
Literary Figures
John Cages's "Empty Words."
John Cage reads from his "Empty Words" works and discusses his effort to create a "non-syntactical language."
David Slavitt a.k.a Henry Sutton on Popular Fiction
Terry Gross interviews author David Slavitt, who also writes "salacious" and popular novels under the name Henry Sutton. They also look at how movies have influenced his writing.
Biographer Deirdre Bair on Samuel Beckett
Scholar Deirdre Bair explains how she came to write an the biography of novelist and playwright Samuel Beckett.
A Lecture by Folklorist Alan Dundes
Fresh Air broadcasts a lecture by Alan Dundes about how folklore has influenced our behaviors, social customs and popular culture.
Jules Feiffer's "Tantrum" Against Middle Age
Writer and cartoonist Jules Feiffer recently published a novel called Tantrum, which follows the story of a middle-aged father who becomes a two-year-old. He shares his take on the culture of the 1970s and writing the screenplay of the upcoming Popeye film.
James Kirkwood's Writing Career
Kirkwood wrote the book for the musical A Chorus Line and has just published a new novel, P.S. Your Cat Is Dead! He talks about his approach to his craft and the impact various love affairs have had on his life.
Irving Stone On Writing Biographical Novels.
Irving Stone who writes biographical novels joins the show to discuss his novels and their adaptations. His latest book "Origin" is about Charles Darwin.
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.
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."
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.