Health & Medicine

The Fresh Air classical music critic reads a new poem about his mother.

Vilar's memoir "A Message from God in the Atomic Age" chronicles three generations of self-destructive behavior: in 1954, her grandmother was imprisoned for opening fire at the U.S. House of Representatives; in 1977, her mother leapt to her death from a speeding car; and in 1988, Vilar herself was committed to a psychiatric hospital after attempting suicide. Alternating between her notes from the psychiatric ward and the chronicling of the history of her family, Vilar tells of her own attempts to come to terms with her family history.

Doctor Marcus Conant. He talks to Terry about new drug therapies for AIDS patients. In the early 1980's DR. Conant was among the first doctors in San Francisco to treat AIDS cases. Now Dr. Conant heads the largest private AIDS medical practice in San Francisco. After his 1985 study on how condoms block transmission of the AIDS virus, condoms became a household word.

Earle's new CD is "I Feel Alright" from E-squared/Warner Brothers. He also recently had a song in the movie "Dead Man Walking" called "Ellis Unit One." His new album is called "I Feel Alright." Earle had a past as a drug user and prisoner, but has since turned his life around.

Collins has managed the band Aerosmith since 1984. A former addict and in his early days with the group, he often procured drugs for the band. He later helped the members get sober and revitalize their careers. Collins believes band managers and record executives need to work with musicians to overcome the systemic use and abuse of drugs. He works in Cambridge, MA as the founder and president of Collins Management.

Doctor of psychology and director of a sleep disorder clinic in San Diego, Sonia Ancoli-Israel. Her new book, "All I Want Is A Good Night's Sleep" addresses both sleep and the full range of sleep disorders, with advice on how to improve everyday sleep and how to overcome chronic sleep problems. Jet lag, snoring, sleepwalking and talking, and insomnia are all addressed.

Moody's new CD, "Young At Heart" is a collection of Frank Sinatra tunes. Just after World War II, Moody joined the bebop big band of Dizzy Gillespie and played with Milt Jackson. His most famous recording is of an improvisatory piece he performed in 1949, now known as "Moody's Mood For Love." In the new CD, Moody performs as vocalist, tenor/alto/soprano saxist and flutist. He talks about his career and how his hearing problems have affected his career.

Film critic John Powers reviews "Trainspotting," the gritty tale of heroin addicts in Scotland, which somehow makes for riveting entertainment.

The psychosexual therapist, along with Ben Yagoda, wrote a new book about the well-being of the American family, "The Value of Family: A Blueprint for the 21st Century." Much of her perspective is informed by her experience fleeing the Holocaust as a child.

Professor of Psychology at Harvard, Daniel L. Schacter has studied memory for the past twenty years, the way the mind remembers. One chapter in his new book, "Searching for Memory: the brain, the mind, the past" is about the controversial issue of "repressed" memory.

Author and Jungian analyst, Christina Middlebrook. Her new book, "Seeing the Crab: A Memoir of Dying" (Basic Books) describes how she and her family came to terms with her breast cancer diagnosis. In 1991, Middlebrook had a mastectomy and doctors told her she had a fifty percent chance of living two years. Her book honestly details the physical and emotional rigors of cancer treatment, as well as the changes it has caused in relationships with her family and friends.

Author Andrew Holleran. His latest novel, "The Beauty of Men" (William Morrow), is about a gay man in his late forties who is obsessed with the beauty of youth and his own mortality. At the same time, he harbors guilt for mourning the loss of his youth when so many around him are dying young. Holleran, whose real name is not known, has written two other novels under the pseudonym and is a frequent contributor to "Christopher Street" magazine.

Specialist in memory and language disorders, Dr. Barry Gordon. Gordon's book "Memory: Remembering and Forgetting in Everyday Life" (Mastermedia Ltd. The book can be ordered by calling 1-800-334-8232) looks at recognition, recall, memory blocks and the effects of drugs. The book also gives tips to increasing memory recall and dispels some common myths about the brain and memory. Gordon is a behavior neurologist, cognitive neuroscientist and experimental psychologist at Johns Hopkins University. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Country music star, George Jones. He's widely acclaimed as one of the greatest country singers, but his 40-year career has also been marked by alcohol and drug abuse. He recently published his autobiography, "I Lived to Tell it All" (Villard, New York).

Documentary producer, Glenn Holsten who's recent documentary, "Mothers who March" focuses on the lives and commitment of four mothers who've lost children to Aids. It debuts on PBS television nation-wide tonight (Tuesday May 7).

Medical ethicist Art Caplan. Director of the Center for Bioethics and Trustee Professor of Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. This is a continuation of yesterday's interview with Caplan. His most recent book is "Moral Matters: Ethical Issues in Medicine and the Life Sciences." (John Wiley & Sons).

Joseph and Julia Quinlan. They are the parents of Karen Ann Quinlan. It's been twenty years since the New Jersey State Supreme Court issued it's landmark decision (March 31, 1976) allowing their comatose daughter to be removed from a ventilator. She then lived nine more years. The Quinlans wrote about Karen in the book "Karen Ann: The Quinlans Tell Their Story," (Doubleday-1977). In 1980 they used the proceeds from the book to open the Karen Ann Quinlan Center of Hope Hospice in Newton, New Jersey. (201)383-0115

Medical ethicist Art Caplan. He's Director of the Center for Bioethics and Trustee Professor of Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. He'll talk with Terry about the ethics of death and dying and how the debate has changed since the Quinlan's first brought their case before the court. Caplan's most recent book is "Moral Matters: Ethical Issues in Medicine and the Life Sciences." (John Wiley & Sons).

Laurie Pepper is the wife of the late alto saxophonist Art Pepper, who died in 1982 and was considered to be the greatest alto saxophonist of the post-Charlie Parker generation. Terry talks with Pepper on the occasion of the updated version of her husband's autobiography, Straight Life, (which he wrote with the help of Laurie, published by Da Capo Press). There are also two new box sets of Pepper's music: "The Complete Village Vanguard Sessions," and "The Complete Galaxy Recordings."

Health care analyst and substance abuse expert Joseph Califano. He was LBJ's assistant for domestic affairs from 1959-65 and Secretary for Health, Education and Welfare under Jimmy Carter from 1977-79. Joseph Califano is also president of the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, a research and experimental care facility at Columbia University. (Interview by Barbara Bogaev)