Terry Gross

Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, Thomas E. McNamara. He will explain why the U.S. has chosen not to go along with the ban on anti-personnel land mines, and what measures they are taking to control their use.

Actor SIR Ian McKellan. Since coming out in 1988, Britain's highly acclaimed Shakespearean actor has become an international voice for the gay and lesbian community. His role in Peter Shafer's "Amadeus" earned him a Tony Award in 1981. He has appeared in the popular films, "Last Action Hero" and "Six Degrees of Separation." He's now starring in the film version of "Richard III." (REBROADCAST from 6/20/94)

Helen Prejean. Prejean is a Roman Catholic nun. Her book, "Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States" (Random House, 1993) details her experience working with death row inmates in Louisiana. It's been made into a new film, starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. Prejean has come to believe that the death penalty is not only ineffective as a deterrent, but that the government can't be trusted to decide who should live and who should die. (REBROADCAST from 7/13/93).

Emmy award winning actor Kelsey Grammer. The former co-star of "Cheers" and the current star of "Frasier," has written his memoir, "So Far." (Dutton). Grammer, who got his start in classical theatre, is now known for his comic gifts in "Frasier" which is one of television's top ten shows.

Michael Eric Dyson is considered one of our most important black intellectuals. He's also an ordained Baptist minister who once struggled as an 18-year old father in Detroit. His work has appeared in "The New York Times," "Rolling Stone," "Vibe" and other publications. His new book is "Between God and Gangsta Rap" (Oxford University Press) about contemporary Black culture. Dyson teaches at the University of North Carolina where he is a Professor of Communications Studies.

Journalist and professor Todd Gitlin. His new book is a liberal's criticism of the "culture wars" that have destroyed the notion of common good in our country. It's called "The Twilight of Common Dreams: Why America is Wracked by Culture Wars," (Metropolitan Books). Gitlin is also the author of "The Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage." He teaches culture and communications , journalism, and sociology at New York University.

Personal Health columnist for the New York Times Jane Brody. Her new book is a timely one: "Jane Brody's Cold and Flu Fighter" (W.W. Norton, in paperback). In it she gives advice on how to tell if you are suffering from a cold, the flu, or an allergy, and the best treatment for each.

Caroline Hebard is the co-founder of the U.S. Disaster Response Team. She and her German shepherd dogs have carried out search and rescue missions at the world's most tragic disaster sites: earthquakes in Japan, Mexico and Armenia, floods in Tennessee, hurricanes, and bridge collapses. The work is dangerous: trainers often follow their dogs into a collapsed building. Hebard lives in Bernardsville, New Jersey with her husband, children and dogs. Her new book (written with Hank Whittemore) is "So That Others May Live." (Bantam Books).

Professor of Religious Studies at Indiana University Mary Jo Weaver. Her previous book is "Springs of Water in a Dry Land: Spiritual Survival for Catholic Women Today," (Beacon) about women who are Catholic and feminist. Her book, "New Catholic Women: A Contemporary Challenge to Traditional Religious Authority," (Indiana University Press) has a new 10th anniversary edition. Weaver's latest book (edited with R. Scott Appleby) "Being Right: Conservative Catholics in America" is a collection of essays (Indiana University Press).

Geshe Thupten Jinpa, the principle translator for the Dalai Lama. Thupten Jinpa was a refugee in India as a child, became a monk at a Tibetan monastery, and is now working on his Ph.D at Cambridge University. He is the translator, editor and annotator of "The World of Tibetan Buddhism" (Wisdom Publications, written by the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual and political leader of the Tibetan people, and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. (REBROADCAST FROM 4/4/95)