Book Beat: The Podcast


Don's unedited CBS interviews at Ohio U's Wired for Books

Previous postings on Don Swaim's Book Beat The Podcast:

ARCHIVES #5 — 2016-2015

2016
Don Swaim Interviews
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RICHARD ADAMS
Celebrated for Watership Down

May 9, 1920-Dec 24, 2016
The great fantasy author writer was ninety-six. Watership Down was about a band of rabbits facing extinction who set out on a grand odyssey to find a new home.
  • Don's three-part interview with Adams: here
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  • ELIE WIESEL
    Eloquent Witness of the Holocaust

    Sep 30, 1928-Jul 2, 2016
    An Auschwitz survivor and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Wiesel once said, "To remain silent and indifferent is the great sin of all."
  • Don interviewed Wiesel for a five-part CBS Book Beat series in 1989: listen
  • Don's unedited CBS Wired for Books interview: listen
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  • MICHAEL HERR
    Novelist and Journalist

    Apr 13, 1940-Jun 23, 2016
    Herr (pronounced Hair) was celebrated for his fearsome novel of the Vietnam War, Dispatches, perhaps the greatest depiction ever of that disastrous war.
  • Don interviewed Herr on the occasion of his book Winchell, about the life and times of the controversial columnist: listen
  • Don's unedited CBS Wired for Books interview: listen
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  • KATHERINE DUNN
    Celebrated for Geek Love

    Oct 24, 1945-May 11, 2016
    Her best-known novel is the story of carnival workers who breed sideshow freaks, and was a finalist for the National Book Award.
  • Dunn spoke about Geek Love in a three-part interview: listen
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  • PAT CONROY
    Southern Novelist

    Oct 26, 1945-Mar 4, 2016
    Conroy plumbed his life and that of his family, including a sadistic father (The Great Santini), for his sprawling novels.
  • Don interviewed Conroy on the occasion of his book The Prince of Tides: listen
  • unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1986: listen
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  • 2015
    Don Swaim Interviews
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    PAUL WEST
    Quirky and Prolific Novelist

    Feb 23, 1930-Oct 18, 2015
    West, born in Britian, educated at Oxford and Columbia, was married to the poet Diane Ackerman.
  • Don interviewed West about his book The Women of White Chapel and Jack the Ripper: listen
  • unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1990: listen
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  • OLIVER SACKS
    Neurologist and Acclaimed Author

    Jul 9, 1932-Aug 15, 2015
  • Don interviewed Sacks about his book Seeing Voices: listen
  • unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1990: listen
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  • E.L. DOCTOROW
    American Literary Icon
    Jan. 6, 1931-Jul 21, 2015
    Winner of the Pen/Faulkner Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, American Book Award, and finalist for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize.
  • Don Swaim's five-part interview with Doctorow: listen
  • Doctorow vies with John Updike, International PEN Congress 3/10/86: listen
  • Doctorow receives 1986 American Book Award: listen
  • Doctorow publishes classic essay about a failed president, Easthampton Star, 9/9/04: here
  • Doctorow booed by George W. Bush supporters at Hoftra University, Newsday, 5/24/04: here
  • Doctorow at home, The New York Times, 9/2/09: here
  • Don's unedited Wired for Books interview with Doctorow: listen

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  • RUTH RENDELL
    Writer of British Thrillers

    Feb 17, 1930-May 2, 2015
  • Don interviewed Rendell about her novel Going Wrong: listen
  • unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1991: listen
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  • GUNTER GRASS
    Nobel Prize-winning Author

    Oct 16, 1927-Apr 13, 2015
  • My first direct exposure to Grass was at the International PEN International Conference in New York in 1986 where he clashed with Peru's Mario Vargas Liosa: listen
  • Six years later I interviewed Grass on the occasion of his novel The Call of the Toad. listen
  • unedited CBS Wired for Books interview with Grass in 1992: listen
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  • IVAN DOIG
    Great Western Writer

    Jun 27, 1939-Apr 9, 2015
  • Don interviewed Doig about his novel Dancing at the Rascal Fair: listen
  • unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1987: listen
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  • STAN FREBERG
    Humorist & Radio Satirist

    Aug 7, 1926-Apr 7, 2015
  • Don interviewed Freberg about his memoir It Only Hurts When I Laugh: listen
  • unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1989: listen
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  • SAMUEL CHARTERS
    Jazz and Blues Historian

    Aug 1, 1929-Mar. 18, 2015
  • Don interviewed Charters on this occasion of his book Jelly Roll Morton's Last Night: listen
  • unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1984: listen
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  • ANDRE BRINK
    Great South African Author

    Apr. 29, 1933-Jan. 29, 2015
  • Don interviewed Brink on this occasion of his book Wall of the Plague: listen
  • unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1985: listen
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  • ROD McKUEN
    Poet, Songwriter, Singer

    May 29, 1935-Feb. 6, 2015
  • Don interviewed McKuen on this occasion of his book Intervals: listen
  • unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1986: listen
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  • ROBERT STONE
    Merry Prankster Turned Serious Writer

    Aug. 21, 1937- Jan 10, 2015

    I interviewed Stone twice during my CBS days. His novel Dog Soldiers, which won the National Book Award in 1975, was made into an only fair movie retitled Who'll Stop the Rain with Nick Nolte. Stone was a member of Ken Kesey's notorious Merry Pranksters. When I asked Stone about it -- it's in one of the interviews -- he replied, "Who doesn't like a party?"
  • three-part Book Beat broadcast 5-5-86: listen
  • five-part Book Beat broadcast 5-18-92: listen
  • unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1986: listen
  • unedited CBS Wired for Books interview 1992: listen


  • ALL ARCHIVES

    Archive #1 2008-2009
    Archive #2 2010-2012
    Archive #3 2013
    Archive #4 2014
    Archive #5 2015-2016