Now I've Heard Everything

Rethinking race, ethnicity, and ulture. Paul Robeson Jr was the grandson of a slave, and son of a prominent and controversial African American actor, singer, and activist. Formerly trained as an electrical engineer, Robeson soon followed in the footsteps of his famous father, becoming an activist in his own right. In this 2007 interview Robeson challenges us to think differently about everything,...

What life as a standup comic is like In the late 1980s, just a few years into the start of the stand up explosion, a young writer producer named Betsy Borns put together a book about stand up comedians and how they work. In this 1987 interview Borns examines the challenges and rewards faced by comics like Jerry Seinfeld, Richard Lewis, Judy Tenuta, and Jay Leno. Get Comic Lives by Betsy Borns You...

Recalling Clarnce Thomas's "high-tech lynching" In 1991 then-Senaor John Danforth of Missouri helped shepherd Clarence Thomas's Supreme Court nomination through the Senate, watching as political oponents tried to derail the nomination. Inthis 1994 interview Danforth retells the story, and how close Thomas came to losing the fight. Get Resurrection by John Danforth You may also enjoy my interviews...

The struggles of the Georgy Girl star. Lynn Redgrave was born into a prominent show business family in 1943, so it was perhaps her destiny to become a successful, award-winning and acclaimed actress. But as an adult she struggled with bulimia. In this 1991 interview she tells how the a popular weight loss program saved her. Get This is Living by Lynn Redgrave You may also enjoy my interviews with...

The Barbie doll's real-life mom as the co-founder of Mattel Toys Ruth Handler was the key figure in bringing Barbie to market. She told her story, and Mattel's, in a 1994 book. This 1994 interview is about that book and Ruth Handler's amazing story. Get Dream Doll by Ruth Handler For more vintage interviews with celebrities, leaders, and influencers, subscribe to Now I've Heard Everything on Spoti...

The tumultuous life of an All-Star ex-wfe. Steve Garvey, the charismatic All-Star first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1970s and '80s. But he was anything but a superstar off the field, according to his ex-wife Cyndy Garvey. In this 1989 interview Cyndy tells her side of the story of their rocky relationship. Get The Secret Life of Cyndy Garvey You may also enjoy my interviews with Rac...

A conversation with the author of Schindler's List. Asuralian author Thomas Keneally has written dozens of books in his career, spanning from the 1960s. His most famous work is his prize-winning 1982 book called Schindler's Ark. It was later renamed Schindler's List, and that's what the movie was based on. In this 1995 interview Keneally talks about another of his books, and its connection to Schi...

Don;t waste your life on growing old. Helen Gurley Brown built her reputation from the 1960s on the idea of being youthful and sexy and vibrant. But in this 1993 interview, brown reflects on how it feels to be getting older. And she doesn’t like it. Get The Late Show by Helen Gurley Brown You may also enjoy my interviews with Art Linkletter and Betty Friedan For more vintage interviews with celebr...

A conversation with the legendary Tony Bennett. The world lost a music treasure today, July 21, with the passing of 96-year-old Tony Bennett. He was a superstar since 1951. In this 1998 interview Bennett reflects on his success, on the origins of his signature song, and what inspires him. For more vintage interviews with celebrities, leaders, and influencers, subscribe to Now I've Heard Everything...

Confessions of a psychic warrior. A former Army intelligence officer named David Morehouse wrote a book about his experience as what he called a “psychic warrior.” Morehouse explained how he was recruited for a super top secret defense program called Operation Stargate. In this 1996 interview Morehouse describes the program, his role in it, and what happened when he wanted out. Get Psychic Warrior...

The housewife who defeated the ERA. In the 1970s Phyllis Schlafly launched an anti-feminist crusade that would make her a household name -- lauded by many, revered by some, but hated and smeared by many others. In ths 2003 interview Schlafly looks back on her decades-long battle with feminism and her influence in the conservative movement. Get Feminist Fantasies by Phyllis schlafly You may also en...

The Broadway wunderking with a lotta heart. In the mid-1950s no one on Broadway was hotter than the team of Adler and Ross. Composer Richard Adler and lyricist Jerry Ross produced back to back Broadway hits TPe Pajama Game and Damn Yankees, featuring songs that would remain popular for decades. But Ross died suddenly in 1955, taking Adler's career in new and unexpected directions. Adler looks back...

