Terry Gross

Wes Anderson co-wrote and produced the new film The Royal Tenenbaums, about a family of geniuses, who despite their talents are ill-suited to deal with everyday problems. The family comes together for an unexpected reunion. The film stars Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Billy Murray, Wyneth Paltrow and Ben Stiller. Anderson also co-wrote and directed Bottle Rocket and Rushmore.

Biological and chemical weapons expert Eric Croddy is a senior research associate at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and author of the book, Chemical and Biological Warfare: A Comprehensive Survey for the Concerned Citizen (Copernicus Books).

Actor Patrick Warburton is best known for his recurring role on Seinfeld as Elaine laconic boyfriend, Puddy. Though he only appeared in nine episodes, he became one of the show favorite characters. Warburton currently stars in the new FOX show The Tick. He could also be heard as the voice of Joe on Fox animated series The Family Guy and has been in commercials for American Express, Cadillac and M&M's. He starred in the movie The Woman Chaser which was critically acclaimed at the New York Film Festival and The Sundance Film Festival, and he was in the Australian film, The Dish.

Composer Aaron Jay Kernis is one of the youngest composers to win the Pulitzer Prize. This Saturday, his latest composition will be performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra as part of the grand opening of the Kimmel Center, Philadelphia's new concert hall. The piece was commissioned specifically for the event. The Walt Disney Company has commissioned a piece by Kernis. His many awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship, an NEA grant, a New York Foundation for the Arts award, and two Grammy nominations. Kernis was born in Philadelphia and is 41 years old.

David Atkins directed Novocaine, a new film starring Steve Martin. It's about a dentist who's lured into a life of crime. Atkins is also a drummer and songwriter, and participated in the creation of several songs on the movie soundtrack. He also wrote the screenplay for the film Arizona Dream, starring Johnny Depp, Faye Dunaway and Lili Taylor. It something of a cult classic in the U.S., although it was successful overseas. Novocaine is his feature film directorial debut.

It's been twenty-five years since Sissy Spacek's memorable performance in the 1976 horror film Carrie, based on a Stephen King novel. Her new film is In The Bedroom, a family drama/tragedy. It won several awards in this year's Sundance festival. Spacek won an Oscar for her performance in Coal Miner's Daughter, and she's been nominated for Best Actress 5 times. She got her start in the film Badlands. She's had roles in numerous films and TV dramas, including Three Women, Raggedy Man, Night Mother, and The Straight Story.

Shawn Levy is the author of Rat Pack Confidential: Frank, Dean, Sammy, Peter, Joey & the Last Great Showbiz Party (Doubleday, paperback). It's about the circle of showbiz pals who played and later performed together. It included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. Levy is also the author of the biography, King of Comedy: The Life and Art of Jerry Lewis.

Editor Tom Kuntz and reporter Phil Kuntz. Their book, The Sinatra Files: The Life of an American Icon Under Government Surveillance (Times Books, paperback) excerpts and analyzes portions of the FBIs massive file on Frank Sinatra. The file is 1,275 pages long and was begun in the mid 1940s and lasted until 1972. Tom Kuntz is the editor of "Word for Word," a column in The New York Times Week in Review section. Phil Kuntz is a staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal.

Actress Mia Farrow was married to Frank Sinatra and will talk about their relationship. As a young actress she starred in Peyton Place and Rosemary's Baby. She was also married to Andre Previn. Her 12-year relationship with Woody Allen ended with his affair with Farrow's adopted daughter Soon-Yi. Farrow and Allen had two children, and made 12 films together before their highly dramatic and public breakup. Her memoir published in 1997 is, What Falls Away (Mass Market, paperback).

Journalist Charles Sennott has just returned from Afghanistan, where he traveled with the Special Forces. He also the author of the new book, The Body and The Blood: The Holy Land Christians At the Turn of a New Millennium (PublicAffairs). Sennott was the Boston Globe Middle East bureau chief, and is currently the Globe European bureau chief. He lives in London.