Terry Gross

We pay tribute to singer Dorothy Collins, who died yesterday at the age of 67. Collins was the star of the 1950's TV show "Your Hit Parade," and received a Tony nomination in1971 for her role in Stephen Sondheim's Broadway show "Follies." We will play "Losing My Mind," from that show.

Langella is the star of the new HBO Showcase film "Doomsday Gun," the true story of Dr. Gerald Bull, a brilliant arms designer who fulfills his lifelong dream of building a supergun. Langella also played Dracula in the Broadway revival of "Dracula" for which he received a Tony nomination, as well as in the 1979 film version of "Dracula." Most recently, he has appeared in the Broadway play "Booth," and in the movie "Dave," as Bob Alexander, the evil White House Chief of Staff.

Belli's first novel, "The Inhabited Woman," is about a young architect whose body becomes inhabited by the soul of an Indian woman from the time of the Conquistadors. The soul urges the young woman to abandon her privileged lifestyle and join an underground movement against the dictatorship. Belli is from an affluent Nicaraguan family. She studied English and advertising abroad before returning to Nicaragua and joining the Sandinistas and playing a role in the overthrow of Nicaragua's dictator Somoza.

Lee is the co-writer and director of the new movie, "Eat Drink Man Woman." The movie looks at sex and food as the two main things that create and maintain families. It centers on Taiwan's leading chef and his disappointments -- both in his career as a chef and in his attempts to raise his three daughters. The movie also examines his daughters' relationships to food and sex. Lee is the director of "The Wedding Banquet," a movie about a love triangle between an American man, a Chinese woman and, a Chinese-American man.

Anthony Aveni is one of the pioneers in the field of archaeoastronomy, which traces how different cultures throughout the ages have interpreted the skies and planets. He has just written a book, "Conversing with the Planets." In it, he weaves together cosmology, mythology, and anthropology, to look at the significance of stars and how they have been perceived in various cultures. Aveni is a professor of Physics and Astronomy, as well as Sociology and Anthropology, at Colgate University.

The Cuban-born poet and essayist has just written his first novel, "The Marks of Birth." It explores the experience of exile through the eyes of a young character whose family is forced to flee the political unrest of a Caribbean island-nation, and begin again in America. Medina has also written two collections of poems: "Pork Rind and Cuban Songs" and "Arching into the Afterlife," and a book of personal essays entitled "Exiled Memories: A Cuban Childhood."

Frank Smyth is a freelance journalist who has written on Rwanda for "The Village Voice," "The Nation," and "The New Republic," and an investigative consultant for Human Rights Watch/Africa. He wrote a report for Human Rights Watch/Africa based on his visit to Rwanda in May and June of 1993. The report, "Arming Rwanda," is about the arms trade and the human rights violations in that country.

Fred Waitzkin has written two books about chess. His first, "Searching For Bobby Fischer," is about his young son Josh's gift for the game. The book was made into a movie of the same name. Waitzkin's latest book is called "Mortal Games." It's a portrait of the world chess champion Garry Kasparov as he prepared, in 1990, to defend his title against sworn enemy Anatoly Karpov.

Writer Alexs Pate's first novel is called "Losing Absalom." It's a fictionalized tribute to his father that chronicles end of the title character's life as his family has gathered around his hospital bed. Writer John Willimas wrote, "Losing Absalom is a powerful yet sensitive embrace with black America today." Pate grew up in North Philadelphia and lives in Minneapolis.

Astronomer David Levy. He's discovered 21 comets, both as an amateur and part of a professional team. He discovered the comet that will crash into Jupiter on July 16th, which is named after him. Levy is a contributer to many astronomical magazines, and is the author of numerous books on astronomy, including "Quest for Comets" and "Skywatching."