The interview begins with Ms. Milford reading from the prologue of her book "Zelda". Ms Meyer talks with Studs about her book and the lives of Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Studs reads a few lines of a farewell poem by Ring Lardner to Zelda Fitzgerald "To Z.S.F." Both Studs and Ms. Meyer read letters from Zelda and F Scott Fitzgerald from the book. Excerpt of Virginia Durr of Montgomery AL. talking about southern women and the image they have to live up to.(1965958-4-1 & -4-2) Excert of Mrs.

Five mothers from Chicago discuss the hardships of living in poverty and how little welfare actually helps with Studs Terkel.

Discussing the book "The Broken Cord" (published by Harper & Row) with the author Michael Dorris.

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."

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 

Lear's husband is a doctor who has heart failure, and together, the couple deals with the medical professionals who make errors and who get angry when a second opinion is requested. Nothing prepared Lear for the utter helplessness and rage that she experienced.

Marjorie Guthie, the widow of folk singer of Woody Guthrie is in town for a fundraiser, raising money for Huntington's disease. Woody Guthrie died of the disease, which was passed down from his mother. Marjorie Guthrie also reflects on her courtship with Woody and she also talks about his music.

Marie Cardinal discusses her book "The Words To Say It: An Autobiographical Novel" with the publisher and translator of the book, Pat Goodheart. This novel explores childhood trauma, mental health, menstrual problems, and a complex mother-daughter relationship. The primary focus of this novel is to recount how psychoanalysis served as a healing experience for Cardinal later in life.

Maggie Kuhn, founder of the Gray Panthers, discusses the elderly and nursing homes. Kuhn notes the separation we currently see of older generations from the rest of the population, often in the form of separate housing and how this only enforces negative stigmas of the elderly. Studs plays "Hello in There" - John Prine (1971) and "Me and Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin (1971) which have been removed due to copyright.

Interviewing Maggie Kuhn of the Gray Panthers about the roles of senior citizens and the welfare of the aged in the United States. Kuhn talks about how society thinks once a person has retired, he or she is set aside or put to pasture. To the contrary, older people have a lot to offer with their wisdom, their knowledge and their experiences, says Kuhn.

Lynn Caine discusses her book "Widow" and talks about the death of her husband caused by cancer. She talks about the adjustment to losing your best friend, lover and partner. She describes how grief is buried socially and ignored, and how hard it is to raise children after the death of a spouse.

Leon DesPres, Quentin Young, and Bob Volen discuss being spied upon by the Police and the FBI. They discuss the nature of spying, protests, and lawsuits. Includes the song "Die Gedanken Sind Frei" sung at the end.

What started out as a 5-piece article on health care became Laurie Abraham's book, "Mama Might Be Better Off Dead: The Failure of Health Care in Urban America". Through her stories, Abraham points out the many hardships and catch-22 scenarios of some poor families. One woman, after caring for her mother all day, Julie, wanted to work part time in the evenings. However, she soon learned that she'd be making too much money and she'd no longer be eligible for Medicaid for herself and her children.