The world spends 600 billon dollars on the arms race, which is rather puzzling to Dr. Helen Caldicott when 2/3 of the world's children are starving. Caldicott explained if a bomb went off in Chicago, there'd be a crater a half a mile wide and 300 feet deep. In addition, 90% of the people will be dead, some from being vaporized.
Hortense Calisher discusses and reads excerpts from “Queenie: A Novel,” a coming-of-age story about Queenie, a teenage girl raised an unorthodox household. Terkel and Calisher discuss reoccurring themes like the relationship between sex and property and the preservation of beauty as one ages. Calisher comments on her unique writing style, and Terkel praises her writing, calling it elegant and euphemistic. The two dance around certain topics and language deemed inappropriate for public broadcast, bringing up the issue of censorship.