Society & Culture

Goode will be the first African American mayor in the city's history. He was elected on a platform of job growth, crime reduction, and an improvement of government services. WHYY City Hall reporter Tia O'Brien asks him how he plans to achieve his goals. Fresh Air listeners call in with their questions.

Historian Paul Fussel has observed nine distinct class categories in the United States. He says that, while belief in social mobility is strong in American culture, few people are able to move out of the class into which they were born.

In her new memoir, Deborah Spungen remembers her daughter, who was the girlfriend of the Sex Pistols' bass player Sid Vicious. Vicious confessed to murdering Nancy, but died of a drug overdose before his conviction.

As the founder of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), which fought for civil rights using nonviolent tactics, Farmer organized 1961's Freedom Rides.

The writer and Ms. Magazine founder has a new collection of her work, which collects two decades' worth of essays. She tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross about her writing evolved to become more politically-focused.

As an assistant principal, Joe Nathan has identified several ways to improve public schools by reducing teacher workloads, establishing consistent policies, and praising the accomplishments of faculty and students alike.

The second installment of WHYY's miniseries on religion, On This Side of Paradise, looks at Jewish culture, Jewish identity and antisemitism in the United States.

Gregg is one of the first and few African American in MLB's National League. He's also famous for his dramatic weight loss and appearance in television commercials.

David Ogilvy is one of the founders of Ogilvy & Mathers, one of the top 4 advertising agencies in the world. He joins Fresh Air's Terry Gross to discuss what he believes is and is not an effective way to sell a product.

Petra Kelly's frustration in Parliament was one of several factors which inspired her to cofound the political party, which promotes non-violence, feminism, and environmentalism. She is currently advocating against NATO's installation of missiles in her country.

Before beginning production, Young spends weeks living the life of his movies' characters to more authentically capture their experiences. His films often center on the injustices committed against marginalized people.

In her new book, writer Barbara Ehrenreich explores marriage from the 1950s onward. She identifies different cultural forces which fueled men's resentment toward their wives, and which contributed to the pay gap of between working men and women.

Myrlie Evers' book about her late husband, the civil rights activist Medgar Evers, was recently adapted into a movie for public television. She talks about her upbringing in the South, her relationship with Evers, and her own work to advance African American civil rights.

John D'Emilio is an Assistant Professor of American History at the University of North Carolina. His latest book, "Sexual Politics, Sexual Communities," is an historical analysis of the creation of gay activism from 1940-1970. The book looks at how World War II helped create a gay community, the politics and organizing styles of early homophile groups, such as the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis, and the impact of the civil rights movement, student activism, and feminism on gays. D'Emilio joins the show to discuss his research and conclusions.

Tenor saxophonist and composer Archie Shepp is known for his radical jazz and his radical politics. His recent work has emphasized interpreting the traditions from which his playing and writing is derived, including a blues and spiritual album with Horace Parlan and a tribute album to Charlie Parker "Looking at Bird." His latest album is "Mama Rose." Shepp is also a playwright, poet, and professor. Shepp moved to Philadelphia at the age of 7, and will perform a concert with McCoy Tyner at the Cool Jazz Festival.

John Zogby is the National Field Representative of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. The organization was founded in 1980 and opposes discrimination, ethnic slurs, and racism directed against Arabs. The group has protested advertisements, newspaper cartoons, and press coverage, and has lobbied Congress regarding Israel's invasion of Lebanon. Zogby is of Lebanese descent, and lives in Central New York, where he is involved in local politics and worked as a professor of political science and history.

Novelist Rita Mae Brown's newest novel "Sudden Death" is set in the world of women's professional tennis. Brown herself was a tennis player before becoming a writer. The novel also deals with the issue of lesbian athletes in the sport. Brown joins the show to discuss the novel and the sport.

Susan Seidelman is the producer and director of the film "Smithereens," which will open at the TLA this week. The movie follows a young women who, despite her lack of musical talent, dreams of becoming a New Wave star. The film co-stars punk musician Richard Hell. "Smithereens" was the first independent film entered into competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Seidelman is from Abington, and will be at the TLA opening.

Historian Allan Bérubé has been researching gays and lesbians during World War II, particularly gay men in the military. Bérubé began the research for the San Francisco Lesbian and Gay History Project, an oral history which collected stories from older gays and lesbians about life "pre-Stonewall." Bérubé's work was the covered in the Mother Jones article "Coming Out Under Fire."

Margaret Atwood is a novelist and poet whose female protagonists have attracted women readers. Atwood considers herself a feminist writer and joins the show to discuss her life, career, and the women's movement. Her latest work is a collection of short stories titled "Dancing Girls."