Rose Styron and Studs read works by exiled writers and performers and discuss Amnesty International.

Tennessee Williams said he'll stop writing when he can no longer produce good work. He spoke of being puzzled as to why so little of his work gets produced in New York. Williams also talked about taking offense when the first sequences of the TV show "Dallas" aired. He explained that the owner of the great estate in "Dallas" was a copy of his Big Daddy character, who was a wealthy plantation owner.

Studs Terkel discusses life in the Vietnam era with children from Father Charles Pond's St. Timothy Episcopal Church Parish in Chicago. Rose is the featured speaker at 16 years of age she is no longer in school but is very well spoken. Acknowledging that people with mental illnesses are not always able to make sound decisions which are needed for individuals to make group decisions. She sees one of the problems in the world being that people are losing their individuality to a group mentality.

Aileen and Eugene Smith discuss their photographic essay book, "'Minamata', Words and Photographs," documenting the mercury poisoning of residents and their legal battles with the polluting company Chisso.

Frederick Ritter, professor at Illinois Institute of Technology, discusses the life and work of playwright Bertolt Brecht, the genre of epic theater, and more.

Studs Terkel and Allen Ginsberg talk about poetry, meditation, and the shifting of American socio-political consciousness between the 50's and 70's.

Dennis Brutus reads several of his poems from the book "Letters to Martha and Other Poems From a South African Prison" (Letters number 1, 9, 17 - "In prison"). Dennis Brutus discusses the 1972 Summer Olympics and being imprisoned for being an activist against Apartheid and the unreasonable laws that went along with Apartheid. Interview begins with excerpt of interview with Chief Albert John Luthuli (excerpt from 1895817-6-1).

Terkel interview author Geoffrey Wolff about his latest book. Entitled "Black Sun," it is a biography of Harry Crosby.

Dennis Brutus discusses and reads his poetry. He discusses life in South Africa. Dennis Brutus reads poems from his books of poetry "Sirens, Knuckles and Boots", "A Simple Lust", and "Letters to Martha and Other Poems from a South African Prison". Includes music in the beginning. Includes a clip of Albert Lutuli speaking.

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