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(Re)defining Orphans

Book critic John Leonard says the memoir section of Eileen Simpson's new hybrid book, about her own experiences as an orphan, is compelling and insightful; her later meditations on the idea of orphanhood are less successful.

03:57

Other segments from the episode on June 23, 1987

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, June 23, 1987: Interview with Frank Deford; Commentary on Wynonie Harris; Interview with Ornette Coleman; Review of Eilleen Simpson's book "Orphans: Real and Imaginary."

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