Updike, Roth, Barth, Irving: their names reverberate in the halls of modern American literature. In this NewsHour program, these four literary icons - along with the highly regarded writers Frank McCourt and Susan Sontag - offer insights into their books and the heady, and sometimes frustrating, process of writing them. Episodes include...* Irish Ashes - A Conversation with Frank McCourt: Elizabeth Farnsworth speaks with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Frank McCourt about his Irish childhood and his best-selling memoir Angela's Ashes. * Art of the Story - A Conversation with John Barth: Elizabeth Farnsworth is joined by John Barth, author of epic-length novels and the shortest of short stories, to talk about storytelling and his book On with the Story. * From Print to Film - A Conversation with John Irving: Elizabeth Farnsworth interviews novelist/screenwriter John Irving on adapting his novels for the cinema, with a focus on The Cider House Rules. * Wake Up, America - A Conversation with Susan Sontag: "Be serious, be passionate, wake up." Elizabeth Farnsworth engages writer/photographer Susan Sontag on her book In America. * Early Years, Early Stories - A Conversation with John Updike: Jeffrey Brown speaks with John Updike about his early career as an author and his anthology The Early Stories: 1953-1975. * The Plot Thickens - A Conversation with Philip Roth: Jeffrey Brown and author Philip Roth talk about Roth's novel The Plot Against America. * Philip Roth - Looking Back: Jeffrey Brown and Philip Roth examine the creative process against the backdrop of Roth's long and prolific career as a writer of fiction.