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The History of the Catskills' Resorts

Writer Stefan Kanfer's latest book is called "A Summer World," about the Borscht Belt -- a Jewish enclave in the Catskills that nurtured a generation of comics. Kanfer talks about the lives of some of the resorts' regulars, and why some the community is now in decline.

10:52
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Other segments from the episode on July 16, 1990

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, July 16, 1990: Interview with Ram Dass; Commentary on CBGB; Interview with Stefan Kanfer; Commentary on major television networks.
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24:44

Spiritual Leader Ram Dass

Earlier in life, Ram Dass, who birth name is Richard Alpert, earned a Ph.D. at Harvard. In the 60s and 70s, he, along with Timothy Leary, became interested in the religious potential of LSD. Dass is a practitioner of Eastern-inspired philosophy, and is careful to distance himself from corruption and cult-leader-like behavior of other gurus.

Interview
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07:26

CBGB's Punk Rock Legacy

Several bands that emerged from the 1970s punk scene -- including Television, the Talking Heads, the Ramones, and Blondie -- got their start at the Manhattan nightclub. Rock historian Ed Ward tells its story.

Commentary
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02:45

A TV Network Scorecard

Television critic David Bianculli considers the strengths and weaknesses of the major networks in 1990: CBC, NBC, ABC, and Fox. Criteria include the quality of existing shows and the number of recently added programs

Commentary

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11:23

The History of the Catskills' Resorts.

Writer Stefan Kanfer. Kanfer's latest book is called "A Summer World: The Attempt to Build a Jewish Eden in the Catskills, from the Days of the Ghetto to the Rise and Decline of the Borscht Belt." The Borsht Belt nurtured a generation of comics and defined a culture. Kanfer talks about the lives of the people who frequented the Catskill resorts, and the reason those resorts are now in decline.

Interview
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21:04

Writer Stefan Kanfer on 'Stardust Lost.'

Writer Stefan Kanfer. His new book is “Stardust Lost: The Triumph, Tragedy, and Mishugas of the Yiddish Theater in America.” It’s about the glory days of Yiddish theater in the late 19th and early 20th century. Kanfer was a writer and editor at Time magazine for 20 years and is the author of many books including biographies of Lucille Ball and Groucho Marx.

Interview

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