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Desert Island Discs

Castaway guests share the soundtrack of their lives.

Eight tracks, a book and a luxury: what would you take to a desert island? Guests share the soundtrack of their lives.

Desert Island Discs: Alison Lurie

09/03/1985

Alison Lurie

BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Alison Lurie

Roy Plomley's castaway is academic and writer Alison Lurie

Roy Plomley's castaway is academic and writer Alison Lurie.

Alison Lurie is not only a part-time professor of English at Cornell University where she teaches creative writing and children's literature, but she is also a very successful novelist. "Her seven novels", writes Malcolm Bradbury, "collectively form a biting record of American social, moral and sexual mores from the early 1960s to the present." In conversation with Roy Plomley, she talks about her work and she chooses the eight records she would take to the mythical island. 

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] 

Favourite track: The Marriage Of Figaro - Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Book: The Oxford Book of English Verse
Luxury: Telephone

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Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Letter from America by Alistair Cooke

Alistair Cooke’s weekly talks on American life, history and politics from 1946 – 2004.

Alistair Cooke’s weekly talks on American life, history and politics, as broadcast on BBC Radio 4 from 1946 – 2004.

Alistair Cooke’s weekly talks on American life, history and politics. Over 900 programmes, as broadcast from 1946 – 2004.

Alistair Cooke - Letter from America

Letter from America by Alistair Cooke: Reagan budget defeated

06/06/2014

Reagan budget defeated

BBC Radio 4 - Letter from America by Alistair Cooke, Reagan budget defeated

President's campaign pledge of 'no more taxes' unlikely to be upheld.

President Reagan's cost-cutting budget soundly defeated by the Senate committee which instead demands defence spending is trimmed.

President Reagan's cost-cutting budget soundly defeated by the Senate committee which instead demands defence spending is trimmed.

This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two listeners, who between them taped and labelled over 650 Letter From America programmes from 1973 to 1989. It was restored by the BBC in 2014.

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