Farmer Jim Nelson from Minnesota was the impetus of Paul Wellstone's book, "Powerline: The First Battle of America's Energy War". Topics of the book include U.S. energy policy, civil disobedience, corporate power, the role of American family farmers in the democratic process, and the possible dangers of electric power lines.

Edmund White talks about his book "States of Desire: Travels in Gay America," published in 1980.

The program begins with an excerpt from BBC Radio about a hoax piece of music by Pietorzac (Hans Keller). Hans Keller and a friend went into studio and made noise and presented it as music. In this round table discussion the three gentlemen - all composers, musicians, and educators, discuss with Studs, contemporary music and the standards for defining a composition as music. In the second hour, they discuss what level of knowledge of music a critic should have in order to form a proper opinion of music. All animatedly offer their opinion to both the pro's and the cons.

Wicker discusses the events at the center of his book, "A Time to Die: The Attica Prison Revolt." The discussion also covers Wicker's thoughts on his responsibility as a journalist to his fellow man. Both Wicker and Terkel read excerpts from the book. (includes excerpts from T2576, 1970 Nov. 20).

Content Warning: This conversation includes racially and/or culturally derogatory language and/or negative depictions of Black and Indigenous people of color, women, and LGBTQI+ individuals. 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.

Simon Wiesenthal discusses his advocacy work after surviving the Holocaust and the publication of The Sunflower in 1969.

Lois Wille caused an uproar with the story she wrote for the Chicago Daily News, "Inside a Slum High School." According to Wille's investigation, a lack of money, over crowding of students, lights that don't work in the school and no books were among some of the problems that Wille found at Crane High School. Students also had a pessimistic view, explained Wille, as she found students didn't believe the teachers and counselors cared what theyd do after they got out of high school but they just wanted them to get out and leave Crane.

Content Warning: This conversation includes racially and/or culturally derogatory language and/or negative depictions of Black and Indigenous people of color, women, and LGBTQI+ individuals. 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. When she was a teenager, Sister Mary William told her parents that she wanted to become a nun. Sister Mary wanted to become a nun so that she could love and help many people.

Terkel interviews Welsh actor/writer/dramatist Emlyn Williams.

In this round table discussion the three gentlemen - all composers, musicians, and educators - discuss with Studs contemporary music and the standards for defining a composition in music. In the second hour they discuss what level of knowledge of music a critic should have in order to form a proper opinion of music. All animatedly offer their opinion to both the pro and the con. A movement of both Blackwood and Shapey compositions is played.