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Don Swaim Interviews

Audio Interviews with Ishmael Reed

Ishmael Reed speaks with Don Swaim in this 1988 interview. Reed taught English at Berkeley and enjoys seeing the young writers mature. He also voices strong opinions about problems seen affecting minorities and how to develop healthy communities. As one of the leading minority satirists, Reed compares himself to old Native American legends about the Trickster, who comes to play tricks and poke fun, but eventually leaves the audience enlightened.

Listen to the Ishmael Reed interview with Don Swaim, June 30, 1988
(39 min. 03 sec.)

MP3 File

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Classroom use is permitted.
Redistribution is not permitted.

Ishmael Reed, poet and author of Mumbo Jumbo, Airing Dirty Laundry, The Free-Lance Pallbearers, Yellow Back Radio Broke-Down, The Last Days of Louisiana Red and many others, points out that the majority of writers have other jobs. Writing is not a lucrative profession and many writers teach. In addition to being a writer, Ishmael Reed is also a teacher and works with a magazine.

Listen to the Ishmael Reed interview with Don Swaim, March 21, 1986
(42 min. 43 sec.)

MP3 File

These files are for your personal use only.
Classroom use is permitted.
Redistribution is not permitted.

 

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For many years most of the best writers of the English language found their way to Don Swaim's CBS Radio studio in New York. Wired for Books is proud to webcast these interviews in RealAudio.

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