Society & Culture

Historian Philip Foner joins the show again to discuss Black history in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. Foner is the foremost historian on the labor movement in the U. S. He is the author of over eighty works, including a four volume history of the American labor movement, "Organized Labor and the Black Worker," and "Women and the American Labor Movement," the second volume of which was recently published. He is currently a visiting professor at Rutgers University.

Activist and Pennsylvania State Senator Milton Street delivers a talk about the inner city, gentrification, Philadelphia politics and its racial aspects, and his experiences as an activist.

Philip Foner is the foremost historian on the labor movement in the U. S. He is the author of over eighty works, including a four volume history of the American labor movement, "Organized Labor and the Black Worker," and "Women and the American Labor Movement," the second volume of which was recently published. He is currently a visiting professor at Rutgers University.

Louis L'Amour is known as the "most famous obscure novelist." He has written 79 novels, mostly westerns. His novels have also been adapted into films such as "Hondo." L'Amour's latest novel is "Comstock Lode." He joins the show to discuss his work, western novels and films, the relationship between Native Americans and western settlers, and what he sees for the future.

Bill Eisenhuth and Pam Killman of Philadelphia's Advocates for the Mentally Disabled, and LIZ ROBINSON, of the People's Emergency Center, join the show to discuss the homelessness and homeless people in Philadelphia and across the country.

Deirdre Bair is known for her biography of playwright Samuel Beckett, "Samuel Beckett: A Biography." She is now the "designated" (not "official") biographer for French feminist and writer Simone de Beauvoir. She recently interviewed de Beauvoir for the first time in Paris, and joins the show to discuss their conversation.

Jim Quinn is a journalist and writer who is currently the restaurant critic for New York's SoHo News. He is also known for his writings on language and the Philadelphia dialect. His new book "American Tongue in Cheek: A Populist Guide to Our Language," promises to defend all the language errors "you want to stamp out." He joins the show to discuss language and answer listener calls.

Desmond Ryan is the film critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Ernie Schier is the film critic for the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, and Bill Van Wert is Fresh Air's film critic. They join the show to discuss their top ten lists for the best and worst films of 1980.

Madelon Bedell has just published the first in a two-volume biography of "Little Women" writer Louisa May Alcott and the Alcott family, "The Alcotts: Biography of a Family." She discusses not only the Alcotts, but also the social movements and philosophies that surrounded the family.

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.

Jerre Mangione is an author and the director of Creative Writing at the University of Pennsylvania. His newest book is "An Ethnic at Large: A Memoir of America in the Thirties and Forties." He's currently writing a book about Italian-Americans. He joins the show to discuss the recent enforcement of an IRS regulation that requires that publishers destroy or remainder their back-stock in order to take certain deductions. Mangione's book "The Dream and the Deal" nearly faced that fate.

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."

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.

Helen Caldicott is a pediatrician and the president of Physicians for Social Responsibility. The Australian is a leading figure in the fight against nuclear war and the nuclear arms race. The activist joins the show to discuss the dangers of nuclear weapons here and abroad, and to answer listener calls.

Gary Bridges (WYSP), David Dye (WIOQ), and Michael Picozzi (WMMR) are disc jockeys. They join the show to discuss rock, rock radio, and to answer listener calls.

Dr. John Morrison is a professor of Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania. He has recently completed a study about the effects of racism on whites. He joins the show to discuss his work.

Leslie Uggams is an actress and singer known for her roles in the television miniseries "Roots" and "Backstairs at the White House" and the t.v. show "Sing Along with Mitch." She is also well-known for work in musicals and on Broadway. Uggams discusses her career and life including being a child actor, a member of a youth gang, and singing versus acting. Uggams is currently performing in Philadelphia.

Mike Frisch, a professor of History at the University of Buffalo, currently working at the University of Pennsylvania, discusses oral history. Frisch spoke with Fresh Air contributor Charles Hardy. (INTERVIEW BY CHARLES HARDY)

Gary Bridges (WYSP), David Dye (WIOQ), and Michael Picozzi (WMMR) are disc jockeys. They join the show to discuss rock radio, the music business, and the life of a d.j.