Terry Gross

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews the highly-anticiapted Stephen Spielberg film, adapted from the book by Michael Crichton.

Executive Vice President of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Max Richtman. Terry will talk with him about how Clinton's budget proposal will impact Social Security and Medicare. Richtman is critical of Clinton's plan to raise the tax on Social Security benefits.

For many years, Sheldon was bandleader and sidekick for Merv Griffin's talk show. He sang with Benny Goodman, was a childhood friend of Chet Baker's, and played burlesque with Lenny Bruce. He's just released a new record of standards, called "On My Own."

Richard is of cajun, creole and French descent. His award winning collection of short stories is called "Ice at the Bottom of the World". His new novel "Fishboy" is about a boy's sea journey, "replete with ghosts, sea creatures and violent shipmates". Richard's prose style has been singled out for praise, with one critic hailing the novel as "an eloquent fever dream".

Singer and Songwriter Arthur Alexander died today. He had only recently begun performing again after a twenty year break. We remember him.

The tenth edition of "Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary," is out. Terry talks about pronunciation with one of the book's associate editors, Brian Sietsema -- and examines how recent Fresh Air guests say particular words.

Morris has always done impressions: he began lampooning the presidents when Reagan was sworn into office. Since then he's impersonated Bush, and Clinton, as well as presidental contenders, Michael Dukakis, Paul Tsongas, and Ross Perot. He brought his act to the White House Correspondents Association Dinner and comedy clubs around the country.

Rebroadcast of an interview with singer/songwriter Carole King. In the 60s, she wrote hit songs like "Up on the Roof" and "Will you still love me tomorrow?" But in the 70s, she achieved lasting fame with songs like "Natural Woman" and her best-sellingalbum "Tapestry." King has a new album, "Colour of Your Dreams."

Business journalist Mark Pendergrast. His new book is "For God, Country, and Coca-Cola" shows how the soft drink became the world's most widely distributed product, and a symbol for the Western way of Life.

Journalist Stan Sesser is a reporter covering Southeast Asia for the New Yorker. He has collected some of those pieces in a new book "The Lands of Charm and Cruelty: Travels in Southeast Asia." He discusses the recent elections in Cambodia which featured violence, twenty political parties and massive voter turnout