Oliver Sacks is a physician, author and professor of neurology at NYU School of Medicine. He also frequently contributes to The New Yorker. His new book is called Hallucinations.

The famed neurologist talks to Fresh Air about how grief, trauma, brain injury, medications and neurological disorders can trigger hallucinations. John Schwartz and Jeanne Mixon talk about coming to terms with their son's sexual orientation and his suicide attempt in their memoir, Oddly Normal.

Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors, and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:

Oliver Sacks, Exploring How Hallucinations Happen: The famed neurologist talks to Fresh Air about how grief, trauma, brain injury, medications and neurological disorders can trigger hallucinations — and about his personal experimentation with hallucinogenic drugs in the 1960s.

Historical, Fictional Icons Take To The Big Screen: Two of the year's most highly anticipated movies arrive this week. Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, and Skyfall, the third film starring Daniel Craig as James Bond 007, directed by American Beauty Oscar-winner Sam Mendes. Film critic David Edelstein has this review of both.

An 'Oddly Normal' Outcome For A Singular Child: From the time their son Joe was 3, John Schwartz and his wife, Jeanne Mixon, suspected he was gay. They supported him through troubles in school and when he decided to come out — but as a teen, Joe attempted suicide. Their memoir, Oddly Normal, chronicles their experiences.

You can listen to the original interviews here:

• Oliver Sacks, Exploring How Hallucinations Happen
• Historical, Fictional Icons Take To The Big Screen
• An 'Oddly Normal' Outcome For A Singular Child

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