Terry Gross

Novelist Stephen King. Last year, the prolific and popular horror writer experienced something that could have come out of one of his books: he was struck by a car while walking along a rural road in Maine and nearly killed. Six operations and a long recovery followed. Five weeks after the accident King started writing again, and published over the internet only, the novella, “The Plant.” His new book is “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft” (Scribner).

Film director Joel Schumacher. His films include “St. Elmo’s Fire,” “The Client,” “A Time to Kill,” and “Batman Forever.” Schumacher’s new film is “Tigerland” about a group of army recruits in training who are about to be shipped off to Vietnam. The film was made on a low budget in 28 days, on sixteen millimeter film and mostly with hand-held cameras. In making the film Schumacher was inspired by the Dogma 95 movement by Danish film director Lars von Trier. The movement rejects Hollywood artifice, abandoning the use of elaborate lighting, special effects and music.

Filmmaker Mike Hodges. His debut work, the 1971 “Get Carter,” was hailed as the greatest British thriller ever. It starred Michael Caine. A new remake of “Get Carter” is out in theatres, starring Sylvester Stallone, with an appearance by Caine. Hodges also directed the recent film “Croupier.” (REBROADCAST from 5/16/2000)

Actor Michael Caine. He’s made over 70 films, including “Get Carter.” (REBROADCAST from 11/17/92)

Actor John Spencer. He plays Leo McGarry, the Chief of Staff to the President in the tv series "The West Wing." The show won the coveted Peabody Award in its first season. This week it began it’s second season. The show is set in the Whitehouse, and concerning a fictional democratic President and his staff. In the first season of the show, Spencer's character has had to deal with his former alcoholism becoming a matter of public scrutiny. Spencer previously was a regular on "L.A.

Hip Hop Artists De La Soul. Formed in 1985, De La Soul released their latest record “Art Official Intelligence” (Tommy Boy) this August. Dubbed “the hippies of hip hop”, De La Soul continue to pen songs without gangsta rap influence, focusing instead on the use of samples, jazz vamps, and wordplay. Consisting of Posdnuos, Trugouy the Dove, and Pasemaster Mace, the male trio began recording at the same time as Queen Latifah, Monie Love, and A Tribe Called Quest. De La Soul hails from Long Island, New York.

Political Analyst Alan Schroeder. His new book “Presidential Debates: Forty Years of High Risk TV,” (Columbia University Press, 2000) examines the history of the televised presidential debate. Drawing from his experience as a print journalist and TV producer, he details the decisions that influence every aspect of the event: the color of the backdrop curtain to the camera angles chosen. He also looks at the results of past debates, discussing strategies for political effectiveness. He is an Associate Professor of Journalism at Northeastern University.

Poet and memoirist Mary Karr. Author of the best selling Liar’s Club, she has just published a new book chronicling her teen age years entitled “Cherry” (Penguin Putnam, 2000). In a follow up to what critics call “a hard scrabble childhood,” she returns to East Texas to detail her adolescence. Karr relates anecdotes of rebellion, self doubt and sexual coming of age. The recipient of several literary awards such as the Pushcart Prize and the Bunting Award, she has published two volumes of poetry. She is the Peck Professor of English Literature at Syracuse University.

Director of the United Hospital Fund's Project on Family Caregiving in an Age of Change, Carole Levine She brings her professional and personal life to bear on her work with the project. Since 1990, when her husband was critically injured in an automobile accident, she has been his caregiver. Levine new book which came out this week is called, Always on Call: When Illness Turns Families into Caregivers. Levine is also the founder and executive director of The Orphan Project: Families and Children in the HIV Epidemic.