Quadriplegics

Fresh Air went national in 1987, and we're celebrating that 20th anniversary by revisiting some classic broadcasts. In this segment: Anthropologist Robert Murphy. In 1972, his body began to twinge with muscle spasms that wouldn't go away; doctors discovered a debilitating tumor growing on his spinal cord.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews "Rear Window," the television remake of the Hitchcock film. This one stars Christopher Reeve, and Daryl Hannah.

The soul musician has written his autobiography "Truly Blessed" (Putnam). Pendergrass was a popular soul singer in the group "Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes". He went solo in 1976. In 1982, he was paralyzed after a near fatal car accident in Philadelphia, his hometown. Since then he has returned to the studio and produced several albums.

In his new memoir, The Body Silent, anthropologist Robert Francis Murphy explores his experiences as a quadriplegic, a condition brought on by a spinal tumor.

In his new memoir, The Body Silent, anthropologist Robert Francis Murphy explores his experiences as a quadriplegic, a condition brought on by a spinal tumor.