Rita Dove, former Poet Laureate of the U.S. and recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, is one of the most honored figures in modern American literature. Among Dove's many honors is the 1993 NAACP Great American Artist Award. (28 minutes)

Guitarist Dale Williams studied blues guitar with Willie Dixon and Phil Upchurch, but doesn't limit himself to the blues. He has performed and recorded with such artists as Sun Ra, George Lewis and LL Cool J. He teaches and lectures, in addition to performing. (24 minutes)

Beat poet Michael McClure is the author of numerous volumes of poetry, plays, novels, and essays. McClure is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Obie Award for Best Play, and the National Poetry Association's Distinguished Lifetime Achievement in poetry. Tune in as he reads a selection of poems. (28 minutes)

Poet Angela Jackson uses a variety of voices and themes in an entertaining reading. (27 minutes)

Musician, singer, songwriter, arranger and producer Patrice Rushen has a vast array of recordings to her name, and in recent years has been musical director for the Emmy and NAACP Awards, and for Janet Jackson's 1994 world tour. (29 minutes)

Trinidad resident Derek Walcott won the 1992 Nobel Prize in Literature. Walcott has published twenty volumes of poetry and is also a published playwright. (20 minutes)

Liu Qi-Chao celebrates his collaboration with Chinese American jazz pianist/composer Jon Jang. (26 minutes)

Serving in his fourth elected term as Chairman (Chief) of the Federated Coast Miwok Tribe, novelist Greg Sarris is the author of Watermelon Nights. In 1996, he wrote and executive produced with Robert Redford the award-winning HBO miniseries Grand Avenue, based on his collection of short stories. (23 minutes)

Host Harry Kreisler welcomes scientist Lars-Erik Liljelund, Director General of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, for a discussion of Swedish policy for addressing climate change and global warming. He reflects on his own career which combines work in public policy and science. He also talks about the distinctive quality of the global warming problem and the obstacles for finding and implementing solutions. 54 min)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Princeton cosmologist Jim Peebles for a discussion of his intellectual odyssey. They discuss his contributions to cosmology and the future of the field. (56 min)

In this 1998 interview, Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Faisal Husseini, one of the leading figures in the Palestinian national movement and Yossi Beilin, a leading Israeli political figure, for a discussion of how their mutual dialogue set in motion the Oslo Peace Accord. Both Husseini and Beilin talk about their lives and how their perceptions of the other took an important turn toward peace. (50 min)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes journalist James Fallows for a discussion of his career, the ideas and events that shaped his thinking, and his perspective on his craft as a writer and author.

Robert S. McNamara, former Secretary of Defense and former President of the World Bank reminisces with host Harry Kreisler about public service, the War in Vietnam, and the dangers of the superpower confrontation during the Cold War. (59 min)

In this edition, broadcast journalist and UC Berkeley faculty member Lowell Bergman talks about his intellectual journey, investigative reporting and his years as a producer at 60 Minutes. (56 min)

Nobel Laureate Steven Chu in a conversation with UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler about scientific inquiry and the evolution of Chu's own research interests. (57 min)

Host Harry Kreisler welcomes Ambassador Princeton N. Lyman, former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa and Nigeria for a discussion of U.S. Africa Relations. He talks about AfricaŐs strategic importance to the United States focusing on issues such as energy, health, terrorism, and human rights. He describes the role of China in African affairs and analyzes the U.S. capacity to engage Africa in the new strategic environment of the post 911 world. (52 min)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes neurosurgeon Allan J. Hamilton for a discussion of his new book: the Scalpel and the Soul: Encounters with Surgery, the Supernatural and the Healing Power of Hope. Focusing on his intellectual and spiritual odyssey, Dr. Hamilton offers insights into the craft of surgery and discusses how his patients have broadened his understanding of the human condition, the resilience of the human spirit, the healing process, and the world beyond science. (58 minutes)

On this edition of Conversations with History, UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler is joined by linguist and political activist Noam Chomsky to discuss activism, anarchism and the role the United States plays in the world today. (59 min)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler is joined by former Cornell University President Frank Rhodes for a discussion of leadership and university governance. (56 min)

Host Harry Kreisler welcomes Frank Rhodes, former President of Cornell University, for a discussion of the challenges and opportunities he faced leading an Ivy League university. (56 min)