Biography & Memoir

We remember comedian Henny Youngman with a 1991 interview. He died yesterday from complications from the flu. He was 91 years old. (Rebroadcast of 10/17/91)

Shock-rock star Marilyn Manson has developed a following as a cross-dressing, anti-Christ. He's been likened to Alice Cooper for his ghoulish theatricality. He's also been the subject of Senate subcommittee hearings, and his concerts have been banned. His 1996 album "Antichrist Superstar" was a hit. He's written his autobiography "The Long Hard Road out of Hell" (Regan Books) about his childhood as Brian Wagner in a dysfunctional home in Canton, Ohio.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews the new biography of Radclyffe Hall, "A Woman Called John" by Sally Cline (The Overlook Press).

John Berendt is the author of the book "Midnight in the Garden of Good And Evil" (Random House). Last Sunday it broke the long standing record for a hardcover work of fiction or nonfiction being on the New York Times bestseller list. It's been on the list for 187 weeks.

Writer Susan J. Miller talks about her new book "Never Let Me Down: A Memoir" published by Henry Holt. Her story recounts how at the age of 21 years-old her whole sense of self was changed when her father revealed he had been a heroin addict for 15 years. Miller lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Excerpts from her memoir have appeared in Harper's and Granata. This is her first book.

Former Police Commissioner of New York City and Boston William Bratton. When taking over as New York's commissioner in 1994 he publicly vowed to bring the crime rate down. His new memoir is about how he accomplished his goal," "Turnaround: How America's Top Cop Reversed the Crime Epidemic." (w/Peter Knobler, Random House). (

Writer Eddie Little is making his debut with the semi-autobiographical novel, "Another Day in Paradise" (Viking) about a 14 year old boy who gets caught up in a world of drugs and theft. Little himself is a former heroine addict, who spent time in prison for armed robbery and grand larceny. He also helps run We Care, a Los Angeles organization that provides assistance to house bound people with AIDS and elderly shut-ins.

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Carl Perkins died yesterday at the age of 65. He died of complications from a series of strokes. Perkins is the pioneer of a style of music called Rockabilly, which is described as "a country man's song with a black man's rhythm." He's the man who wrote "Blue Suede Shoes," the hit song sung by Elvis Presley which became the first Sun label record to sell over a million copies.

Today, we remember Sonny Bono. He died yesterday afternoon in a skiing accident. He was 62. Bono was completing his second term in the U.S. Congress. He was the second most-requested speaker at House members events during the 1996 campaign season. Although he ended up in politics, many of his know him best for his work in music and show business. Terry Gross spoke with him in 1991, three years before he was elected to Congress. (Rebroadcast of 7/17 and 7/18 1991).

Book critic Maureen Corrigan on the year's best books (that she's read): "Cold Mountain" by Charles Frazier; "Matters of Chance" by Jeannette Haien; the reprint "Independent People" by Haldor Laxness; the short stories "Publish and Perish" by James Hynes, "Lives of the Monster Dogs" by Kirsten Bakis; for non-fiction: "Big Trouble" by J. Anthony Lukas; "Halfway Heaven" by Melanie Thernstrom; "The Gay Metropolis" by Charles Kaiser; volume 2 of "W.B. Yeats" a biography by R.F.

Rhythm and Blues singer Ruth Brown. She got her start in the 1940s, and influenced a whole generation of singers including Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Little Richard and Bonnie Raitt. Her hits include "Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean" and "Teardrops From My Eyes." Later she appeared in John Water's film "Hairspray" and in the Broadway hit "Black and Blue." In 1996 her autobiography was published, "Miss Rhythm"(Donald Fine Books) and this year she has a new CD, "R + B = Ruth Brown"

Book Critic Maureen Corrigan provides us with a special holiday list of her favorite books. Great books from the past.

Former Episcopal Bishop of New York Paul Moore. Hs is known for his activism and concern for human rights. He was part of the Civil Rights Movement, and protests against the Vietnam War. As Bishop he brought the Church into dialogue with the poor and oppressed in New York. He's written his memoir, "Presences: A Bishop's Life in the City." (Farrar, Straus & Giroux)

Jetsun Pema, sister of the Dalai Lama. She's written an autobiography about Tibet and her work there,"Tibet: My Story" (Element). In it she recounts life in Tibet before the Chinese occupation, exile from Tibet, and her work as the president of the Tibetan Children's Village, which encompasses over 11,000 Tibetan refugees in India. Pema also plays the role of the mother of the young Dalai Lama in the film "Seven Years in Tibet."

Cartoonist Dan Piraro. Since 1985, his "Bizarro" cartoons have been featured in papers such as the Boston Herald, the Seattle Times, and the Toronto Globe and Mail. When his publicist would not pay for a promotional tour of his book "Bizarro #9" (Andrews McMeel). Piraro asked his fans if they might be able to provide him with lodging, transportation, and food as he traversed the country. He's since written a book about this experiences on the road: "Bizarro Among the Savages" (Andrews McMeel).

Computer software engineer and NPR commentator Ellen Ullman. Her book is titled "Close to the Machine" (City Lights). It's her semi-autobiographical account of a computer programmer trying to reconcile her work -- machines and information -- with the need for human contact and the feel of living in the real world. (Interview by Barbara Bogaev)

Lieutenant Kelly Flinn was the first woman to pilot a B-52 bomber. Flinn was forced to resign from the Air Force this spring on charges of "disobeying orders" when a military investigation discovered she lied about relationship she had with a married man. Flinn has written a book about the incident and her experiences dealing with sexism and hypocrisy in the Air Force, titled "Proud to Be: My Life, the Air Force, the Controversy ." (Random House).

Promise Keepers founder, Bill McCartney, and his wife Lyndi McCartney. Bill has written a book to which Lyndi has contributed: "Sold Out." (Word Publishing) It explains how Bill McCartney came to lead the Christian and male ideology group, what their lives were like before Promise Keepers, and how changes in philosophy have altered their marriage in thirty-five years.

Historian John Hope Franklin and John Whittington Franklin, son and grandson of Buck Colbert Franklin. The two have co-edited his autobiography, "My Life and an Era" (Louisiana State University Press). Buck Colbert Franklin grew up on the frontier when Oklahoma was a new state, tri-racial in composition. He then went on to start a law practice in Tulsa. His son, John Hope Franklin, wrote "From Slavery to Freedom: A History of Negro Americans," and serves as the chairman of the Advisory Board on the President's Initiative on Race.