The cartoonist and the funnyman. Roz Chast has been a fixture among New Yorker cartoonists for many years. In 2007. She collaborated with comedian Steve Martin on a children's book. In this 2007 interview, Chast explains how their partnership worked. And why the book is as much for the parents as it is for the children. Get The Alphabet from A to Y With Bonus Letter Z by Roz Chast and Steve Martin...

The inside story of America's moon ,mission. Alan Shepard was one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts. A few years later, Shepard became the oldest man ever to walk on the surface of the moon. In this 1994 interview, Shepard looks back on those Apollo years, to tell the inside story of how America put men on the moon and returned them home safely by the end of the decade. Get Moon Shot by Alan Sh...

The unique slanguage of baseball. Writer Paul Dickson spent several years researching the special slang of baseball, and how many of those words eventually made it into our everyday language. In this 1989 interview, Dickson talks about the origins of some of those terms, words like “bullpen,” “fan,” and the phrase “out of left field.” Get The Dickson Baseball Dictionary by Paul Dickson You may als...

America's entertaining guru. For more than 40 years, Stuart has been dispensing advice on cooking and decorating and entertaining guests. Best-selling books, a magazine, and a television show have helped push her to the forefront. In this 1994 interview we talk about her book Martha Stewart's Menus For Entertaining. Get Martha Stewart's Menus for Entertaining You may also enjoy my interviews with...

The immigrant who came to the U.S. and transform the world. His name was Andrew Grove. He fled the Hungarian revolution in 1956 to come to the US. In 1968, he joined the newly formed company called Intel, and eventually became its third CEO. In this 2001 interview Grove talks about his autobiography, a book he called Swimming Across. Get Swimming Across: by Andrew Grove You may also enjoy my inter...

Exokirersm Ubvebtirs, and Innovators Journalist. Simon Winchester was British by birth, but became an American, and was fascinated by things that most Americans either take for granted or don't even know in the first place. He ended up writing a book about inventors, innovators and explorers who built this country. In this 2013 interview, Winchester goes into detail about his book The Men Who Unit...

From housewife to household name. As a 24-year-old housewife in 1951, Lillian Vernon started as small mail order business from her kitchen table, to bring in a few extra bucks. The business grew into the Lillian Vernon Corporation., In this 1996 interview Lillian Vernon reveals some of her secrets to success, and offers encouragement to other enterpeneurs, particularly women. Get An Eye for Winner...

The greatest gospel artist of all time. CeCe Winans made her mark early on, as a member of the Wimans Family singing group. While still a teenager, she signed on with the PTL Club TV show run by Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. Alongside BeBe, and later as a solo artist. CeCe Winans racked up 15 Grammy awards, 31 GMA Dove awards, and countless other accolades. In this 1999 interview CeCe Winans reflects...

Hey kids, what time is it? Long before Sesame Street, Mister Rogers, or even Captain Kangaroo, there was Howdy Doody. Its creator was a young radio broadcaster nicknamed Buffalo Bob Smith. In this nostalgic and engaging 1990 interview, Smith tells the story of Howdy. And dispels a few myths. Get Howdy And Me by Buffalo Bob Smith You may also enjoy my interviews with Bob Keeshan and Art Linkletter...

Happy Pride! A vintage conversation today with a major figure inLGBTQ lierature. E. Lynn Harris quit his job as a computer salesman in 1990 to begin a full-time writing career. His first novel, Invisible Life, won widespread acclaim. His second book was Just As I Am, and that was when I firstmet and interviewed him. In this 1995 interview Harris faces the struggles a gay black author os up against...

The architect of a controversial conservative organization. Project Veritas was started by then-26-year-old James O'Keefe in 2010. His secretly recorded and heavily edited videos were embraced by many conservatives eager to expose what they saw as liberal or leftist misdeeds. In this2013 interview O'Keefe defends Prokect Veritas's methods and results. But don't infer from the natur...

Happy Juneteenth. In 1994, historian and writer Louise Meriwether wrote a novel based on the true story of one slave's sourage and ingenuity in the Civil War. In this 1994 interview, Meriwether brings to life the story of Robert Smalls, detailing how she put flesh and blood on the dry bones of forgotten history. Get Fragments of the Ark by Louise Meriwether You may also enjoy my interviews wit...

A popular TV personality's Fathers Day card to his dad. Tim Russert hosted NBC's Meet The Press for 17 years, but never forgot where he came from. In this 2004 interview, Russert offers a son's grateful praise for his father,m "Big Russ," a World War II veteran who worked two jobs to support his family. Russert shows how Big Russ built him into the successful man he became. G...