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The Most Dangerous Job in America.

Writer Alec Wilkinson. Cutting sugar cane is one of the most dangerous jobs in America. In Florida, workers are recruited from the West Indies in what some are calling modern day slavery. Wilkinson exposes the sugar cane industry in his new book "Big Sugar." Wilkinson's past books include "Moonshine: A Life in Pursuit of White Liquor," and "Midnights: A Year with the Wellfleet Police." Wilkinson is also a staff writer for the New Yorker; Big Sugar originally appeared as a series of articles in the magazine. Wilkinson is currently working on a screenplay of "Midnights" for film maker Stephen Spielberg.

11:23
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Other segments from the episode on September 14, 1989

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, September 14, 1989: Interview with Christopher Guest; Review of Webb Wilder's and Billy Hill's albums "Hybrid Vigor" and "I Am Just a Rebel"; Interview with Alec Wilkinson…
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22:09

Christopher Guest Makes his Directorial Debut.

Director, screenwriter, musician and actor Christopher Guest. Guest makes his feature directorial debut in the new film "The Big Picture." Guest co-wrote the rock parody "This Is Spinal Tap," and he was a writer and regular performer on Saturday Night Live.

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06:58

Two New Country "Hybrid" Albums.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews new albums by Webb Wilder and the quintet Billy Hill. Webb Wilder's "Hybrid Vigor" is an outsider's eccentric blend of rock and roll livened up with country, blues and rockabilly. Billy Hill has produced an album with a different type of eccentricity --they're Nashville insiders whose oddball act gives an edge to their country music.

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Transcripts are created on a rush deadline, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of Fresh Air interviews and reviews are the audio recordings of each segment.

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21:23

Writer Alec Wilkinson

Writer Alec Wilkinson is the author of new memoir, My Mentor: A Young Man's Friendship with William Maxwell (Houghton Mifflin) about his relationship with writer and editor William Maxwell. Maxwell was fiction editor for the New Yorker from 1936-1976 and worked with such authors as J.D. Salinger, John Cheever, John Updike, Eudora Welty and scores of others. Maxwell was the author of a number of novels, including Time Will Darken It, and So Long, See You Tomorrow, as well as several short story collections. He died at the age of 91 in August 2000.

Interview
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07:14

Alec Wilkinson Remembers William Maxwell.

Writer Alec Wilkinson remembers his friend and mentor William Maxwell who died Monday at the age of 91. Wilkinson is a staff writer for the New Yorker, and has been there since 1980. His book, “Midnights: A Year With the Wellfleet Police” (Hungry Mind Press) was recently released in paperback.

Interview
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09:32

Alec Wilkinson, Continued.

Writer Alec Wilkinson remembers his friend and mentor William Maxwell who died Monday at the age of 91. Wilkinson is a staff writer for the New Yorker, and has been there since 1980. His book, “Midnights: A Year With the Wellfleet Police” (Hungry Mind Press) was recently released in paperback.

Interview

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