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"Mothers of Invention" is Basic, but Necessary.

Book critic John Leonard reviews Mothers of Invention, a book about the the unrecognized role women had in the technological breakthroughs of the modern era. The authors are Ethlie Ann Vare and Greg Ptacek.

03:28
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Other segments from the episode on January 19, 1988

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, January 19, 1988: Interview with Michael Hirsh and "Bob"; Commentary on the band Television; Interview with Guy Klucevsek; Review of Ethlie Ann Vare and Greg Ptacek's book…
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27:28

The New Test For the HIV Antibody.

A discussion about what it's like to test positive for the HIV antibody but not have AIDS. The panel includes members of the New York City group Body Positive, a support group that counsels people who have tested positive for the antibody.

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10:03

Guy Klucevsek Stops By With His Accordion for an Interview.

Avant-garde accordionist and composer Guy Klucevsek. Klucevsek grew up in western Pennsylvania, where polkas were a poplar musical form. Klucevsek has since developed an alternative polka style, best exemplified in his work on `"Polka From the Fringe," 23 three-minute polkas composed by a variety of experimental artists.

Interview

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09:50

"The Mothers of Invention."

Ethlie Ann Vare and Greg Ptacek, authors of the book Mothers of Invention, a compilation of inventions by women. Some have been rather mundane, like Liquid Paper and drip coffee. But others include radium, the computer language COBOL and the first computer compiler. The authors are better known for their writing about rock and roll. (Interview by Faith Middleton)

Interview

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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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