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2013
Don Swaim Interviews
Barbara Brandon
The Passion of Ayn Rand
May 14, 1919 -- December 11, 2013
Barbara was an early Rand disciple and husband of Nathaniel Brandon, once Rand's greatest proponent. His sexual relationship with Rand led to a self-destructive denouement for all involved, and seriously compromised Rand's failed Objectivist philosophy.
Ayn Rand did not have the education to sustain her notions about economics (she was a history major), particularly in a complex post-industrial America. She knew little about human nature. Righteous anger and a dominant personality are not the ingredients for a successful philosophy, and hers will remain a literary apostrophe. --DS
Don's 1987 interview with Barbara Brandon on the occasion of her biography The Passion of Ayn Rand: listen
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Hugh Nissenson
Pressed the Bounds of the Novelistic Form
(March 10, 1933 -- December 13, 2013)
The Tree of Life 1985: listen
The Elephant and My Jewish Problem 1989: listen
unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1985: listen
unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1989: listen
Video Interview with Hugh Nissenson (taped in 1987 as a pilot for a TV venture that never came to be) WATCH
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Andrei Schiffrin
Renowned American Publisher
June 14, 1935 -- December 1, 2013
Schiffrin headed the daring Pantheon Books for 28 years (and edited The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass). His clumsy departure fomented by owner Random House led to a major controversy about the integrity of publishing. Don interviewed Schiffrin on the eve of the founding of his new publishing venture, the New Press. listen
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JACK MATTHEWS
July 22, 1925 -- November 28, 2013
The Ohio-born novelist was as colorful as the chcracters in his books.
Robert Nagle's excellent essay on the life and death of Jack Matthews here.
Don Swaim's 1984 Book Beat broadcast with Jack Matthews: listen
Don's unedited CBS Wired for Books interview with Jack: listen
Don and Jack debate Ohio's own Ambrose Bierce: listen (recorded Oct. 9, 2001, WOUB, Athens, Ohio)
Free downloads of Matthews' works from Personville Press here.
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Doris Lessing
Nobel Prize Winner
(October 22, 1919 -- November 17, 2013)
The Fifth Child 1988: listen
African Laughter 1992: listen
unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1988: listen
unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1992: listen
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Penn Kimball
Distinguished journalist and educator
(October 12, 1915 -- November 15, 2013)
The File 1983: listen
When the American right-wing of the 1940s launched its communist witch hunts, Kimball was declared a national security risk -- and he didn't even know it. Kimball's ten-year effort to clear his name is detailed in The File.
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Oscar Hijuelos
Pulitzer Prize-winner
(August 24, 1951 -- October 12, 2013)
Mambo Kings Sing Songs of Love 1990: listen
unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1990: listen
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Tom Clancy
Popular techno-thrillers
(April 12, 1947 -- October 1, 2013)
Hunt for Red October 1985: listen
Red Storm Rising 1986: listen
unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1985: listen
unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1986: listen
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Robert Barnard
British mystery writer
(November 19, 1936 -- September 19, 2013)
School for Murder 1984: listen
unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1984: listen
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Elmore Leonard
Edgar Prize Mystery & Thriller Writer Supreme
(October 11, 1925 -- August 20, 2013, 2013)
Dutch Treat 1985: listen. (Leonard on his alcoholism)
Touch 1987: listen
Freaky Deaky1988: listen. (Leonard on rejection)
unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1985 : listen
unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1987: listen
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Andrew Greeley
Catholic Priest Wrote Steamy Novels
(February 5, 1928 -- May 29, 2013)
Lord of the Dance 1984: listen
unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1984: listen
Note the chatter at the start. The interview had to be recorded twice because a technical glitch ruined the first take. Greeley was not happy.
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Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Booker Prize Winner
(May 7, 1928 -- April 3, 2013)
Born in Germany, Jhabvala was best known for her screenplays, which she wrote as part of the Merchant-Ivory filmmaking tean. Jhabvala won Oscars for Room with a View and Howard's End. Don interviewed her in 1993: listen
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Stanley Karnow
Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist
(February 4, 1925 -- January 27, 2013)
One of America's great journalists and historians, Karnow covered Southeast Asia for Time, Life, The Saturday Evening Post, and NBC News, and wrote nine books. He may be best known for his mammoth Vietnam: A History, and its companion, a thirteen-hour PBS documentary. Don spoke to Karnow about the significant but sorry Viet Nam chapter in American history. listen
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But you have -- even though you may not have known it. His name was EDWARD DE GRAZIA who died on April 11, 2013 at the age of eighty-six. He fought for free speech against the reactionaries who--until de Grazia took them on--had censored our books and films.
Ed de Grazia's victories over the agents of suppression were manifest, and among the literary figures he championed were Henry Miller, William S. Burroughs, and publisher Barney Rosset. A champion of the First Amendment, de Grazia changed America's obscenity laws forever--we hope.
Don Swaim interviewed de Grazia on the occasion of his massive account about the law of obscenity and the assault on genius, Girls Lean Back Everywhere.
Don's five-part broadcast with de Grazia can be heard here:
listen
Here's Don's complete, unedited interview with de Grazia at Ohio University's Wired for Books: listen (runs 43:55)
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