Health & Medicine

Dr. Harry Zall is a psychiatrist at the Institute of Pennsylvania Hospital. He joins the show to discuss mental depression.

Terry Gross interviews three Philadelphia-area bartenders about their experiences.

Maggie Kuhn is on of the co-founders of the Gray Panthers -- an advocacy group for older Americans. Dr. John Fryer is a professor of psychology and community health at Temple University and a community activist. They discuss the Gray Panthers and the issues older people face.

Clive and Carol Robbins are music therapists. Clive discusses his work with composer Paul Nordoff in the field of music therapy. Carol joins the interview later to discuss the couple's work using music therapy with deaf children. The Robbins also share recordings from sessions with children, including recordings with Nordoff. Carol and Clive Robbins are the founders of the Nordoff-Robbins Center.

Actor Meinhardt Raabe tells Terry Gross about his experiences as a little person, how he earned a living in carnivals and circuses, and what it was like to portray a Munchkin in the film The Wizard of Oz.

Red Rodney honed his skills as a trumpet player in Philadelphia. Later, he joined Charlie Parker's band. He tells Fresh Air host Terry Gross about kicking his heroin habit and the kinds of jobs he takes to make a career in music.

Scott Tucker of the Lavender Left, director of the Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force Rita Addessa, and Women Against Violence Against Women Member Peggy O'Donnell address the controversy behind William Friedkin's film Cruising, which stars Al Pacino as an undercover cop infiltrating the gay S&M scene in New York. The guests take a close look at the film's exaggerated and dehumanizing portrayal of gay people and discuss their planned protests. Fresh Air listeners call in with their questions and comments.

A panel of experts join Terry Gross to talk about the opium trade, the treatment of opiate addicts in Britain, and the often racist origins of drug laws in the United States.

Edmund White traveled the United States to learn about the conditions of gay communities across the country. He talks about masculinity and sexual practices amongst gay men, as well as the rise of sadomasochistic culture.

Author John Rechy has made a career writing novels and nonfiction about gay men, particularly their sexual behavior. While critical of sadomasochism, he views promiscuity as a revolutionary act which signals a radical break from mainstream heterosexual behavior.

Bill Eisenhuth and Pam Killman of Philadelphia's Advocates for the Mentally Disabled, and LIZ ROBINSON, of the People's Emergency Center, join the show to discuss the homelessness and homeless people in Philadelphia and across the country.

Deirdre English is a journalist. She delivers a talk on violence and women in pornography and television.

Shere Hite is a sex educator and feminist who is the author of "The Hite Report: A Nationwide Study on Female Sexuality." She recently wrote the follow-up, "The Hite Report On Male Sexuality." In the introduction to the report, Hite states that intercourse is both a "beautiful" and "oppressive" act. This segment contains frank discussion of sexual attitudes and practices. (PARTIAL INTERVIEW)

Nutritionist Nathan Pritikin outlines his ideal diet to curtail heart disease and keep weight low. He recommends eschewing dairy and sticking to low-fat, low-protein, unprocessed foods.

Anthropologist and filmmaker David Feingold returns to Fresh Air to talk about the opium trade originating in the Shan States of Burma. He explains how government action both locally and taken by the United States have proven ineffective in curtailing drug traffic.

Researchers Katherine Whitlock and Regina Pfeiffer teach women how they can gauge various biological signs to determine when they are most likely to conceive.

Dr. Jane Hodgson, an abortion rights activist, and Dr. Ed Sullivan, a practicing obstetrician in Media, Pennsylvania, join Fresh Air to discuss their opposing views on abortion. Listeners call in with their questions and comments.

Gregory uses his celebrity platform to raise awareness for a number of different issues, including alcoholism, the policies of the Reagan administration, and the the state of the black community today. He is currently on a hunger strike in solidarity with women in support of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Donald Drake is a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer whose work often focuses on medical issues. Last week the Inquirer published his seven-part series on the homeless and the mentally ill, "The Forsaken." Drake spent over a year researching the topic, and has also written a musical drama, "Crazy People," based on his research. [The series would later be short-listed for the Pulitzer Prize.] Drake joins the show to discuss street people and the deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill. Drake will also answer listener calls.

Julian "Winnie" Winston is best known as as a pedal steel guitarist who builds whose own instruments. He also works as a professor of design at the Philadelphia College of the Arts. In this interview, Winston, whose nickname is "Winnie," discusses another field of interest: homeopathy. Winston first experienced homeopathic medicine as a patient, and began to research it for himself. He has spent a year traveling around the country interviewing homeopathic practitioners.