Noah Adams discusses his book, “Piano Lessons.” He begins by explaining how he decided to first take piano lessons at age 51. He talks about working at National Public Radio for over 20 years and how he got the chance to interview pianists. ...
Adler, Mortimer Jerome, 1902-2001;
Philosophers - United States - Biography
Mortimer J. Adler discusses his autobiography, “A Second Look in the Rearview Mirror.” He begins by talking about how he dropped out of Columbia University because he didn’t want to take physical education classes, but eventually got his...
Administrative agencies - United States - Management;
Organizational change - United States;
United States - Armed Forces - Management;
United States - Politics and government
Bob Stone talks about his autobiography, “Confessions of a Civil Servant.” He begins by talking about how he moved from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles and did research forecasting and predicting the needs of the army. He explains that he...
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,...
Africa - Description and travel; Slaves’ writings, American; Slave trade - Africa - History - 18th century; Slavery - New England - History - 18th century; Slaves - New England - Social conditions - 18th century; Slaves - New England - Biography....
Kari Winter discusses her book, “The Blind African Slave.” She begins by explaining that the book recounts the true story of the life of Jeffrey Brace. Brace was born in West Africa in the 1740s and later captured by slave traders at the age of...
Aircraft accident victims' families - Fiction; Intelligence officers - Fiction; Americans - India - Fiction; Americans - China - Fiction; Mothers and sons - Fiction; Missing persons - Fiction; Ex-prostitutes - Fiction; India - Fiction; China -...
Aimee Liu discusses her novel, “Flash House.” She begins by explaining how a ‘flash house’ is another name used for a house of prostitution. The story centers in New Delhi, where a young woman is helping girls get out of the prostitution...
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...
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...
Art thefts - France - History - 20th century; World War, - 1939-1945 - Art and the war; Pillage - France; Germany - Cultural policy
Hector Feliciano discusses his book, “The Lost Museum.” He begins by explaining how Nazis looted art collections during World War II, and that 20% of this stolen art has never been recovered. He talks about Adolf Hitler’s desire to have the...
Artists - Fiction; Jews - New York (State) - New York - Fiction; Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) - Fiction
Chaim Potok discusses his book, “The Gift of Asher Lev.” He begins by explaining that his book is a sequel to the novel he wrote 20 years prior, “My Name is Asher Lev.” He describes that the book is about a man who goes back to Brooklyn...
Asians - Portraits; Portrait photography; Photography, Artistic; Asia - Pictorial works
Frederic Roberts discusses his book, “Humanitas.” He begins by explaining that after working in finance for 30 years, he decided to become a photographer and go to Asia. The actual prints from his book are in a gallery in Santa Monica. He...
Assassination - Fiction; Political corruption - Fiction; Love stories - Fiction
Edmundo Paz Soldán discusses his book, “The Matter of Desire.” He begins by explaining that he is a professor at Cornell University and talks about how he got his book translated into English from Spanish. The book is about a young man who...
Augusta (Ga.) - Fiction; Antisemitism - Fiction; Trials (Murder) - Fiction; Male friendship - Fiction
Sol Wachtler discusses his book, “Blood Brothers.” He begins by sharing the book’s plot. He explains that during the late 1950s, fifteen-year-old Luke Lupton befriends T.C. Simmons. Since Luke is one of the town’s very few Jewish residents...
Bible O.T. Psalms XXIII - Criticism, interpretation, etc.
Harold Kushner discusses his book, “The Lord is My Shepherd.” He begins by explaining that throughout his years as a rabbi he had often turned to the Twenty-Third Psalm, but had never given much thought to why it was so effective until after...
Jeanne Guillemin discusses her book, "Biological Weapons: From the Invention of State-Sponsored Programs to Contemporary Bioterrorism." She speaks about the anthrax epidemic that took place in the Soviet Union in 1979. In 1992, Guillemin was part...
Ariel Dorfman discusses his novel, “The Last Song of Manuel Sendero.” He begins by explaining that the book is about a baby who refuses to be born until his parents change the world and make it a better place. This baby gathers all the other...
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...
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...
Bull Run, 1st Battle of, Va., 1861 - Fiction; Virginia - History - Civil War, 1861-1865 - Fiction
James P. Reger discusses his novel, “Baptism at Bull Run.” He begins by explaining that his book is about the Civil War, and starts with a Confederate win at Fort Sumter. He talks about how his book is historical fiction, but is based exactly...
