2: ARNOLD RAMPERSAD, professor of Literature at Princeton, biographer of Langston Hughes and co-author of tennis star Arthur Ashe's memoir, "Days of Grace" (Knopf). Ashe died this year at age 49 from AIDS he contracted during open heart surgery. He was the first African American tennis champion, winning the United States Open in 1968, and going on to capture three Grand Slam titles. He has remained a vital presence in the sport, and his autobiography features portraits of the great celebrities of Tennis. Ashe talks candidly in "Days of Grace" about privacy issues, the media, race and education.
Copyright 1993 Fresh Air
