Channing, Carol; Actors - United States - Biography; Singers - United States - Biography
Carol Channing discusses her autobiography, “Just Lucky I Guess.” She begins by explaining her early life and childhood, and how she grew up singing and acting. She talks about her early acting career and how she tried out for a part in the...
Ex-convicts - Fiction;
New Orleans (La.) - Fiction;
Philadelphia (Pa.) - Fiction;
Revenge - Fiction
Sidney Sheldon discusses his book, “If Tomorrow Comes.” He begins by explaining that his book is about a woman who breaks out of jail and flees to Europe. He talks about how he tried to incorporate humor into his book and modeled his...
Persia Woolley discusses her novel, “Queen of the Summer Stars.” She begins by explaining that this book is the second installment of her trilogy about Queen Guenevere. She talks about how she tried to write the book as historical fiction,...
Kevin McCloud discusses his book, “Decorative Style.” He begins by explaining that he built over 40 different room sets to decorate for the book. He talks about how he tried to get the flavor and mood of each period, but not copy historical...
Villaseñor, Victor - Family;
Villaseñor, Victor. Rain of gold;
Mexican American authors - 20th century - Biography;
Mexican Americans - California - Biography;
Mexican American authors - Family relationships
Victor Villaseñor discusses his book, “Beyond Rain of Gold.” He begins by explaining that he wrote the trilogy of books, “Rain of Gold.” He talks about the death of his father. He describes how his father was conned into developing...
San Francisco (Calif.) - Fiction; Married women - Fiction; Murder victims' families - Fiction; San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, Calif., 1906 - Fiction; British - California - San Francisco - Fiction; Women private investigators - California -...
Laurie King discusses her book, “Locked Rooms.” She begins by explaining that the book follows the character of Mary Russell who is married to Sherlock Holmes. In the book, Mary and her husband travel to San Francisco where Mary must claim her...
Lawyers - United States - Biography; African American lawyers - Biography
Johnnie Cochran discusses his book, “A Lawyer’s Life,” coauthored with David Fisher. Martinson begins by sharing that she first met Cochran through the Coro Foundation. She goes on to say that Cochran worked in the district attorney’s...
United States - Politics and government - 2001-; Fanaticism - United States; Right-wing extremists - United States; Political corruption - United States; Bush, George W. (George Walker), 1946- - Ethics; Bush, George W. (George Walker), 1946-
Arianna Huffington discusses her book, “Fanatics and Fools.” She begins by explaining how she tried to use humor and satire in her book in an effort to engage readers and to try to avoid being “preachy.” She stresses the power of words and...
United States. Army - Officers - Biography; Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Personal narratives, American; Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Psychological aspects; Soldiers - United States - Biography
Shad Meshad discusses his book, “Captain for Dark Mornings: A True Story.” Meshad says he was a medical service officer during the Vietnam War. He talks about Linda VanderVeen, a Vietnam nurse’s book, and his war experiences. Meshad...
Bin Laden, Osama, 1957-; Terrorists - Saudi Arabia - Biography; Terrorists - Afghanistan - Biography; Terrorism - Religious aspects - Islam
Jonathan Randal discusses his book, “Osama: The Making of a Terrorist.” Randal says he tried to arrange an interview with Osama Bin Laden, but was unable to meet with him. He talks about Bin Laden’s antagonism against Saudi Arabia’s...
Motion picture producers and directors - United States - Biography; Stevens, George Cooper, 1904 -1975
Marilyn Moss discusses her book, “Giant.” She begins by discussing how much material she was able to access on director George Stevens in his collection and personal papers at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences library. She...
Family - owned business enterprises - Fiction; Caterers and catering - Fiction; Murder for hire - Fiction; Cooking - Fiction; Cooks - Fiction; Honolulu (Hawaii) - Fiction
Mark Haskell Smith discusses his book, “Delicious.” He begins by explaining that in Hawaii companies often form monopolies and that his book is actually based on a true story in which a company from the Midwest tried to move in on a Hawaiian...
Nicholas Kublicki discusses his book, “The Diamond Conspiracy.” He begins by stating that diamonds themselves are neither good nor bad and that it is the diamond business and diamond cartels that lead to questions of good and bad. He then...
Press, Shalom, 1940-; Abortion - United States; Physicians - United States - Attitudes; Abortion services - New York (State) - Buffalo; Pro-life movement - United States; Pro-choice movement - United States; Political violence - New York (State) -...
Eyal Press discusses his book, “Absolute Convictions.” He begins by sharing that the book is the story of his father who was an obstetrician who performed abortions in Buffalo, New York and the constant danger that this placed both he and his...
Nineteen thirty-six, A.D.; Depressions - 1929 - United States - Personal narratives; United States - Social conditions - 1933-1945; United States - History - 1933-1945
Frank Pierson discusses his book, “A Nation Lost and Found.” He begins by sharing that in 1936 he was ten years old and his co-author Stanley Sheinbaum was thirteen and how they may have seemed very different, but in fact experienced much of...
Jews - Persecutions - Russia - History - 19th century; Jewish soldiers - Russia - History - 19th century; Jewish children - Government policy - Russia - History - 19th century; Russia - Armed Forces - Recruiting, enlistment, etc. - History - 19th...
Larry Domnitch discusses his book, “The Cantonists.” He begins by explaining the name of the book and how the cantonists were a group of Jewish boy soldiers who were forced to fight for the Russian army under Tsar Nicholas I. He then goes...
Scheer, Robert; Presidents - United States - Interviews; United States - Politics and government - 1945-1989; United States - Politics and government - 1989-
Robert Scheer discusses his book, “Playing President: My Close Encounters with Nixon, Carter, Bush I, Reagan, and Clinton: and How They Did Not Prepare Me for George W. Bush.” He begins by explaining the differences between a political...
Science fiction - Authorship; Authors, American - 20th century - Biography; Bradbury, Ray, 1920-
Ray Bradbury discusses his book, “Let’s All Kill Constance,” and Jerry Weist’s biography of him, “Bradbury: An Illustrated Life: A Journey to Far Metaphor.” Martinson begins by reading an excerpt from “Let’s All Kill Constance.” ...
Tracy Chevalier discusses her novel, “Girl With a Pearl Earring.” She begins by talking about how she loved the artist Johannes Vermeer, and had always wondered what he said to make the models in his paintings pose the way that they did....
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...
