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Novelist and Memoirist Geoffrey Wolff on Fathers and Brothers

Wolff's new book, The Final Club, is about Princeton students in the late 1950's. His memoir, The Duke of Deception, was about his father, who conned his way through his life and career. Wolff's brother is writer Tobias Wolff, who has his own childhood memoir, This Boy's Life.

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Other segments from the episode on October 2, 1990

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, October 2, 1990: Interview with Geoffrey Wolff; Review of anthology albums by Lester Lanin and Jerry Lewis; Interview with Maceo Parker; Review of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's…
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A Jazz Critic's Guilty Pleasures

Kevin Whitehead doesn't like to admit liking new anthologies by Lester Lanin, whom he calls the king of blandness, and "crass and lowbrow" singer Jerry Lewis.

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The Godfather of Soul's Sax Player

Maceo Parker was a member of James Brown's horn section. Parker was hired along with his brother, but soon made a name for himself. His new album is a straightforward jazz record, called Roots Revisited.

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27:45

Remembering a "Boy's Life"

Tobias Wolff's acclaimed new memoir tells the story of the author's early life with his poor, single mother. The book serves as a unique counterpoint to Wolff's brother Geoffrey's own memoir about life with their father. Tobias Wolff joins Fresh Air to discuss his memories of growing up and how he transformed himself into the person he is today.

Interview
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22:42

Writer Geoffrey Wolff.

Writer Geoffrey Wolff. His new collection of essays, "A Day At The Beach" (Alfred A. Knopf), is about the worst vacation ever. It started with over-priced dinners and ended in open heart surgery. Wolff is best known for his book "The Duke of Deception," a memoir about being the son of a con man.

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