A Latter Day Weepy That Deserves Respect

Writer Jerry Stahl talks about his 1995 memoir "Permanent Midnight" (Warner Bros). Stahl was a successful journalist, a scriptwriter for cult film classics like "Cafe Flesh," and "Dr. Caligari," who went on to write for the hit TV shows "Moonlighting," "ALF" and "thirtysomething." Stahl was also a junkie. In his memoir he writes, "You might say that success ruined me. You might say I ruined success." "Permanent Midnight" is now a film starring Ben Stiller. It opens today. This originally aired 5/17/95.

Today's the anniversary of singer Hank Williams' birth. Williams' biographer Colin Escott talks about his 1994 book, "Hank Williams, The Biography."(Little Brown) He's also the author of "Good Rockin' Tonight: Sun Records & The Birth of Rock & Roll", and he produced and annotated the CD Collection "Hank Williams: The Original Singles Collection...Plus" (1990 Polygram Records release). This originally aired 9/6/94.