Biography & Memoir

Former Major League Baseball Umpire Ron Luciano was known for his flamboyant style. His book "The Umpire Strikes Back," was a hot, and Luciano has written a follow-up "Strike Two." He shares humorous stories about his career in MLB and discusses some of the colorful characters working in the sport today.

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter grew up in Plains, Georgia. She met her husband, Jimmy, when she was 17 and he was 20 years old. She was glad that his naval career allowed them to travel, and when they returned to Georgia after his father's death, Carter was upset. It was there, however, that she grew into a business partner in her husband's peanut farm. Carter spoke last week with Betty Ford on the topic of modern First Ladies. Carter's life before and during the presidency is discussed in her new memoir "First Lady from Plains."

In her new memoir, Deborah Spungen remembers her daughter, who was the girlfriend of the Sex Pistols' bass player Sid Vicious. Vicious confessed to murdering Nancy, but died of a drug overdose before his conviction.

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