Terry Gross

Journalist and professor of environmental studies Donella Meadows. Twenty years ago she co-authored the book, "The Limits to Growth." The book used a computer model to project the impact of growth on the environment. It caused a sensation because of it's eco-gloom and helped spur the environmental movement. Now in the authors' sequel, "Beyond the Limits," they argue that we have shot past the earth's limited resources but that we are in a better position to avoid global economic collapse because of new technical possibilities.

New York Times reporter Elaine Sciolino. She was the first American and the first woman to interview the Ayatollah when he came into power in 1979. She was expelled from Iran ten years ago and recently returned there for the first time since to cover the elections. Terry talks with her about the changes she saw in Iran from the ten years previous.

Pathologist, professor, and essayist Lewis Thomas. As an essayist he takes a philosophical look at biomedicine. His books include the "The Lives of a Cell," and "The Medusa and the Snail," which were both best sellers. But he began writing for only the medical community with his 1974 column in the "New England Journal of Medicine." Terry talks with him from his hospital room, where Thomas is recovering from several ailments. He has a new book, "The Fragile Species," (published by Scribner's)

Now that the Cold War's over, Pop culture scholar Michael Barson has written "Better Dead Than Red! A Nostalgic Look At The Golden Years Of Russiaphobia, Red-Baiting, And Other Commie Madness." (Hyperion) It's a look at how popular culture fueled public hysteria during the cold war -- from the Children's Crusade Against Communism bubble gum card series to the Hollywood production "I was a Communist for the F-B-I." By the way... the book is due to arrive in stores on Mayday 1992.

Author Annie Dillard. She's written several non-fiction books; her new book, "The Living," (HarperCollins) is her first novel. Dillard's other works include the bestseller "The Writing Life," and the Pulitzer prize winning "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek." (Both are published by Harper &Row.)

Israel Rosenfield studies the concept of consciousness. He was trained as a physician, mathematician, and a philosopher -- all of which he now brings to his thinking about neurology. His new book is "The Strange, Familiar and Forgotten." (published by Knopf). In it he reinterprets classic cases of neurology, and theorizes that its impossible to understand states of neurological illness without reference to a person's body image, consciousness and being. Neurologist Oliver Sacks, calls Rosenfield a "powerful and original thinker."

Writer Wallace Stegner. His novels and essays are often based in the West where he grew up and lived for many years. Stegner started the creative writing program at Stanford University in California, which he ran for 26 years. He's now in his eighties. His new book of essays is called "Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs." (Random House)

Investigative reporter William Greider. He's written a new book about the breakdown of democracy in the United States, "Who will tell the people: The Betrayal of American Democracy." (published by Simon and Shuster). It's also the subject of Greider's "Frontline" documentary on PBS this week. He's also the author of "Secrets of the Temple," about the inner workings of the Federal Reserve.

Actress and producer Shelley Duvall. She was "discovered" by Robert Altman in 1970 and learned about acting on the set. She's been in Altman's films, "Brewster McCloud," "McCabe and Mrs. Miller," "Nashville," and others. Ten years ago she began producing her "Faerie Tale Theatre" on Showtime, an award-winning series of classic fairy tales featuring some of Hollywood's best actors, directors, and writers. Her new "Bedtime Stories," a weekly animated series premiers this month on Showtime.

Terry talks with two Iranian exiles who are working to lift the fatwa off of Salman Rushdie: Journalist Huma Sarshar, who lives in L.A., helped to organize a statement of Iranian exiles artists and intellectuals in support of Rushdie; and film maker and playwright Parviz Sayyad who signed the statement.