Authors – Now I've Heard Everything

Erica Jong on Writing, Fame, and Feminism

April 14, 2025Bill Thompson

If you saw the bookshelf of a typical feminist in the early 1970s you probably saw The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan, The Female Eunuch by Germaine Greer – and undoubtedly Fear of Flying by Erica Jong.

That 1973 book with its edgy exploration of female sexuality propelled the poet Jong to International fame overnight and launched what would be a decade-long literary career.

Erica Jong became an icon of the 1970s and ‘80s as she established herself as a literary and media personality.

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She was also a popular and successful writing teacher, and it was that aspect of her life that eventually led to her writing a memoir in 2006.

Her book was called Seducing the Demon and the conversation that she and I had about it was one of several we shared over the years.

So come along with us now as we learn something about Erica Jong and her life, and also something about writing. Here now, from 2006, Erica John.

Erica Jong recently celebrated her 83rd birthday. Fear of Flying has sold over 37 million copies worldwide.

Is The 25th Amendment a Recipe For a Coup? John Batchelor Imagines this Scenario

March 13, 2025Bill Thompson

On its face the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution seems pretty straightforward. If a president is rendered incapable of carrying out the duties of the office, the vice president takes over – perhaps just temporarily, if the president’s condition is temporary.

But there is a fundamental flaw in the 25th Amendment, says popular radio host and novelist John Batchelor.

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In his 1994 novel, called Father’s Day, Batchelor imagines what would happen if the 25th Amendment resulted in a constitutional crisis. And in today’s political climate it’s not hard to see how this could happen.

Although this interview is 30 years old it still feels very timely and relevant.

So here now, from 1994, John Batchelor.

John Batchelor will be 77 next month. He is currently heard on Eye On The World on CBS Radio.

Imagining An American Theocracy: The Satire of Tony Hendra

February 23, 2025Bill Thompson

There is a growing movement of Christian nationalism in the US, and opposition to it is growing just as fast.

So what might a Christian theocracy actually look like?

Leave it to renowned satirist Tony Hendra to fill in some of the blanks. I mean, who better than one of the original editors of the National Lampoon?

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In 2006 Tony Hendra wrote a satire called The Messiah of Morris Avenue. Set in the not too distant future it imagined what might happen if Jesus Christ returned, but not at all in the way many Christian fundamentalists think He will.

Now keep in mind this interview was done almost 20 years ago, but see if you don’t think it sounds really relevant today.

So here now from 2006 Tony Hendra.

Tony Hendra died in 2021, at age 79.

One Momentous Summer, 60 Years Ago, Told In Fiction B y a Veteran Actress Who Lived It

February 17, 2025Bill Thompson

Freedom Summer was a paradigm shift in America’s deep South in 1964.

Thousands of young Americans, black and white, poured into Mississippi that summer for a massive black voter registration movement.

They were young, idealistic, and motivated. Most were there for the summer only, but their brief presence shone a bright light on the injustices of the day.

One of those bright and eager volunteers was a young woman who would later become a well-known actress, Denise Nicholas.

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Best known for her roles in the TV series “Room 222” and “In The Heat of The Night“ Nicholas was also featured in dozens of other TV shows and movies.

And finally, in 2005 she reached back for those memories of 1964 in writing her debut novel, a book called Freshwater Road. It was about an idealistic young woman named Celeste arriving in Mississippi in 1964 to do the work of Freedom Summer.

She and I talked about her book when she was on an author tour.

So here now, from 2005, Denise Nicholas.

Denise Nicholas is 81 now.

Nikki Giovanni’s Different Perspective On American Icon Rosa Parks

February 10, 2025Bill Thompson

The powerful story of Rosa Parks and her act of civil disobedience is so often reduced to just a headline,It’s often easy to forget the three-dimensional person she was.

It was with that in mind that the poet Nikki Giovanni set out to write a different kind of Rosa Parks book. Her 2005 book Rosa is nominally a children’s book, but one that readers of any age will find Illuminating.

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I spoke with Nikki Giovanni about her book just a few weeks after Rosa Parks passed away at age 92.

So here now from 2005 Nikki Giovanni.

Nikki Giovanni died this past December, at age 81.

The Presidential Assassination Plot You Never Heard Of

January 15, 2025Bill Thompson

A plot to assassinate the president is, normally, major news, especially when it almost succeeds.

