Robin B. Wright discusses her book, “In the Name of God.” She begins by explaining that her book is about the rule of Shah Ruhollah Khomeini in Iran. She talks about the differences among religious sects in the Middle East. She describes...
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...
Denny Miller discusses his book, "Didn't You Used to Be What's His Name?" He shares that he played football while he was in the military and that a theatrical agent handed him his card while he was a furniture mover. Miller says he was given...
Actors - United States - Biography; Television actors and actresses - United States - Anecdotes; Television personalities - United States - Biography; Motion picture actors and actresses - United States - Biography
Jed Allan discusses his autobiography, “Please! Spell the Name Right.” He begins by describing his background acting in movies, television programs, Broadway musicals, and soap operas. He tells about his early life in the entertainment...
Joyce Harrington discusses her novels, “Family Reunion,” and “No One Knows My Name.” She begins by explaining how she got started writing murder mystery novels. She talks about submitting her short stories to magazines, and winning the...
Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.) - Pictorial works; Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.) - Social life and customs; Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.) - Intellectual life - 20th century; Authors, American - 20th century - Biography; Motion picture producers...
Dominick Dunne discusses his book, “The Way We Lived Then.” He explains how the work began as a picture book and later evolved into a book chronicling Dunne’s famous Hollywood parties and social soirees. The collection of photographs,...
Terror - Religious aspects - Christianity - History; Inquisition
Jonathan Kirsch discusses his book, “The Grand Inquisitor’s Manual.” He begins by discussing the focus of some of his previous books and how this book is different in that it examines how government and religion allied together during the...
Serial murders - Fiction; New York (N.Y.) - Fiction
Caleb Carr discusses his novel, “The Alienist.” He begins by defining the word ‘alienist’ as a pre-20th century name for a psychiatrist. The novel is set in 1896 New York City, where young men are being forced into mafia-controlled...
Lindfors, Viveca, 1920-1995; Actors - Sweden - Biography
Viveca Lindfors discusses her autobiography, “Vivika… Vivica…” She begins by explaining why she decided to change the spelling of her name at an early age. She talks about her career as a stage actress and singer from Sweden. She...
United States - Social life and customs - 1971- - Anecdotes, facetiae, satire, etc.
Martin Mull and Allen Rucker discuss their book, “The History of White People in America.” They begin by explaining that the book is a satire on white culture in America, and how some Caucasian customs can differ from other racial groups’. ...
Kelly, Irene (Fictitious character) - Fiction;
Women journalists - Fiction;
California - Fiction
Jan Burke discusses her novel, “Hocus.” She begins by explaining that this is another book in the series that follows Detective Irene Kelly. She talks about how there was an auction to name one of the characters in her book after a real...
Spiegel, Sam;
Motion picture producers and directors - United States - Biography
Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni discusses her book, “Sam Spiegel: The Incredible Life and Times of Hollywood’s Most Iconoclastic Producer, the Miracle Worker Who Went from Penniless Refuge to Show Biz Legend, and Made Possible The African Queen, On...
Japanese American children - Fiction;
Race relations - Fiction;
Wisconsin - Fiction
Nina Revoyr discusses her novel, “Wingshooters.” She begins by explaining that her book is about a Japanese American girl who grows up in a rural town in Wisconsin. She talks about the joys and restrictions of living in a small town. She...
Macdonald, Ross, 1915-1983;
Novelists, American - 20th century - Biography;
Detective and mystery stories - Authorship
Tom Nolan discusses his book, “Ross MacDonald: A Biography.” He begins by explaining why he wrote on Ross Macdonald, the pen name of writer Ken Millar. He talks about Macdonald’s early life growing up with an abusive family. He describes...
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...
New York (N.Y.) - Fiction; Poets - Fiction; Young men - Fiction; Gay men - Fiction
Allison Burnett discusses his book, “House Beautiful.” He begins by detailing the plot of the novel which tells the story of a summer in New York city in which B.K. Troop, a bipolar, alcoholic, homosexual turns his Manhattan brownstone into a...
Norman Mailer discusses his book, “Tough Guys Don’t Dance.” Mailer details the plot, which is set in Provincetown, Massachusetts and follows the protagonist Tim Madden. Madden is an alcoholic writer who is attracted to wealthy blondes. When...
King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968; African Americans - Civil rights; Civil rights movements - United States - History - 20th century; United States - History - 1953-1961
Taylor Branch discusses his book, “Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954-63.” Branch and Martinson begin by talking about King’s name change from Michael to Martin Luther after his father’s visit to Europe. Branch then goes...
Jews - Persecutions - Soviet Union - Fiction; Soviet Union - History - 1925-1953 - Fiction
Elie Wiesel discusses his book, “The Testament.” He begins by saying that both Fascism and Communism deny the value of man in the name of an abstract humanity that will never occur, that will never take shape. Because of this, cruelties were...
Linn Ullman discusses her book, “Before you Sleep." She begins by explaining that the book is told mainly in flashbacks and traces the history of a family filled with fractured personalities. The Blom family consists of Karin the narrator, her...
