Terkel delves into the life of Frank Norman, a London ex-con who turned his life around and became a novelist and playwright by writing on his experiences. He wrote "Bang to Rights" shortly after his prison release which brought him great fame. He followed that with "The Monkey Pulled it's Hair" that had a U.S. release under the name "Don't Darling Me Darling". Norman opened up to Terkel discussing his illegitimacy, his illiteracy till age 14, his institutionalization in an orphanage which he turned into the novel "Banana Boy".

Terkel interviews activist and children's author Dagmar Wilson. She discusses how she goes from a children's author to an activist for anti-nuclear testing.

Visual arts and literature are covered in Jane B. Katz's book, This Song Remembers: Self-Portraits of the Native Americans in the Arts. When talking to artists, Katz learns that they aren't just capturing their past, but that they're keeping their cultures alive for future generations.*Please note: some sections have been edited out from the original recording due to copyright considerations