News & Media

Journalist Bruce Feiler. His new book is a history of country music: "Dreaming out Loud: Garth Brooks, Wynonna Judd, Wade Hayes, and the Changing Face of Nashville (Avon Books). Feiler writes regularly about American music for The New York Times, The New Yorker, and other publications. He's also a frequent contributor to "All Things Considered."

Fox sports commentator Tim McCarver talks to Marty Moss-Coane about his new book "Baseball for Brain Surgeon and Other Fans". (Villard Books) McCarver is also a commentator during the New York Mets season for WWOR. He played major league baseball from 1959-1980 for the St Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Montreal Expos and Boston Red Sox. He also wrote "O, Baby, I Love It!".

Journalist Pete Hamill. He's written a new book, a long essay really, about the troubled state of newspapers in this country. It's called "News is a Verb: Journalism at the End of the Twentieth Century" (The Library of Contemporary Thought, The Ballantine Publishing Group). Hamill is also the author of the bestselling novel, "Snow in August," and the memoir, "A Drinking Life." (Interview by Barbara Bogaev)

Former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Hass (pronounced like grass) talks about his new book "Poet's Choice: Poems for Everyday Life" published by Ecco Press. It's a collection of Hass' favorite recent poems by other poets. Hass served as Laureate from 1995-1997. He is also the author of "Sun Under Wood," "Human Wishes," "Praise," "Field Guide," and a book of essays titled "Twentieth Century Pleasures," which won the National Book Critics Circle Award. He teaches at the University of California at Berkeley.

Political satirist Al Franken. He was one of the original writers for Saturday Night Live. He won four Emmys for his writing on the show. His most popular character was Stuart Smalley, the new age cable TV host. He's also the author of "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations." His newest endeavor is the sitcom "Lateline" which premieres next Tuesday on NBC about the behind the scenes of a late night news show.

Curator of the Archives and Collections at the International Center Of Photography in New York, Miles Barth. He curated an exhibit of the work of tabloid photographer, Weegee, whose real name was Arthur Fellig. Wegee eventually became one of the most celebrated news photographers of the century. His photographs taken with an on-camera flash, were of New York's seamy side from 1930s to the 1960s, of murders, suicides, and accidents. The exhibit is now touring the U.S.

Author and physician Abraham Verghese talks with Terry about his recent article in the Feb 16th issue of The New Yorker, about sexual addiction: "The Pathology of Sex: Why can't some people stop having it." Verghese is also the author of the 1994 memoir "My Own Country," (Simon & Schuster) about his experiences treating AIDS in rural America.

Legal correspondent for ABC news, and staff writer for the New Yorker, Jeffrey Toobin. He'll talk with Terry Gross about sexual harassment and the law, and the charges against Bill Clinton in the Paula Jones lawsuit. Toobin's article about it appears in the February 2, 1998 issue of the New Yorker.

Former lead singer for the '60s British pop group "The Zombies" Colin Blunstone. The group's hits include "She's Not There," "You've Really Got a Hold On Me" and "Time of the Season." There's a new anthology of the group's recordings "The Zombies: Zombie Heaven" (Big Beat label).

Record producer Nick Venet. He has produced more than 300 albums in his career and has collected numerous Grammy nominations and awards. He is co-producer of a new Bobby Darin box set (Rhino). Venet was also Darin's producer and friend. Venet died last week. (Rebroadcast of 3/19/1996)

New York City is celebrating its centennial this year. Perhaps the man most responsible for the shape of the city and for its parks, expressways, and bridges is Robert Moses. Moses held 14 state, regional, and city offices ranging from city parks commissioner to construction coordinator. Our guest, Robert Caro, won a 1975 Pulitzer Prize for his book about Moses called "The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York." In the January 5th edition of the New Yorker, Caro wrote about Moses' impact on New York City.

Writer Brendan Gill died Saturday at the age of 83. We'll remember him with a excerpt from a November 1987 interview. He's best known for his work with The New Yorker magazine, for which he was hired in 1936. He wrote 15 books including biographies of Charles Lindberg, Cole Porter, and Tallulah Bankhead, and his best-seller "Here at the New Yorker." He was also an active campaigner for historic preservation in New York City. (REBROADCAST from 11/12/1987)

New York Times correspondent Chris Hedges. He reports from Serbia on the tense conditions that remain despite absence of war in the former Yugoslavia, and the nationalist ideology present in the three factions, one that has led to hate crimes against ethnic minorities and gypsies. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Record producer and former guitarist for the band Chic, Nile Rodgers. In the late 1970s Chic was one of the most successful disco groups. Hits included "Dance, Dance, Dance," "Le Freak," and "Everybody Dance." As a record producer, Rodgers has worked with Sister Sledge, Diana Ross, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, INXS, and Madonna. (Rebroadcast of 8/20/1996)

Photojournalists Horst Faas and Tim Page They've compiled and edited a book of photographs by photojournalists who lost their lives covering war in Indochina and Vietnam from the 50's to the mid 70's. The book is titled "Requiem" (Random House). It features 135 different photographers including Robert Capa, Larry Burrows, and Sean Flynn. Horst Faas was an Associated Press photographer in Vietnam and Tim Page worked in Laos and Vietnam for United Press International and "Paris-Match." They were both wounded in Vietnam.

All Things Considered senior producer Sean Collins will preview the upcoming yearlong NPR series on death and dying. The series will begin airing on Monday November 3rd. The series of reports is called "The End of Life: Exploring Death in America."

Rock Historian Ed Ward continues his review of "The Philly Sound: Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff & The Story of Brother Love (1966-1976)" (Epic)

Rock historian Ed Ward on the Philadelphia production team of Gamble & Huff.

Film critic Leonard Maltin. His new book, "The Great American Broadcast: A Celebration of Radio's Golden Age" (Dutton) celebrates America's most popular form of entertainment in the years before television. Maltin also appears regularly on Entertainment Tonight and has written two movie guides.

Humorist and writer Garrison Keillor. In his new book, "Wobegon Boy," (Viking) Keillo transports one of his characters from Lake Wobegon to manage an upstate New York public radio station. Keillor hosts "A Prairie Home Companion" on National Public Radio on Saturday evenings, and authored "Lake Wobegon Days, Leaving Home," and "The Book of Guys."