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Sue Lawley's castaway is poet Rita Dove.

Sue Lawley's guest this week is the poet Rita Dove. The first African-American to become the US Poet Laureate, Rita Dove was brought up to believe that education was the key to the Great American Dream. As a child she would lose herself in the local library, but she learned the art of story-telling from her aunts as they swapped tales about the Great Depression, civil rights, and, of course, motherhood.

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

Favourite track: Koln Concert by Keith Jarrett
Book: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Luxury: Ballroom and robotic dance instructor

Available now

45 minutes

Last on

Fri 27 Aug 1999 09:00

Music Played

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Keith Jarrett

      The Köln Concert

      • The Koln Concert.
      • ECM Records.
  • Strong Again

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Sarabande

    Artist: Yo Yo Man

    • 6 Unaccompanied Cello Suites.
    • CBS.
  • Marin Marais

    Sonnerie De Ste Genevieve du Mont-de-Paris

    Soloist: F Biondi, J Savall, P Hantai, R Lislevand Conductor: Jordi Savall

    • Tous les Matins Du Monde - Soundtrack Album.
    • Auvidis Valois.
  • Billie Holiday

    Strange Fruit

    • The Very Best of Billie Holiday.
    • Columbia.
  • Georges Bizet

    C'est toi! (from Carmen)

    Soloist: Placido Domingo and Tatiana Troyanos Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Sir George Solti

    • Carmen.
    • Decca.
  • Gipsy Kings

    Opening of Amor d'un Dia

    • Luna De Fuego.
    • CBS.
  • Randy Newman

    God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind)

    • Sail Away.
    • Reprise.
  • Book Choice

    • 100 Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

  • Luxury Choice

    • Ballroom and robotic dance instructor

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Sue Lawley
Interviewed Guest Rita Dove

Broadcasts

  • Sun 22 Aug 1999 11:15
  • Fri 27 Aug 1999 09:00

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