Marjorie Lord discusses her book, “A Dance and a Hug.” She begins by sharing that the book is a memoir of her life. She explains how her career began and the difficulty of dealing with rejection as an actress. She discusses her transition from...
African American women - Fiction;
Los Angeles (Calif.) - Fiction
Yolanda Barnes discusses her novel, “When It Burned to the Ground.” She begins by explaining her book is about a street preacher who lives in a bad neighborhood. She discusses the overall themes in the book of downfall and decay. She talks...
African Americans - Alabama - Montgomery - Biography; Civil rights workers - Alabama - Montgomery - Biography; Segregation in transportation - Alabama - Montgomery - History - 20th century; African Americans - Civil rights - Alabama - Montgomery -...
Rosa Parks discusses her book, “Rosa Parks: My Story.” Parks talks about her grandparents and her mother who was a teacher. She goes on to discuss her involvement in the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People),...
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,...
African Americans - Biography; Racially mixed people - United States - Biography; Racism - United States; United States - Race relations
Barack Obama discusses his book, “Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance.” Obama shares his family’s background and its influence in his life. He tells of his mother’s emphasis of instilling a strong African and African...
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...
African Americans - Poetry; Women - United States - Poetry; African American women - Poetry
Nikki Giovanni discusses her book, “The Selected Poems of Nikki Giovanni.” Giovanni begins by explaining that the book contains 150 of her original poems arranged chronologically. She discusses how the poems reflect the changes she has endured...
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...
Allen, Steve, 1921-2000; Tonight show (Television program); Entertainers - United States - Biography
Jayne Meadows and Ben Alba discuss Alba’s book, “Inventing Late Night: Steve Allen and the Original Tonight Show.” Meadows begins by stating that her late husband, Steve Allen, was the easiest thing to work with. Alba says he met Allen in...
Anderson, Walter, 1944-; Dysfunctional families - United States; Secrecy - Psychological aspects; Publishers and publishing - United States - Biography
Walter Anderson discusses his autobiography, “Meant To Be.” He begins by talking about coming home from the Marines because of the death of his father. During this time, his mother reveals to him that another man was actually his biological...
Dani Shapiro discusses her book, “Family History.” She begins by sharing the basic plot of the book that follows the narrator, Rachel Jenson who is a housewife and art restorer married to Ned, a former painter. The couple live in a small town...
Arbuckle, Roscoe, 1887-1933 - Fiction; Motion picture actors and actresses - Fiction; Motion picture industry - Fiction; Trials (Murder) - Fiction; Comedians - Fiction; Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.) - Fiction; San Francisco (Calif.) - Fiction
Jerry Stahl discusses his novel, “I, Fatty.” He begins by explaining that his book is a fictional account of the life of comedian Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle. He says that the majority of events that happen in the book are true, but he added...
Authors, American - 20th century - Biography; Irish Americans - Social life and customs; Journalists - United States - Biography; Alcoholics - United States - Biography; Drinking customs - United States
Pete Hamill discusses his book “A Drinking Life.” He talks about immigrants learning about baseball, the working class, and life after war. He says that men face their morality when they go into a war. Hamill shares that before becoming a...
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...
Kathryn Black discusses her book, “In the Shadow of Polio.” She begins by explaining that her mother contracted the illness in her 20s and had to be treated in a polio center in Seattle. Her mother was placed in an iron lung, and even after...
Boudin, Kathy; Boudin, Leonard, 1912-; Boudin, Jean; Left-wing extremists - United States - Biography; Radicalism - United States
Susan Braudy discusses her book, “Family Circle.” She begins by explaining that she is a personal acquaintance of Kathy Boudin, a left-wing radical who spent over 20 years in prison for murdering a policeman. She talks about how Boudin...
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...
Brady, Joanna (Fictitious character) - Fiction;
Fourth of July celebrations - Fiction;
Policewomen - Fiction;
Sheriffs - Fiction;
Cochise County (Ariz.) - Fiction;
Arizona - Fiction
J.A. Jance discusses her novel, “Exit Wounds.” She begins by explaining that this book continues the series that follows characters Sherriff Joanna Brady and her husband Butch. She talks about how Joanna investigates the death of a woman who...
Braverman, Kate; Authors, American - 20th century - Biography; Los Angeles (Calif.) - Biography
Kate Braverman discusses her book, “Frantic Transmissions to and from Los Angeles.” Martinson asks Braverman to read an excerpt from her book about traveling and friendship. Braverman then talks about what life was like moving to New York from...
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...
