Anna Deavere Smith discusses and demonstrates her unique character portrayals from her works "Fires in the Mirror" and "Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992."

Danish essayist and novelist Elsa Gress discusses her work, current events, and cultural movements. Her book "My Many Homes" ("Mine mange hjem") is also mentioned. She talks about American and Demark, theater, and the sexual revolution.

Mary Lynn Kotz discusses her book "Rauschenberg, Art and Life" with Studs as they recount the works and story of 20th century art pioneer Robert Rauschenberg. They survey his career beginning in Port Arthur, TX, discussing his Depression-era upbringing which caused him to reuse and salvage virtually any object and transform it into art, his studies in Paris, made possible by the G.I.

Arnold Wesker, English playwright and writer in several genres discusses scenes from the play "Roots". Mr Wesker further discusses his plays and the current cast traveling around England performing several of his plays. The interview tape ends and Studs recalls the remainder of the interview alone as a postscript.

Discussing American photographer Diane Arbus (the first American photographer to have photographs displayed at the Venice Biennale) with Patricia Bosworth, author of Diane Arbus: A Biography, published in 1985.

Discussing the book "Leaving Town Alive: Confessions of an Arts Warrior" (published by Houghton Mifflin) with author John Frohnmayer.

Program also includes an excerpt of an October 24, 1983 interview with British poet Stephen Spender.

Studs has a spirited discussion with Jonathan Kozol who shares his adventures and learnings in Cuba that formed the basis of his book "Children of the Revolution: A Yankee Teacher in the Cuban Schools." Kozol explains the ambitious Cuban Literacy Campaign begun in the 1960s that aimed to educate the entire population, tells of children teaching adults in remote villages by lantern light, and the unity and national pride that resulted. He and Studs explore the idea of generative words in literacy education and contemplate Kozol's hope to adapt a similar approach to American education.

Jane Stedman discusses the lives of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan and the works they created jointly as Gilbert and Sullivan with emphasis on their comic opera "Utopia, Limited."