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Sharon Olds On Beds, Love, and Death

Olds reads a poem about her father, centered around his bed -- the site of his romances and, ultimately, his passing.

03:15
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Other segments from the episode on September 25, 1990

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, September 25, 1990: Interview with Suzanne Farrell; Commentary on country music brother duos; Interview with Tennessee Ernie Ford; Commentary on beds.
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24:04

Ballerina Suzanne Farrell

Farrell had a deep, complicated relationship with her choreographer, George Balanchine. She spent over twenty years with the New York City Ballet. Farrell's new memoir about her career is called is "Holding on to the Air"

Interview
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10:44

Country Singer Tennessee Ernie Ford

In 1955, Ford had a hit with his version of Merle Travis' "Sixteen Tons." Later, he was known for his gospel music and daytime and evening television shows. A new collection of his hits, "16 Tons of Boogie" is out on Rhino records.

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09:29

Poet Sharon Olds

Olds' writing is confessional and personal, but she says her work is not necessarily autobiographical. She wonders why readers have the desire to separate truth from invention in her work -- and the work of other women poets in particular.

Interview
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27:13

Poet Sharon Olds Discusses Her Life and Reads Some of Her Poetry.

Poet Sharon Olds. She writes passionate and intensely personal poems about her childhood with abusive and alcoholic parents, and her own experiences as a mother and a wife. Suicide attempts in New York, and encounters on the subway also provide inspiration for her work. Sharon Olds is the recipient of the 1985 National Book Critics Circle Award for her collection titled The Dead and the Living.

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Daughter of Warhol star looks back on a bohemian childhood in the Chelsea Hotel

Alexandra Auder's mother, Viva, was one of Andy Warhol's muses. Growing up in Warhol's orbit meant Auder's childhood was an unusual one. For several years, Viva, Auder and Auder's younger half-sister, Gaby Hoffmann, lived in the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan. It was was famous for having been home to Leonard Cohen, Dylan Thomas, Virgil Thomson, and Bob Dylan, among others.

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