used by settlers to describe indigenous people from Baja, California. The...
Jodee Blanco discusses her book, “Please Stop Laughing at Me.” She begins by discussing her adolescence and how a traumatic event in sixth grade made her an outcast with her peers. She offers advice to parents that might have children who are...
Mike Gray discusses his book, “The Death Game.” He begins by explaining how his publisher talked him into writing this book after writing his previous book on the drug war. He discusses issues such as police brutality, pressures on prosecutors...
Dams - Social aspects; Dams - Environmental aspects; Dams
Jacques Leslie discusses his book, “Deep Water.” He begins by explaining how the book examines dams and their consequences in three places: India, South Africa and Australia. Leslie discusses in detail his experiences with Indian activist,...
Great Britain - Fiction; London (England) - Fiction; Editors - Fiction; Composers - Fiction; Foreign ministers - Fiction; Political corruption - Fiction
Ian McEwan discusses his novel, “Amsterdam.” He details the plot, which begins with the death of photographer/restaurant critic, Molly Lane. Molly’s death leads her many friends and lovers to ponder their own mortality. Two of her former...
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...
Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.) - Fiction; Police - California - Los Angeles - Fiction
Joseph Wambaugh discusses his book, “Hollywood Station.” He begins by explaining that the book takes place in the present day Los Angles Police Department. The book’s plot follows the officers of Hollywood station as they deal with the...
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:...
John Paul II, Pope, 1920-2005; Catholic Church - History - 20th century; Popes - Biography; Catholic Church and world politics - History - 20th century; World politics - 1975-1985; World politics - 1985-1995
Carl Bernstein discusses the book he co-authored with Marco Politi entitled, “His Holiness.” Bernstein begins by talking about the legacy of Pope John Paul II and his universal values on a worldwide scale. He talks about the Pope’s use of...
Karp, Butch (Fictitious character) - Fiction; Ciampi, Marlene (Fictitious character) - Fiction; Brighton Beach (N.J.) - Fiction; Public prosecutors - Fiction; Trials (Rape) - Fiction; New York (N.Y.) - Fiction
Robert Tanenbaum discusses his novel, “Fury.” He begins by explaining how he wanted to write a book based on how people’s lives can change in one moment. He describes plot details and gives an overview of a rape case, trial, and legal...
Kritsick, Stephen; Veterinarians - New York (State) - New York - Biography
Dr. Stephen Kritsick discusses his book, “Creature Comforts,” which talks about issues of pets. He speaks about the differences between purebred versus mixed-breed pets. He states that mixed-breed pets tend to be more tame and healthier in...
Los Angeles (Calif.) - History - 20th century - Fiction; Murder - Fiction; Silent films - Fiction; Motion picture industry - History - Fiction; Motion picture actors and actresses - Fiction; Japanese Americans - Fiction
Nina Revoyr discusses her book, “The Age of Dreaming.” She begins by sharing the plot of her novel, which follows the character Jun Nakayama. Jun was a silent film star during the early days of Hollywood. Yet by 1964 he is living in total...
Married women - Fiction; Spouses of clergy - Fiction; African American women - Fiction; African American clergy - Fiction
Kimberla Lawson Ruby discusses her book, “Casting the First Stone,” which is a book that is very universal and applicable in order that readers can relate to it. Her book describes the life of a minister’s family that loses their focus on...
Medicine - United States; Medical care - United States; Pharmaceutical industry - United States
John Abramson discusses his book, “Overdo$ed America.” He begins by explaining that doctors have been taught to trust in medical journals, but now the industry has been taken over by commercial interests and doctors do not know where to turn....
Mencken, H. L. (Henry Louis), 1880-1956; Authors, American - 20th century - Biography; Journalists - United States – Biography; Editors - United States – Biography
Marion Elizabeth Rodgers discusses her biography, “Mencken.” She begins by discussing H. L. Mencken’s early issues with censorship at Harvard, and how he is known for his freedom of speech. She talks about Mencken’s legacy towards a...
Motherless families - Fiction; Bronx (New York, N.Y.) - Fiction; Runaway wives - Fiction; Maternal deprivation - Fiction; Fathers and daughters - Fiction; African American families - Fiction; African American girls - Fiction
Veronica Chambers discusses her book, “When Did You Stop Loving Me?” She begins by explaining the plot of her novel which follows Angela who is abandoned by her mother and is left in the care of her father, a struggling magician with a strong...
Motion picture actors and actresses - United States - Biography; McDaniel, Hattie, 1895-1952
Jill Watts discusses her book, “Hattie McDaniel.” She begins by explaining that the book tells the story of Hattie McDaniel, the first African-American to win an Academy Award. Born the youngest daughter of freed slaves, Hattie McDaniel sang...
Motion pictures - Production and direction; Motion picture acting
John Badham discusses the book he co-authored with Craig Modderno entitled, “I’ll Be in My Trailer.” He begins by talking about some of the movies he directed like “Saturday Night Fever” and “War Games.” He tells anecdotes of...
New York (N.Y.) - Fiction; Cartoonists - Fiction; Young men - Fiction; Czech Americans - Fiction; Heroes in mass media - Fiction; Comic books, strips, etc. - Authorship - Fiction
Michael Chabon discusses his novel, “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.” He shares the plot of the book, which follows the lives of the title characters, Joe Kavalier and Sam Clay. Kavalier, an artist, and Clay, a writer, join...
