God, No! An Insight into Penn Jillette’s Atheist Perspective

I suppose there are many reasons someone might be an atheist. For famed magician Penn Jillette, one half of the Penn & Teller duo, his atheism results from what he frames as a vigorous intellectual exercise.

As a youth, Jillette read his Bible, but rejected it as illogical and flawed..

Jillette does not revel in his atheism, however, wearing it instead as one aspect of a multi-faceted personality.

His 2011 book was called God, No! He and I had a chat about it, so here now, from 2011, Penn Jillette.

Penn Jillette will be 69 in a couple of weeks. Penn & Teller remain a popular headline act in Las Vegas.


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Meadowlark Lemon: Beyond the Court to the Pulpit

For 22 years he was known as the “Clown Prince” of the Harlem Globetrotters. But for basketball Hall of Famer Meadowlark Lemon, there was a larger, much larger, purpose for his life.

When I met him in 1987, Lemon was eager to talk about not just basketball, but about God.

Just a year before our interview, Lemon was ordained a Christian minister. And proud as he was of his on-court accomplishments, Meadowlark Lemon had much bigger things on his mind.

Also, be aware that my very first question to him, as you are about to hear, was worded in such a way that his response was worded in the third person. I should emphasize that is not the way he normally talked about himself, but was simply answering the question the way I had framed it.

So here now, from 1987, Meadowlark Lemon.

Meadowlark Lemon died in 2015. He was 83.


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Sheila Lukins and Julie Rosso: Pioneers of Mediterranean Flavors/

Hundreds of cookbooks are published every year, thousands have been published since the early 1980s. But few had the impact that 1982’s Silver Palate Cookbook had.

It was the outgrowth of a popular New York City eatery calledTthe Silver Palate, run by Sheila Lukins and Julie Rosso.

They helped introduce Americans to Mediterranean and European cuisines never before seen in this country.

Over the next 25 years their cookbook sold millions of copies and became a must have for many kitchens.

In 2007, Lukins and Rosso published a 25th anniversary edition of the cookbook, and that’s when I spoke with them. So here now, from 2007, Sheila Lukins and Julie Rosso..

Sheila Lukins died in 2009, at age 66.


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Comedy, Red Hats, and Inspiration: Damon Wayans’ Debut Novel

Photo by Brian Solis

Some inspirational words from Lionel Richie, and a chance encounter with a group of ladies with red hats, led to the first novel by actor, comedian, and writer Damon Wayans.

From his early years in movies (as the banana man in “Beverly Hills Cop”) to his days on TV’s “In Living Color,” as characters like Homey D. Clown, Wayans has proven his comedic abilities in many ways. And his novel Red Hats demonstrated his keen ability to create memorable, if sometimes irascible, characters.

Our conversation about his book was a little more sedate than his TV sketches.

So here now, from 2010, Damon Wayans.

Damon Wayans is 63 now, and is reportedly working on a new project with ABC.


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A Valentine’s Day Special: Carl Reiner’s ‘All Kinds of Love

Photo: John Mathew Smith

Happy Valentine’s Day!

It’s a day of romance, relationships, maybe even marriage, but most especially it’s a day of love. All kinds of love.

In fact, All Kinds of Love was the title of actor writer Carl Reiner’s 1993 novel. It featured a delightful cast of characters dealing with a variety of romantic situations, with a good deal of comedy thrown in, as we would expect no less from the man who created TV’s iconic Dick Van Dyke show.

So here now, from 1993, Carl Reiner.

Carl Reiner was 98 when he died in 2020.


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Unplugging the Grid: Dr. Helen Caldicott’s Battle Against Nuclear Power

Do you know where your electricity comes from? Currently about 20% of America’s electricity is generated through nuclear power.

But activists like Dr. Helen Caldicott say that percentage should be zero.

For decades, the Australian-born doctor, who founded Physicians for Social Responsibility, has been lobbying hard against nuclear power. And nuclear weapons, as well.

And she has been a strong advocate for environmental issues generally, and for women’s rights.

When I interviewed her in 2006, it was for her book Nuclear Power is Not The Answer.

So here now, from 2006, Dr Helen Caldicott.

Dr. Helen Caldicott is 85 now. The Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC named her one of the most influential women of the 20th century.0


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Super Bowl 21 Hero Leonard Marshall Reflects on the Giants’ Disastrous 1987 Season

This Sunday the San Francisco 49ers will meet the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas This will be the Chiefs’ fourth Super Bowl appearance in five years. But big success one year doesn’t necessarily mean the next year will be just as great.

The New York Giants dominated the NFC in 1986, and they won Super Bowl 21 over the Denver Broncos in January 1987.

But the Giants began the 1987 season 0-5, and finished with a 6-9 record, missing the playoffs for the first time in four years.

A key player for the Giants at that time was defensive lineman Leonard Marshall. He had written a book in the offseason, called The End of the Line. I had the chance to talk with him about the book In early December just two days after the Giants lost an embarrassing game to the Washington Redskins. New York had a 16-0 lead at halftime, and lost.

but Marshall was in a surprisingly pleasant mood that day as we talked. So here now,
from 1987, Leonard Marshall.

Leonard Marshall retired at the end of the 1994 season. He’s 62 now and is involved in various business ventures.


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The Night the Beatles Rocked America: A Conversation with Journalist Larry Kane

Photo by Endlessdan

Sixty years ago this week the Beatles performed in concert – notable because it was their very first concert in the United States.

On February 11, 1964 the Beatles entertained a crowd of about 8,000 at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, DC.

After that concert, as they embarked on their 1964 U.S. tour, along with them was young journalist Larry Kane. He was, in fact, the only broadcast journalist who was with the band at every stop on both the’64 and ‘65 American tours

Kane has written three books about the Beatles, including his 2014 book When They Were Boys. So let’s take a few minutes to revisit this milepost in American culture. Here now. from 2014, Larry Kane,

Larry Kane is 81. He is a special contributor to Philadelphia’s KYW radio.


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Zane: The Theologian’s Daughter Who Rocked the Erotica World

As the saying goes, sex sells.Books about sex can sell very well, if they are well written. And in the early 2000s a powerful new voice in erotica emerged, and dominated bestseller lists.

She wrote under the pseudonym Zane. Her short erotic stories attracted a loyal following on the Internet, inspiring her to self-publish The Sex Chronicles Before long, she had a book deal with Simon and Schuster.

I met Zane in 2004, when she had just published her novel Nervous. And this soft spoken theologian’s daughter had a lot to say about writing, and publishing.

So here now, from 2004, Zane.

Zane – real name: Kristina Roberts – is about 57 now, She published Strebor Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, publishing as many as 60 books a year.


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Unlock Your Creative Potential: Insights from Judy Collins

Over a seven-decade career Judy Collins has proven to be one of America’s most popular musicians. But she isalso the author of several best selling books, she’s a painter, she even directed a documentary film that was nominated for an Oscar .

She is unquestionably a well of creativity. But here’s the thing – she says you can be as creative, too.

Her 2005 book Morning, Noon and Night explained her philosophy of creativity.

I have always had so much fun interviewing Judy Collins, and this interview was maybe one of my favorites. So here now from 2005 Judy Collins.

Judy Collins will be 85 in May. Her most recent album was released in 2022.


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