Poet Maya Angelou has written a new memoir which details her relationship with her son while she worked as a singer and civil rights activist. She discusses the impact of prominent African American leaders like Billie Holiday, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcom X had on her personally and intellectually.
Anthropologist Sheila Kitzinger has studied childbirth in cultures around the world. Her research suggests that better models of childbirth exist beyond what is practiced in British and American hospitals. Fresh Air host Terry Gross invites listeners to call in with their questions.
The musical duo take inspiration from vaudeville, ragtime and classical music. To promote their new album, Get to the Heart, they have a number of performances scheduled in the Philadelphia area. They perform a number of their songs in studio.
The Pennsylvania Democrat works to counteract the policy positions of the moral majority. He sees hope in the rise of prominent moderate Republicans to steer the direction of the Reagan administration toward less conservative economic and foreign policy decisions. Fresh Air listeners call in with their questions.
Jerre Mangione's book Mount Allegro has found its fifth publisher in as many decades. He speaks with Fresh Air's Terry Gross about straddling the line between Sicilian and American cultures and the changing nature of Italian American communities in both cities and suburbs.
The musician immersed himself in jazz during his years of classical training. With so little in the canon written for his instrument, he mostly performs his own compositions.
Viveca Lindfors made her mark in Swedish films before becoming a noted Hollywood actress in the post-war era. She talks about fate of and attitudes toward fellow actresses from that period.
The writer says that his desire to perform his weekly radio show stems from his restlessness after hours spent at his typewriter. He talks about how he developed a regional brand of comedy and his experiences working in public radio.
The renown artist was born in South Philadelphia. In contrast to many of his contemporaries, he has eschewed abstraction in his work, instead choosing to pursue realist painting.
Writer E.L. Doctorow is known for using real-life historical figures as characters in his period novels. Best known for his book Ragtime, his novel Loon Lake is now available in paperback. He tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross about the day-to-day work of a writer and how his job as an editor affected his prose.
Democratic senator Paul Tsonga argues that political liberalism has become untenable, particularly with regard to domestic economic policies. He argues for what he dubs "compassionate realism" as a guiding principle for the United States. Fresh Air listeners call in with their questions.
The famed clergyman was involved in anti-war protests during the Vietnam War. He now leads a church in New York City, where he champions the poor, gays and lesbians, and helps organize against the nuclear arms race. Love, he says, is at the heart of his activism.
Journalist and activist Barbara Garson recently spent time with both factory and white-collar workers to learn about how automation, assembly-line methods, and emerging technologies have affected their relationship to their jobs.
The artist says the success of her work rests on her attention to the natural, undirected poses of her subjects. She argues that, to garner artistic merit, a portrait must go beyond straightforward representation.
The accomplished musician is known for singing along with his playing. He demonstrates his unique approach to the instrument, considers the evolving role of the bass in music, and his career in jazz.
Heath Allen was recently commissioned to write new liturgies for the Calvary United Methodist Church in West Philadelphia. His theater piece, Report on a Castaway, features the poetry of Bertolt Brecht.
Baltimore-based filmmaker John Waters has released a new book which explores his love of bad taste in film. With a new movie, Polyester, soon to be released, he join Fresh Air to explain his transgressive aesthetic and share his experiences working on set with a regular crew of actors.
Writer and director Garson Kanin's new book explores the success of certain actor pairings in Hollywood history, arguing that the team members brought out the best in one another.
The comedian's morning television program, The David Letterman Show, was recently canceled. Since then, he's been a frequent guest host on The Tonight Show. Letterman explains the differences between daytime and evening programming, as well as how he paid his dues as an up-and-coming comedian.
Humorist Fran Lebowitz talks about her career as a writer and how her choice of profession has affected her personal life. The interview is briefly interrupted by a press conference by President Reagan about the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.
