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Novelist and Former Cabbie Iva Pekarkova

Pekarkova emigrated from Czechoslovakia in 1985. She has worked in New York as a cab driver for four years. Her novel "Truck Stop Rainbows: A Road Novel," was published this year. lt deals with a rebellious young woman in communist Czechoslovakia who hitchhikes around the country, trying to raise money to buy a wheelchair for her invalid friend.

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Other segments from the episode on September 30, 1992

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, September 30, 1992: Interview with Walter Kirn; Interview with Iva Pekarkova; Review of the album "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!"; Review of the song "Read My Lips."
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22:37

Writer Walter Kirn on His Abortion-Themed Novel

Kirn was raised a Mormon on a Minnesota farm, and has been an editor for "Vanity Fair" and "Spy" magazines. His first collection of stories, "My Hard Bargain," was published two years ago. His most recent book, "She Needed Me," is about religion and redemption.

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06:00

Political Songs from Elections Past

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews the new CD, Tippecanoe & Tyler Too! It features political ballads and campaign songs from earlier in America's history.

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Pay The Cab Fare ... And Meet The Author, Too.

It's not unusual to get in a cab and find a paperback novel on the seat next to the driver. What makes Jack Clark's cab different is that he's both the driver and the author. Clark is a Chicago cab driver who's been driving for 30 years — and written three mystery novels.

Interview
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06:02

The Memorable Faces Of 'Goodbye Solo'

In Ramin Bahrani's new film, Goodbye Solo, a Senegalese immigrant cabdriver tries to save an elderly passenger who he suspects is suicidal. Reviewer David Edelstein calls it a "film of overflowing humanism."

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22:04

Memoirs of a Taxi Driver.

Soviet emigre, and Manhattan cab driver Vladimir Lobas. In 1977, Lobas was living in New York, and needed some quick cash, so he got a job driving a cab. His first day on the job was also the first time he had Ever driven an automobile. He's written about his experiences in a new memoir, called "Taxi From Hell." (It's published by Soho).

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