White anti-apartheid activist Helen Suzman identifies ways in which recent reforms passed by the South African government have led to some desegregation. She believes that the recent sanctions advocated by the Reagan administration will have little impact on her home country's racist policies.
The musician moved from Philadelphia moved to New York to broaden her career opportunities. She considers how gender and her biracial background have affected her standing in the jazz scene.
Scandals involving Robert Bauman's alcoholism and soliciting of an underage male prostitute heralded the end of this career as a Maryland congressman. He writes about the experience and how he came to peace with his identity in his new book, The Gentleman from Maryland.
Gail Lumet Buckley is the daughter of groundbreaking African American actress Lena Horne. Buckley's new book, The Hornes, traces her family's history from the Civil War to contemporary New York, untangling the unique experiences of the black bourgeoisie in the US.
Novelist William Kennedy and his son Brendan collaborated on a children's book called Charlie Malarkey and the Belly-Button. Despite the elder Kennedy's success as a novelist, the two received a series of rejections before finally getting their work published. Kennedy also talks about his recent work as a screenwriter.
The writer, known for her grisly descriptions of crime scenes, lives a quiet life as a grandmother in her 60s. Her novels focus on psychological themes rather than the tightly-plotted mysteries associated with the works of Agatha Christie.
While working as a preacher at a mortuary, Solomon Burke was recruited by Atlantic Records to make a country and western album. The record was a hit, but many listeners didn't know Burke is black. He joins Fresh Air to share stories of how he later made a name in soul music.
Writer and Marine veteran William Broyles visited Vietnam years after the war to help come to terms with his experiences there. He made a point of being honest about his combat role when meeting with different Vietnamese people who survived the war.
Spalding Gray's career performing humorous, autobiographical monologues has sometimes been a detriment to his attempts to break into film and television acting; no casting director wants to be mentioned in one of Gray's stage shows.
Actress Lynn Redgrave, known for numerous stage productions and the film Georgy Girl, comes from a family of actors. She joins Fresh Air to discuss her craft and how both her weight and famous last name shaped her career.
Cinematographer and film director Garrett Brown has created the "Philadelphia: Getting to Know Us" advertising campaigns. He returns to Fresh Air to discuss why he wanted to show both the "grimy outskirts" and "scrubbed-up insides" of his home city.
In her new memoir, Dreamgirl, singer Mary Wilson outlines the history of the girl group, including their contentious legal and financial relationship with Motown Records.
The Philadelphia-based musician didn't begin playing his instrument until he was 22, after serving in the Air Force as a fighter pilot. He describes his first 10 years performing with jazz legends as his version of going to school.
Film director John Waters has cultivated a second career as a writer. His newest collection of essays is called Crackpot. He joins Fresh Air to talk about his television watching and filmgoing habits, and to discuss some of his favorite recent releases. Listeners call in with their questions.
John Houseman has had an illustrious career as an actor and producer of film, television, and radio. He is known for bringing Shakespeare to diverse audiences via Broadway, the Federal Theater Project, and film adaptations of the playwright's work.
Deborah Eisenberg began writing short fiction in her 30s, without any formal training, while she worked as a waitress. Her first collection, Transactions in a Foreign Currency, received critical acclaim.
Film critic Roger Ebert returns to Fresh Air to discuss the impact VCRs and the home video market has affected an audience's movie watching habits--a topic he explores in the book Roger Ebert's Movie Home Companion. The newest iteration of his television show with fellow critic Gene Siskel is called At the Movies. Fresh Air listeners call in with their questions.
Anne Rice latest installment in her Vampire Chronicles series, The Vampire Lestat, continues the story of the titular protagonist, who first appeared in Interview with the Vampire.
