Angelou discusses: her early life; her international travels; dancing; blues and jazz music; and the book "Youngblood" by John Oliver Killens. Musical selections have been removed due to copyright.

Writer and poet Maya Angelou talks about her life, Creole influences, and her book “Gather Together in My Name” with Studs Terkel. Angelou reads an excerpt from the book and the recording opens with Angelou reading one of her poems.

Angelou discusses her book "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" and recites "When I Think About Myself." She talks about growing up in Stamps, Arkansas, and her family. Copyrighted material has been removed.

Poet Maya Angelou and journalist Tom Wicker discuss life in the U.S. South and how the region’s history has shaped its culture. Topics of discussion include social dynamics and race in the South, the concept of “home” and what it means to return to one’s roots, and religion in the South. Angelou reads excerpts of her poetry, including “Still I Rise” and “Phenomenal Woman,” and shares spiritual songs from her childhood.

Max Morath discusses his career, jazz music, and history.

Self-taught composer Maurice Weddington talks about his music career from his early years when he was raised on the West Side of Chicago to his performances around Western Europe.

After having received the Caldecott Medal for "Where the Wild Things Are," Maurice Sendak knew he had to do a different kind of book. Sendak recalled his trips to Brooklyn as a child and how going out to eat was a huge treat. From there, Sendak's book, "Night Kitchen," was born.

Monsters, imagination and violence in children's literature are all topics of Maurice Sendak's book, "Where the Wild Things Are." When writing the book, Sendak used his own experiences as a little boy, remembering that the monsters in the family were relatives on his mother's side. There are two excerpts of composer Oliver Knussen.

Maude DeVictor, a Veterans Affairs worker, talks about how she discovered Agent Orange after a Vietnam Veteran's widow called asking for help. DeVictor recalls her time spent calling Universities and Government Agencies trying to figure out what chemical caused the cancer and then trying to bring light to her discoveries. Studs reads two passages from Jacques Cousteau's "The Cousteau Almanac: An Inventory of Life on our Water Planet."

Ms. Russell was a social worker with the YWCA in China from 1917-1943, and the executive director of the Committee for a Democratic Far Eastern Policy from 1946-1952. Ms Russell speaks of her time and work in China, about U.S./China relations and the cultural revolution taking place in China. Includes excerpt of Joshua Horn talking about a worker who got burned while working at a steel factory in China. He speaks of the outpouring help for the man from the community of Shanghi.(1934055-3-1)

Studs interview with Mattiwilda Dobbs, first female and black to perform at La Scala. Dobbs describes her musical beginning as a child within a musical family in Atlanta, Georgia. She explains her training and professional background with various opera houses and theaters. The musical pieces are removed from this edited version of the original recording.

Euthanasia is the topic of Marya Mannes' book, "Last Rights: A Case for the Good Death". With cases of terminally ill patients, Mannes advocates having compassion and allowing one to chose a good and gentle death.*Please note: some sections have been edited out from the original recording due to copyright considerations 

Marya Mannes discusses her book But Will It Sell?, published in 1964. Mannes talks about American life and consumerism.