Biography & Memoir

John G. Adams became the Counselor of the Army in 1953 and had to work as the liaison to Joseph McCarthy. His experience with McCarthy turned his indifference towards the Senator to active resistance. When McCarthy threatened members of the Army in 1954, Adams leaked documents that revealed McCarthy's illegal harassment of Adams. This led to the televised "Army-McCarthy Hearings." Adams has written a new book about this period and his experiences, "Without Precedent: The Story of the Death of McCarthyism."

Marita Golden became part of a group of black radicals as student at American University in Washington, D.C. After graduating from the Columbia School of Journalism, Golden married a Nigerian and moved to Nigeria with him. Golden was shocked by the role of women and wives in the country, which she found stifling. Taking her son with her, Golden left her husband and returned to the United States. She discuss her life and experiences in her memoir "Migrations of the Heart."

Joyce Johnson became a part of the circle known as the Beat writers: Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, and Jack Kerouac, when she broke away from her middle class Jewish family life and joined the bohemian Greenwich Village crowd. Johnson met Kerouac in 1957 and was in a romantic relationship with him for two years. Her new memoir, "Minor Characters," discusses not only her experiences but also the role of women in the Beat generation. Johnson is also an editor and novelist.

Frank Saunders worked as the chauffeur for Joseph and Rose Kennedy from 1961 until after Joseph Kennedy's death. He lived in a cottage on their Hyannisport estate, and performed many duties for them beyond his title. He's written a book about his time with the Kennedys, "Torn Lace Curtain."

Larry King is the host of the radio talk show "The Larry King Show." The late-night program features guest interviews and listener calls and is aired between midnight and five thirty. He's recently written the memoir "Larry King." He will be airing his show live from Philadelphia this week.

Jessica Savitch is one of the most prominent women journalists on broadcast television. She began her career as a Philadelphia newscaster. Her autobiography "Anchorwoman" discusses how she made her career in a male dominated industry. She joins the show to discuss journalism and women.

Journalist Robert MacNeil cohosts a PBS news show with Jim Lehrer. He joins Fresh Air to discuss how the program curates stories and guests to provide a comprehensive and unbiased look at the news.

The All Things Considered co-host's new book details the making of the show, the unique challenges women journalists face in the field, and how she developed her style and confidence as a radio interviewer.

Ron Luciano worked as a baseball umpire before joining NBC as a sportscaster. He tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross about the ins and outs of the game, what makes a great player, and his switch to television broadcasting.

Italian-American boxer Rocky Graziano fame extends beyond his middleweight career. He appears regularly on television and has a new memoir called Somebody Down Here Likes Me, Too.

Poet Richard Elman covered the Nicaraguan revolution of 1979, which overthrew the ruling Somoza dynasty. He later returned to the country to see what life was like in the aftermath. Elman also has a side job of writing the novelizations of Hollywood films.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Susan Strasberg is an actress and the daughter of Lee Strasberg the director of The Actor's Studio who trained such actors as Paul Newman, Marlon Brando, James Dean, and Marilyn Monroe in what came to be known as "method acting." Susan Strasberg made her acting debut at 17 as Anne Frank in a Broadway production of "The Diary of Anne Frank." Strasberg has recently written her memoirs, "Bittersweet," which discuss growing up in her eccentric family, her love affairs with figures such as Richard Burton and Warren Beatty, and her daughter, who was born with a

Britt Ekland is an actress almost as well known for her private life as her professional. Her new memoir "True Britt" dishes on both, including her relationships with Peter Sellers and Rod Stewart.

Minnie Pearl is a country comedian and star of the Grand Ole Opry. She joins the show to discuss her life, career, and new memoir, "Minnie Pearl, an Autobiography."

Madelon Bedell has just published the first in a two-volume biography of "Little Women" writer Louisa May Alcott and the Alcott family, "The Alcotts: Biography of a Family." She discusses not only the Alcotts, but also the social movements and philosophies that surrounded the family.

Terry Robinson was a physical trainer to the stars, working at MGM. He was Mario Lanza's trainer and close friend. He has recently written a biography of the tenor "Lanza, His Tragic Life."