Terry Gross

Kane tells how he came up with the idea for the caped crusader, and what influence he had on the TV series and previous Batman movies. He drew Batman from its inception in 1939 to the late 60s. DC Comic still publishes Batman in a monthly and quarterly form. (REBROADCAST FROM 3/23/90)

Jones made many of the greatest Warner Brothers cartoons, and he created the characters Pepe LePew, Wile E. Coyote, and the RoadRunner. He wrote a memoir of his years at Warner Brothers, called Chuck Amuck (Avon Books). (REBROADCAST FROM 10/18/89).

Ford's book Independence Day (Knopf), the sequel to The Sportswriter (Vintage), has recently been released. It follows the life of Frank Bascombe, a father, divorcé, and insurance agent. Ford is also the author of Wildlife, The Ultimate Good Luck, A Piece of My Heart, and Rock Springs.

Schine's new book is called The Love Letter, about how the titular object affects a single bookseller. Schine has written three previous novels: Alice in Bed, To the Bird House, and Rameau's Niece. She has also written for the New York Times Book Review, Vogue, and the Village Voice.

Karr has two volumes of poetry The Devil's Tour, and Abacus. She won Pushcart Prizes for both poetry and essays, and her work appears in such magazines as Granta, Ploughshares, and Vogue. She has a new memoir called The Liars' Club, about growing up with her eccentric and secretive mother.

Journalist Ken Auletta wrote the book Three Blind Mice: How the TV Networks Lost Their Way (Random House), and is currently a writer for the New Yorker. He will talk about the new telecommunications bill which the Senate just approved.

Hayes rose to the top of the charts in the 1970's on the Stax label, a soul record label. He released his first solo album, "Presenting Isaac Hayes," in 1968. His next album, "Hot Buttered Soul," became a gold record in the 1970's.

In her new book "Bird by Bird," Lamott talks about the nuts and bolds of how to write, but also how to live a writer's life. Her last book was the memoir "Operating Instructions." (REBROADCAST FROM 1/3/95)

The Washington Post called Lebowitz "the funniest woman in America." Her first children's book Mr. Chas and Lisa Sue Meet the Pandas was published in 1994. In 1978, Lebowitz wrote the critically acclaimed book Metropolitan Life a collection of witty essays about life. (REBROADCAST FROM 1/3/95)

Mosley is known for his series about gumshoe hero Easy Rawlins, and gained public attention when then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton said that Mosley was his favorite mystery writer. We feature an excerpt of our interview with Mosley last year.