The beauty of nature and all it has to offer is the main topic of Josephine Winslow Johnson's book, 'The Inland Island: A Year in Nature."*Please note: some sections have been edited out from the original recording due to copyright considerations 

Two central themes of Judith Rossner's book, "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" are time and loneliness. In her book, Rossner captivates her readers with Theresa Dunn's experiences of being a teacher by day and living dangerously with her sexual exploits at night. Included in the interview, both Rossner and Studs Terkel read passages from the book.*Please note: some sections have been edited out from the original recording due to copyright considerations 

She never took any writing courses and she didn't have an agent and yet, Judith Guest's novel, "Ordinary People," became something of a phenomenon. After her youngest son left for college, Guest found herself with more time to dedicate to writing. Guest also talks about how Viking press wanted her to change the title of her book.*Please note: some sections have been edited out from the original recording due to copyright considerations 

Author, professor, and John Keats biographer, Aileen Ward, discusses and reads from the biography “John Keats: The Making of a Poet.” Ward discusses Keats’ schooling, his relationship with Fanny Brawne, and Keats’ work in comparison to his contemporaries such as Percy Bysshe Shelley. Ward reads Keats’ 1818 poem entitled “Isabella, or the Pot of Basil.” Studs plays a recording of Ralph Richardson reading Keats’ 1819 poem “Ode on a Grecian Urn.”*Please note: some sections have been edited out from the original recording due to copyright considerations

Set on the South Side of Chicago in 1971, Cyrus Colter's novel, "The River of Eros," is the story of Clotilda and her two grandchildren. Colter said Clotilda was very similar to the matriarchal roles of the women living in the deep South. *Please note: some sections have been edited out from the original recording due to copyright considerations 

With his book, "Hunting Mr. Heartbreak: A Discovery of America," Jonathan Raban wanted to see if, in the 20th century, a man could have a new life in America. Raban traveled to New York City, to the deep south in Alabama, to Seattle and finally to the Florida Keys.

Living in Montana in the early 20th century had many hardships, as covered in Jonathan Raban's book, "Bad Land: An American Romance". Raban said people were looking for new lives in the west but they encountered prairie fires, hail storms and grasshopper plagues.

Jimmy Breslin discusses and reads excerpts from “The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight,” his novel about a Brooklyn Mafia boss. Content Warning: This conversation has the presence of outdated, biased, offensive language. 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.

Jimmy Breslin discusses and reads excerpts from “The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight,” his novel about a Brooklyn Mafia boss.

There are 23 stories in Isabel Allende's book, "The Stories of Eva Luna". "Revenge," "Tosca," and "The Judge's Wife" are among the stories discussed. Recalling her upbringing, Allende believed all her stories came from a place of community.