Terry Gross

Dickey is the author of the report What Every Policy Maker Should Know About Imprisonment and the Crime Rate. Professor Dickey of the University of Wisconsin Law School, has a new way of viewing crime in our society. Based on his recent report issued by the Campaign for an Effective Crime Policy, he and officials have concluded that incarceration has little effect on crime rates. They believe that there are number of factors which limit the impact of prison on crime.

Francis has worked on the AIDS epidemic since 1981, and is currently working on developing a vaccine. He was portrayed by Matthew Modine in "The Band Played On" and was a consultant on "Outbreak." He's worked for the Centers for Disease Control, and has researched Ebola outbreaks in Africa.

Stahl has a new memoir called Permanent Midnight. He was a successful journalist, a scriptwriter for cult film classics like "Cafe Flesh," and "Dr. Caligari," who went on to write for the hit TV shows "Moonlighting," "ALF" and "thirtysomething." Stahl was also a junkie. He writes,"You might say that success ruined me. You might say I ruined success."

Salle's new movie "Search and Destroy" is an adaptation of the Howard Korder play. The film stars Griffin Dunne, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, John Turturro, and Rosanna Arquette. The executive producer is Martin Scorsese. Salle's work as an artist prompted this quote by the New York Times, "one of the most thoughtful, gifted, and curious artists of his generation."

Keneally is best known for his novel, Schindler's List which was put to film, by director Stephen Spielberg. His new novel, A River Town, is based on the story of his grandfather who left Ireland for Australia at the turn of the century. But in Australia he became the outsider. Keneally has written over 20 novels. He is a Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Irvine.

Broderick is making his singing and dancing debut in the revival of the Frank Loesser musical. He plays J. Pierrepont Finch, an ambitious window washer who climbs the corporate ladder by "fawning, brown-nosing, sucking up and a touch of backstabbing." Broderick is best known for his acting, in such movies as "Torch Song Trilogy," "War Games," and "The Freshman."

Banks' new novel is Rule of the Bone. It's been compared to Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because of it's young first-person narrator, and use of comedy to convey grim realities. Bank's narrator is 14 year-old Chappie from upstate New York who wears a nose ring and Mohawk. He steals from his parents to pay for dope, is kicked out of the house, and sets off on a low-life adventure.

Former president of the public affairs non-partisan lobbying group Common Cause, Fred Wertheimer. As president of the organization, Wertheimer led the charge for campaign finance reform, the banning of special-interest honoraria for members of Congress, and a lobby disclosure law. Wertheimer stepped down earlier this year after 14 years as President. He's been called "the capital's most vocal crusader for reforming the political system" by The Wall Street Journal.

We'll hear from Iqbal Riza, Assistant Secretary of General for Peace Keeping Operations for the United Nations. He talks about the UN's role in Rwanda.

Alison Des Forges is a consultant to Human Rights Watch Africa. Last month, the Rwandan Patriotic Army opened fire at a refugee camp. Human Rights Watch says 2000 people were killed. Des Forges visited the camp following the massacre. Des Forges is also the Co-Chair of the International Commission on Human Rights Abuse in Rwanda. She is a professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo.