Museum of Azerbaijani Literature and Arts / produced by William Mandel

Interview, done in Baku, Azerbaijan, on shore of Caspian Sea, September 1977, with two women: first the director of block-square Museum of Azerbaijani Literature and Arts, second a museum tour guide and director of a TV show on the arts. The former is the daughter of school teachers who were the first generation of educated people in this formerly 90% illiterate, Muslim, Turkic-speaking oil country of the Soviet Union. The second, although only 30, is the daughter of illiterate peasant parents. The museum director earns twice as much as her husband. The other woman earns much less than her husband, who is a solo singer, but will earn equally when she gets her Ph.D. Interview portion contains original Russian spoken at low volume on right channel, Mandel’s English translation on left channel. The interview is about 27 minutes long, and during the rest of the program, Mandel answers phone calls from listeners. Produced by William Mandel, KPFA, first broadcast 12/8/77.