Jim and Henny Backus discuss their book, “Forgive Us Our Digressions.” Jim and Henny say they do their best writing in bed together. Jim talks about his father and Henny says that Jim’s uncle was a big backer of Broadway plays. Henny and...
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....
Khaled Hosseini discusses his book, “A Thousand Splendid Suns.” He shares his thoughts on the difficulty of following the success of his first book, “The Kite Runner.” He goes on to detail the plot of the book, which, like his first book,...
Art patrons - United States - Biography; Art - Collectors and collecting - United States - Biography; Neuberger, Roy R.
Roy Neuberger discusses his book, “The Passionate Collector.” He begins by discussing his early life in Paris when he first started out as a young artist and how he later became a major art collector. He then reminisces about some of the first...
Blair, Betsy, 1923-2009; Motion picture actors and actresses - United States - Biography
Betsy Blair discusses her book, “The Memory of All That.” She begins by describing the beginning of her career in New Jersey dancing in a chorus line. It was during this time in her life that she met, then choreographer, Gene Kelly whom she...
Churchill, Winston, 1874-1965;
Prime ministers - Great Britain - Biography;
Great Britain - Politics and government - 20th century
John Charmley discusses his biography of Winston Churchill entitled, “Churchill, the End of Glory.” He begins by explaining Churchill’s early life and how his lack of education made him a unique politician. He describes how Churchill was a...
Churchill, Winston, Sir, 1874-1965; Prime ministers - Great Britain - Biography; Great Britain - Politics and government - 20th century
Martin Gilbert discusses his book, “Churchill: A Life.” Gilbert talks about Winston Churchill’s election to parliament and Neville Chamberlain. He talks about Churchill’s social conscious and his thoughts on education. Gilbert goes on to...
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...
Dandelion wine; The Martian chronicles; Something wicked this way comes; Fahrenheit 451; Amateur architecture; Communities; City planning; Theater; Libraries
Connie Martinson interviews author Ray Bradbury. They begin by discussing several of his books including, “Dandelion Wine,” “Martian Chronicles,” “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” and “Fahrenheit 451.” Bradbury explains that many...
David Wallechinsky discusses his book, “The Knowledge Book.” He begins by discussing his own family and how neither of his parents went to college and instead were both autodidacts. He shares his memories growing up the child of parents who...
Film critics - United States - Biography; Stone, Judy, 1924-
Judy Stone discusses her book, “Not Quite a Memoir.” She begins by explaining that the book is based on the essays and interviews she has done throughout her career as a critic for several major newspapers. Stone describes how she first began...
Historical fiction - Authorship; Novelists, American - 20th century - Interviews; Michener, James A. (James Albert), 1907-1997 - Interviews
Lawrence Grobel discusses his book, “Talking with Michener.” Grobel begins by explaining that the book is a product of several interviews that took place between 1980 and 1997 between Michener and Grobel. Within these interviews Michener...
Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.) - Fiction; Motion picture industry - Fiction
Michael Tolkin discusses his novel, “The Return of the Player.” He begins by detailing the plot of his newest novel, which follows the character Griffin Mill, who was introduced in one of his earlier novels, “The Player.” The plot of...
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) - Personal narratives
Paulina Bergman discusses her book, “And Not as a Broken Shard.” Bergman talks about the German invasion of Poland and her flee from home upon learning about the “final solution.” She shares her thoughts on the survival instinct and...
Indians in popular culture; Indians - Pictorial works - History; Indians - Public opinion - History
Patricia Trenton discusses her book, “Native Americans: Five Centuries of Changing Images.” She begins by discussing several different paintings in the book including a composite drawing of the Algonquians called “Indians Fishing” by John...
Interviewing in journalism; Interviewing in mass media
Lawrence Grobel discusses his book, “The Art of the Interview.” He begins by explaining that the book is almost meant to be an anecdotal memoir because it draws from his thirty years of interview experience. He advises in the book that before...
Interviews - United States; Talk shows - California; Radio broadcasting - California
Larry Mantle discusses his book, “This is AirTalk.” He begins by sharing that he is a fourth generation Angelino and what it was like being raised by young parents. Mantle discusses his life and career as a radio talk show host for KPCC, for...
Niall Williams discusses his book, “The Fall of Light.” He begins by explaining that the novel is set during the years of Ireland’s Potato Famine, which is what he considers the single greatest tragedy in Irish history. He explains that he...
Jordan - Politics and government - 1952-1999; Arab-Israeli conflict; Queens - Jordan - Biography; Hussein, King of Jordan, 1935-1999; Noor, Queen, consort of Hussein, King of Jordan, 1951-
Queen Noor discusses her book, “Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life.” She explains that the book shares her personal perspective on the past three decades of her life and world history. She discusses the challenges she faced as wife...
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...
