As part of an on-going series, Chicago Sun Times reporter, Judy Nichol and her colleagues went to various high schools in Chicago and the suburbs to talk to students about drugs in the high schools. Lane Tech seniors Jim and Kurt said the reason they got into doing drugs was because of their peers and because they wanted to be a part of the crowd.

Reflections on Judith Wax's life are part of her book, "Starting in the Middle." Ms. Wax talks about being the perfect wife and mother, when she always secretly wanted to be a writer. Being an ignored female guest at dinner parties was always interesting, too, as male guests would often ask her, "What does your husband do?"

Joshua Rubenstein discusses his book "Tangled Loyalties: The Life and Times of Ilya Ehrenburg" and the importance of Ehrenburg during the Stalin regime.

Dr. Joseph Collins co-authored the book, "Food First: Beyond the Myth of Scarcity". Among the topics in the book include world hunger, famine, food policies and politics. Collins asks the readers to think about being ok with eating food grown in another country when the workers of that country are so poor, they themselves are starving for food.

In "Goodbye Land," Jose Yglesias travels to Galicia, Spain, his father's native province. Yglesias found a number of cousins who remembered his father. Time was spent in a tavern owned by one of his cousins, talking about what they recalled about Yglesias' father. His cousins viewed Yglesias' travels to Spain as an event; a millionaire traveling to Spain and they showered him with an abundance of gifts.

Terkel interviews author Jonathan Yardley on his latest book. This book titled "Ring" is a biography of the sports writer columnist Ring Lardner.

Terkel interviews Jonathan Wordsworth about his great-great uncle William Wordsworth.

Terkel interviews Jonathan Miller about Shakespeare theater with some comparisons between American and English theater. They also talk a great deal about American drama, actors, and theater.

Content Warning: This conversation includes racially and/or culturally derogatory language and/or negative depictions of Black and Indigenous people of color, women, and LGBTQI+ individuals. Rather than remove this content, we present it in the context of twentieth-century social history to acknowledge and learn from its impact and to inspire awareness and discussion. Fourteen year-old Johnny attends Harrison High School. When asked if he were God & what changes he would make, Johnny replied he'd see to it that Black people remain on the their side of town.

Content Warning: This conversation includes racially and/or culturally derogatory language and/or negative depictions of Black and Indigenous people of color, women, and LGBTQI+ individuals. Rather than remove this content, we present it in the context of twentieth-century social history to acknowledge and learn from its impact and to inspire awareness and discussion.

John Weber, Mark Rogovin and Justine DeVan discuss their involvement with the mural movement as well as their involvement with the Chicago community and their various art projects. Includes excerpt of an interview with Bill Walker at the Peace and Salvation Wall of Understanding in (near?) Cabrini Green.

The opening song is a rebroadcast from a previous recording with Studs Terkel. John Prine talks about his family history in Paradise, Kentucky and when he was born and raised in Maywood, Illinois (Chicago Greater Area). Prine is known for humorous lyrics about love, life, and current events, as well as serious songs with social commentary, or which recollect melancholy tales from his life. All the songs are played in the studio from his albums "John Prine" and "Diamonds in the Rough"

John Henry Faulk discusses his experience lecturing at so-called knife and fork clubs and colleges across the United States; feelings of fear and powerlessness in America; the value of young people's activism in the United States; and the enlistment of poor men to serve in the Vietnam War. Faulk also speaks as several characters he plays to challenge and comment on the Vietnam War.

Folklorist and radio show host John Henry Faulk discusses his book "Fear on Trial," covering his experiences being on the Hollywood blacklist and his lawsuit against AWARE; includes Christmas story at the end of part 2.