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English Professor Arnold Rampersad Discusses Restoring the Work of Richard Wright.

English professor Arnold Rampersad. He's just edited a new edition of the works of black writer Richard Wright. Wright's novel, "Native Son," was a breakthrough in African American literature when it was published in 1940. It also turns out many scenes dealing with the sexual activities of the main character were removed, to make the novel more palatable to Book Month Club subscribers. Those cuts have been restored in this new edition (by The Library of America). Arnold Rampersad heads the Program in American Studies at Princeton University, and he's the author of an award-winning biography of Langston Hughes.

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Other segments from the episode on November 20, 1991

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, November 20, 1991: Interview with Arnold Rampersad; Interview with Holly Woodlawn; Review of Ran Hansen's novel "Mariette in Ecstasy."
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16:05

Actress Holly Woodlawn Discusses Her Life and Career.

Actress Holly Woodlawn. Woodlawn was part of Andy Warhol's New York's scene in the 60s and early 70s. Perhaps her high point came when she starred in Warhol's movie "Trash." Woodlawn was born a boy, her career as a transvestite was immortalized in Lou Reed's song, "Take A Walk On the Wild Side." Woodlawn has a new memoir, called "A Low Life in High Heels: The Holly Woodlawn Story.." (It's published by St Martin's Press).

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03:51

One of the Best Novels of the Year.

Book critic John Leonard reviews "Mariette In Ecstasy," (pronounced "mah-ree-ett") by Ron Hansen. It's the story of a young woman who enters a convent and then develops the Stigmata (published by Harper and Collins).

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17:14

Arnold Rampersad, Telling the Langston Hughes Story

Arnold Rampersad edited The Oxford Anthology of African-American Poetry. His two-volume biography of writer Langston Hughes is now out in a second edition. It was praised by critics as one of the best biographies of a black American writer. He's associate dean for the humanities at Stanford University.

Interview
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16:10

Arthur Ashe's Cowriter on the Athlete's Posthumous Memoir

Arnold Rampersad, professor of Literature at Princeton, biographer of Langston Hughes, is coauthor of tennis star Arthur Ashe's memoir, "Days of Grace." Ashe died this year at age 49 from AIDS he contracted during open heart surgery. He was the first African American tennis champion, winning the United States Open in 1968, and going on to capture three Grand Slam titles. He has remained a vital presence in the sport, and his autobiography features portraits of the great celebrities of tennis.

Interview
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27:31

The Life and Poetry of Langston Hughes

Arnold Rampersad's biography of the African American poet has been called "a literary event." Despite dedicating his writing to the black experience, Hughes grew up in a largely white community. His more radical work didn't find much of an audience, which led to him adopting a more social-realist style later in his career.

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