Terry Gross

The biggest event in soccer, the World Cup, takes place in the United States this month (June 17 - July 17), in nine different cities. Journalist Pete Davies will talk with Terry about the game so few Americans know about. He's written a new book about the game and the upcoming event, "Twenty-Two Foreigners in Funny Shorts: The Intelligent Fan's Guide to Soccer and World Cup '94." (Random House).

Playwright, NPR commentator, housecleaner and former elf to Santa, Davis Sedaris. He launched his radio commentator career with his "SantaLand Diaries," broadcast during NPR's "Morning Edition in 1992. His humor has been described as a "caustic mix of J. D.

Johnston has four albums to his credit. The latest is, "Unlucky." His previous album, "Can You Fly," brought him to attention of many critics and garnered him much acclaim. Despite his love of hard rock, Johnston's songs have been described as "post-punk honky-tonk. . . performed by a lonely, heartbroken wiseass."

Beck is a 23 year-old hip/hop folk rocker, who goes by first name only and whose single, "Loser" has become the anthem for the underachievers of Generation X. His music has been described as "triumphantly anti-professional, idiot-savant music in which a heartfelt solo can be provided by kazoo as easily as guitar." Beck was part of the Los Angeles underground, with songs like "MTV Makes Me Want to Smoke Crack." Beck's first album, "Mellow Gold," (released on DGC) was recorded at home on four and eight-track recording equipment.

Scholar and activist Henry Louis Gates, Jr. He's Professor of English and Chairman of Afro-American Studies at Harvard and one of Afro-American studies most visible and controversial proponents. Gates believes that Black studies should be a methodology, not an ideology, and that you don't have to be black to teach African-American literature.

Mary Previte, superintendent of the Camden County (NJ) Youth Center. Previte, the great granddaughter of missionary pioneer Hudson Taylor, grew up in China with her missionary parents. During World War II, she and her fellow students and teachers spent three years in a Japanese concentration camp. Previte credits the structure her teachers' created with making the horrific experience bearable. For the past twenty years, Previte has run the youth center, a holding center for boys and girls charged with serious crimes.

Novelist Tim O'Brien. He was writing about Vietnam long before it became fashionable to do so. His Vietnam memoir, "If I die in a Combat Zone," was published in 1973. O'Brien's 1979 novel "Going After Cacciato" was praised for its depiction of the Vietnam War. It also was the surprise winner of the 1979 National Book Awards -- beating out books by John Irving and John Cheever.

Lt. Gen. Harold Moore and U.S. News and World Report Senior Writer Joseph Galloway. On November 14, 1965 they were together at the site of one of the first and bloodiest major land battle of the Vietnam War, Ia Drang. Moore was in command of the 1st battalion of the 7th Cavalry, and Galloway, then a UPI reporter, accompanied them. Moore and Galloway have written a book about their experiences in the Ia Drang valley, "We Were Soldiers Once...And Young."(HarperCollins). (Rebroadcast from 11/11/92).

Actor John Goodman, who now stars as Fred Flintstone in "The Flintstones". Goodman may be best known for his role as Dan Connor, a.k.a. Roseanne's husband, on the hit TV show "Roseanne." But he's been able to do what most cannot--carry on a successful film career and TV role at the same time. Goodman has appeared as a back-slapping traveling salesman who's also a demonic murderer in "Barton Fink," and as home run king Babe Ruth in "The Babe." (Rebroadcast from 3/26/93).

We rebroadcast a 1991 live concert with jazz pianist, singer, and lyricist Dave Frishberg. Frishberg's long been known for his satirical songs, such as "My Attorney Bernie," and "I'm Hip" (written with Bob Dorough), and the "I'm a Bill" segment for ABC's Schoolhouse Rock series. A record of his songs is "Quality Time" (Sterling Records), and a new record of standards (as pianist) with singer Rebecca Kilgore is "Looking At You." (PHD Music, Portland, Oregon). (Rebroadcast from (9/12/91).