So why do most Americans know next to nothing about a plot to assassinate John f. Kennedy? And no, we’re not talking about gunfire in Dallas.

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The chilling true story told in a new book by bestselling author Brad Meltzer and co-author Josh Mensch is the story of how JFK was targeted in December 1960, before he even took the oath of office.

And you won’t believe the reason why this story has been lost to history up till now. And you may not believe who thwarted the plot.

Their book is called The JFK Conspiracy, published this week by Flatiron Books.

This is actually an interview that brought me out of retirement from interviewing. l had interviewed prominent and influential people for nearly 30 years, but this was my first interview since 2014.

So here now, best-selling author Brad Meltzer.

Describing the ‘Funny Sauce’ of the Blended Family: Writer/film producer Delia Ephron

December 20, 2024December 19, 2024Bill Thompson

A couple of generations back, a typical American family might consist of a mom, a dad, and 2.4 kids.

But as the divorce rate rose a new American family archetype emerged: the so-called “blended family.”

There was now a new dynamic that included stepparents, stepchildren, step-siblings, exes and new mates…

And absolutely no owner’s manual to describe how all those pieces are supposed to fit together.

That was the brave new world that writer Delia Ephron stepped into in 1982 when she became a stepmother.

And it wasn’t long before Ephron, a talented writer who had already written several books, realized she needed to write a book about this.

In 1986 Delia Ephron wrote that book, which she called Funny Sauce. I met her that fall when she was on a book tour.

So here now, from 1986, Delia Ephron.

In the years that followed our interview, Delia Ephron wrote screenplays for movies like “You’ve Got Mail,” “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,”” and “Hanging Up.”

And she produced “Sleepless in Seattle,” written by her big sister Nora.

Delia Ephron is now 80. Her most recent book was published in 2022.

No One Has Ever Turned 50 Better Than Dave Barry

November 25, 2024November 23, 2024Bill Thompson

Reaching the age of 50 is one of those life milestones that makes a lot of people uncomfortable and unsettled.

And perhaps no generation was more traumatized by turning 50 than the forever-young Baby Boomers.

One Boomer faced the half-century mark with the same wry humor that made him one of America’s favorite humor columnists.

The forever-young Dave Barry did what he does best” he wrote about the challenges of reaching the 5-0. His 1998 book was called Dave Barry Turns 50.

Now Dave’s a little older than I am, but I’ve learned from years of interviewing him that we share many of the same experiences – and we’ve both found that Memory Lane can be full of potholes.

So here now, from 1998, Dave Barry.

Dave Barry is 77 now. His most recent book was a novel, Swamp Story, published in 2023.

Forrest Gump’s Alter Ego: Author Winston Groom

November 18, 2024November 16, 2024Bill Thompson

Only a handful of novels ever become major motion pictures And of those only a tiny number produce a character who lives on in our imaginations for years to come.

The author of one such book was Winston Groom. He enjoyed modest success as a writer — and then a novel he wrote in 1986 was made into a movie.

Since its release in 1994 “Forrest Gump” has become one of the most popular movies of all time. It has contributed phrases that are now part of our everyday lexicon.

IN 1995 Groom continued Forrest;s story in a book called Gump & Co. Being a big Forrest fan, I jumped at the chance to talk with him about it.

So here now, from 1995, Winston Groom.

Winston Groom died in 2020. He was 77.

Elizabeth Gilbert and How She Learned To Eat, Pray, Love

October 21, 2024October 19, 2024Bill Thompson

A 2006 book about a young woman’s journey of self-discovery landed on the New York Times bestseller list – where it stayed for nearly two years.

The author of that book, Eat, Pray, Love was the then-37-year-old Elizabeth Gilbert, an accomplished writer and storyteller.

It was a profound sense of not knowing who she was that led Gilbert to radically change the direction of her life. First with divorce, then with a year-long “hero;s journey” to Italy, India, and Indonesia.

Get your copy of Elizabeth Gilbert’s book

When the book was made into a movie in 2010, Julia Roberts was cast as Elizabeth Gilbert:.

I met the author when the book was republished in paperback in 2007.

So here now, from 2007, Elizabeth Gilbert.

Elizabeth Gilbert is 55 now. Time magazine has named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Eat, Pray, Love has sold over 12 million copies.