Biography & Memoir

In 1985, novelist William Styron fell into a deep depression. He documented the years he was incapacitated by the illness, and how he coped, in his new book, Darkness Visible. Looking back at his early writing, Styron believes depression informed his novels, like The Confessions of Nat Turner and Sophie's Choice.

Book critic John Leonard reviews the new book by ex-nuns Barbara Ferraro and Patricia Hussey, co-written with Jane O'Reilly. Ferraro and Hussey defied the Catholic Church's policies on abortion, birth control, and the ordination of women. Their convictions eventually led them to give up their vows.

Jim Morrison's out-of-control, self-destructive behavior nearly drove Densmore out of the band. Morrison died at 27; it took Densmore ten years to come to terms with his death. His new memoir is called Riders on the Storm.

The white anti-apartheid activist and African National Congress member survived a car bomb explosion, though the blast left him severely injured. Sachs later left South Africa for Mozambique, then England. His new memoir about the experience is called Running to Maputo.

Tucker wrote Brown's memoir, The Godfather of Soul, which was recently reprinted. He joins Fresh Air to talk about Brown's rise as a soul singer, the evolution of his stage persona, and his recent conviction and imprisonment, a punishment which Tucker believes is too severe based on the charges.

Near gained national attention when she joined Jane Fonda in antiwar protests. She joins Fresh Air to talk about developing her skills as a performer, her early acting career, and how she defines her sexuality. Her new memoir is called Fire in the Rain--Singer in the Storm.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan says that, after reading the writer's first two autobiographies, it's shocking to confront Simon as an old woman. The third and final memoir, published after Simon's death from stomach cancer, is called Etchings in an Hourglass.

After serving in the Vietnam War, Peacock sought solace in nature. While camping in the woods, he had several encounters with grizzly bears. He wrote about his observations of the animals in his new book, Grizzly Years.

Brown joins Fresh Air to discuss the mechanics of filmmaking, and the impact the success of Jaws had on his career. His wife is Helen Gurley Brown; they work together on the women's magazine Cosmopolitan. David Brown's memoir is called Let Me Entertain You.

Adler has a new memoir about his career in musical theater. He wrote songs with Jerry Ross for The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees. Ross died early in their partnership in 1955.

Part II of the Fresh Air interview with the legendary B-movie producer and director. Corman talks about some of the unconventional research he did before making his films, including hanging out with the Hell's Angels and taking LSD. Despite having the opportunity to work with major studios, he chose to work independently, and eventually started his own production and distribution company, New World Pictures.

Part I of the Fresh Air interview. Despite his reputation as a master of the low-budget B-movie, Corman cites classic Hollywood and European films as his primary influences. He is known for his prolific pace, and for introducing now-famous actors like Jack Nicholson, Robert DeNiro, and Vincent Price. Corman has a new memoir, called "How I Made a Hundred Movies in Hollywood and Never Lost a Dime."

Landesman founded several nightclubs frequented by beat writers. He later published their work in his literary magazine Neurotica -- despite finding their writing limited. Landesman later lampooned the beat generation in his Broadway musical, The Nervous Set.

Dallas Morning News columnist A.C. Green got a new heart in 1988, seven months after being added to the transplant list. His new book, Taking Heart, details the experience of waiting, surgery, and recovery.

Gregg grew up in a poor Philadelphia neighborhood, and eventually had a 13-year career as a National League umpire. He has a new memoir about what it takes to make good calls.

Book critic John Leonard reviews the memoirs of Andrei Sakharav, a Russian scientist and political dissident who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975. Leonard says the book is more than autobiography -- it's a guide for global citizenship.

Writer, poet, and commentator Andrei Codrescu. His thoughts regularly appear on "All Things Considered," and he also recently reported for ATC on the changes in his native country, Romania.

Biographer Laurence Bergreen. His new book is "As Thousands Cheer: The Life of Irving Berlin." (published by Viking Press). Bergreen is also the author of "James Agee: A Life."

Book critic John Leonard reviews "Cleopatra: Histories, Dreams and Distortions," by historian Lucy Hughes-Hallett (It's published by Harper and Row).

Book critic John Leonard "The Loony-Bin Trip," feminist Kate Millett's memoir of her dealing with manic depression. It's published by Simon and Schuster.