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48:45

Bucky Fuller On Humanity's "Critical Path."

Buckminster "Bucky" Fuller is a philosopher, architect, and inventor. His newest work "Critical Path" will be published in April. The book traces what Fuller calls "the greatest crisis in the history of the human race," not scarcity of resources, but human selfishness. He joins the show to discuss his work and philosophy.

47:02

Louis L'Amour's West.

Louis L'Amour is known as the "most famous obscure novelist." He has written 79 novels, mostly westerns. His novels have also been adapted into films such as "Hondo." L'Amour's latest novel is "Comstock Lode." He joins the show to discuss his work, western novels and films, the relationship between Native Americans and western settlers, and what he sees for the future.

Interview
50:10

Kenneth Anger On Independent Filmmaking and Paganism.

Author and independent filmmaker Kenneth Anger joins the show to discuss his work as a director and writer, his spiritual beliefs, and selling his Nazi memorabilia to Keith Richards. His latest films are "Scorpio Rising" (about biker culture) and "Lucifer Rising" (based on the works of Aleister Crowley). His most famous book is "Hollywood Babylon."

Interview
46:53

Bair On de Beauvoir.

Deirdre Bair is known for her biography of playwright Samuel Beckett, "Samuel Beckett: A Biography." She is now the "designated" (not "official") biographer for French feminist and writer Simone de Beauvoir. She recently interviewed de Beauvoir for the first time in Paris, and joins the show to discuss their conversation.

Interview
52:08

Jim Quinn's Bad Language.

Jim Quinn is a journalist and writer who is currently the restaurant critic for New York's SoHo News. He is also known for his writings on language and the Philadelphia dialect. His new book "American Tongue in Cheek: A Populist Guide to Our Language," promises to defend all the language errors "you want to stamp out." He joins the show to discuss language and answer listener calls.

Interview
54:12

Creator of "Mexican Mythology," Carlos Fuentes.

Carlos Fuentes is writer whose work often deals with Mexican history. His most famous work is the novel "The Death of Artemio Cruz," and he's recently published a collection of short stories, "Burnt Water." Fuentes has worked as a diplomat, and is also a professor. He is known for his left-of-center politics and criticism of U. S. intervention in Latin America. He joins the show to describe his career, life, and Mexico.

Interview
42:06

Working As a Newspaper Book Critic and Editor with Rebecca Sinkler.

Rebecca Sinkler is the editor of the Sunday Book Page at the Philadelphia Inquirer. She recently published an article about the best books of 1980. Sinkler joins the show to discuss the trends of the year (a merging of fact and fiction, biography, and historical fiction), putting together a newspaper page, and the experiences that led her to criticism.

Interview
01:05:03

Orianna Fallaci On Alexandros Panagoulis.

Italian journalist and novelist Oriana Fallaci is known for her interviews with controversial political figures. Her latest work is about her former lover Alexandros Panagoulis, infamous for an attempt to assassinate a Greek dictator. Her book "A Man" covers his life and torture in prison, his enemies, and his death, which she believes to be a politically motivated murder. The book is partly fictionalized.

Interview
55:21

Leonard Maltin On Film, Television, and Animation.

Film critic Leonard Maltin has two new releases. The first is an updated and revised edition of his "T.V. Movies," an index of films shown on television. The second is about silent cartoons and animations and is titled "Of Mice and Magic." He joins the show to discuss both.

Interview
18:02

Madelon Bedell On the Alcott Family.

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.

Interview
51:35

Roy Blount On "Crackers" and Politics.

Writer and humorist Roy Blount's new book is "Crackers," a book of "impressions" about Southerners, Northerners, Jimmy Carter, and a fictional Carter family. Blount joins the show to talk about his book, Carter, the 1980 election, and the current political climate.

Interview
29:25

Jerre Mangione On the New Book Burnings.

Jerre Mangione is an author and the director of Creative Writing at the University of Pennsylvania. His newest book is "An Ethnic at Large: A Memoir of America in the Thirties and Forties." He's currently writing a book about Italian-Americans. He joins the show to discuss the recent enforcement of an IRS regulation that requires that publishers destroy or remainder their back-stock in order to take certain deductions. Mangione's book "The Dream and the Deal" nearly faced that fate.

Interview
45:50

Terry Robinson On Mario Lanza.

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."

Interview
42:14

Children's Authors Jan and Stan Baranstein Discuss Their Bears.

Jan and Stan Berenstain are the creators of the "Berenstain Bears" and the writers and illustrators of the children's books about the bear family. They have been creating animated holiday specials about the Berenstains for NBC, including an upcoming Thanksgiving special. Their most recent Berenstain Bears book, "Bears Christmas Tree," is an adaptation of their animated Christmas special. They have also written a new book geared towards parents, "How to Teach Your Children About Sex Without Making a Fool of Yourself."

49:21

Grace Paley, Short Story Writer.

Grace Paley is a short story writer who has had several volumes of her work published. Paley is also known as a feminist and peace activist. She is in Philadelphia to guest lecture at Temple University. She joins the show to discuss her work.

Interview
47:28

Tepilit Ole Saitoti: Man of the Maasai.

Tepilit Ole Saitoti is a Maasai warrior and conservationist who was the subject of the film "Man of Serengetti." After the film, the Kenyan earned a degree in creative writing in the U. S. He joins the show to discuss his new book of photography with Carol Beckwith, "Maasai."

54:00

Tim O'Brien On Writing About the Vietnam War.

Tim O'Brien is a novelist whose works often deal with the Vietnam War. His most recent novel was "Going after Cacciato," about a soldier in the war. O'Brien is currently guest lecturing at Temple University. He joins the show to discuss Vietnam, writing, and his work-in-progress "The Nuclear Age."

Interview

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