Terry Gross

Actress and Stanford Theater Professor, Anna Deavere Smith. She performs solo, multi-casted pieces, the scripts of which are transcripts of interviews with real participants of events. "Fires in the Mirrors" (aired on PBS) gave voice to the many facets of the Crown Heights riots.

President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of New York City, Alexander Sanger. Terry will talk with him about his work there, and about carrying on the work that his grandmother, Margaret Sanger pioneered. One of the projects they are involved in is training doctors in abortion practices. This is in response to a drop in training programs in OB/GYN residency programs, where it's fallen 50 percent since 1985.

Peter Kinder, from Kinder, Lydenberg, Domini & Co., Inc., a firm that provides social research on U.S. Corporations to investment professionals. He's just co-written the new book, "Investing for Good: Making Money While Being Socially Responsible." (HarperBusiness).

Country music star and actor Willie Nelson. His best-known songs include "Crazy," "Funny How Time Slips Away," and "Good Hearted Woman." Nelson talks about his life before stardom: as a cotton-picker, Sunday school teacher and songwriter selling his music dirt cheap. (REBROADCAST from October 24, 1988).

We play a special track from the "Fresh Air in Concert" CD: Charles Brown performing "Fool's Paradise", recorded June 22, 1989.

The nation's inaugural poet, Maya Angelou. Her multi-volume autobiography and many books of poetry have proven her to be one of America greatest writers. (REBROADCAST from April 22, 1986).

Film director Sydney Pollacl. He has been making movies for almost thirty years including "The Way We Were", "Three Days of the Condor" and "Tootsie". Pollack's new film is "The Firm". (REBROADCAST from December 11, 1990).

Comedian and film maker Mel Brooks. Brooks has made some of the funniest films in movie history, including "The Producers," "Young Frankenstein," and "Blazing Saddles." (REBROADCAST from July 30, 1991; Also contains audio from Frankie Laine interview 07/29/1987)

The master of funk, George Clinton. He began his musical career as a teenager when he formed The Parliaments. But in the early 70s, Clinton put together a second group, "Funkadelic," that became enormously influential on the pop music scene. Their 1970 album, "Osmium," set the tone for Clinton's wickedly eclectic style; songs ranged from metaphysical gospel to country and acid rock. But their big hit came with the album "Mothership Connection." In songs like "Tear the Roof Off the Sucker," "Get Up on the Downstroke" and "Think!

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the new movie "The Firm," which stars Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris and Holly Hunter.