Terry Gross

Former Sisters of Notre Dame Barbara Ferraro and Patricia Hussey were once known as the "abortion nuns." In 1984, they signed a New York Times ad that called on the Catholic Church to reconsider its stance on abortion. Their new book, No Turning Back, also outlines their differences with Church teachings on divorce and the ordination of women.

Novelist and former academic David Lodge's writing is steeped in the language of literary criticism. Many of his books are set in a university -- including his newest, Nice Work, about a businessman who fall in love with a professor.

Recorded at the Geraldine Dodge Poetry Festival, Kumin reads a poem which incorporates the found text of a Canadian pamphlet about how to survive a bear encounter.

Olds reads a poem about her father, centered around his bed -- the site of his romances and, ultimately, his passing.

Farrell had a deep, complicated relationship with her choreographer, George Balanchine. She spent over twenty years with the New York City Ballet. Farrell's new memoir about her career is called is "Holding on to the Air"

In 1955, Ford had a hit with his version of Merle Travis' "Sixteen Tons." Later, he was known for his gospel music and daytime and evening television shows. A new collection of his hits, "16 Tons of Boogie" is out on Rhino records.

Ford says that literature helps readers pay attention to their lives. His new book, about a sixteen-year-old boy and his fraught relationship with his parents, is called Wildlife. (Rebroadcast of 06/22/1990)

Getz dropped out of school and went on the road at 15. He only took a few lessons on his instrument, instead learning on the road, playing with other musicians. He's been popular in both jazz and pop. His latest album is Apasionado.

Goldblum appeared in The Big Chill, Death Wish, and David Cronenberg's remake of The Fly. His new movie is a comedy called The Tall Guy.

Gray has a new piece called Monster in a Box, about the wending process of writing an as-yet unpublished, 1600 page novel, titled Impossible Vacations. He says that his autobiographical writing distances him from his real life, including his experience of pleasure.