Terry Gross

Harrison has new collection of novellas, called The Woman Lit by Fireflies. He lives in relative isolation with his family on a farm in upstate Michigan.

Scientist Zhores Mevedvev was the first scientist in the West to determine that the Soviet Union suffered a nuclear accident in 1957, three decades before Chernobyl. He has a new book called "The Legacy of Chernobyl," about the latter disaster -- which contributed to the Soviet Union's glasnost and perestroika reforms. Medvedev's father was exiled from Russia; Medvedev himself faced persecution for his research and activism.

With fellow reporter Jerry Bishop, Michael Waldholz has written a new book, called Genome. It covers recent developments in gene therapy and explores the controversy surrounding the human genome project. Waldholz is a staff writer for the Wall Street Journal.

Since 1987, Maya has been performing his one-man show at clubs and performance spaces, mostly around New York. His style of observational humor focuses on his suburbia, current events, and gay politics. Maya came out publicly this year; he believes its important to emphasize his identity in his act to boost representation of gay people in popular culture.

Scientist Arno Penzias won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1978 for his work supporting the big-bang theory. He's now vice-president of research at AT&T, and is concerned with the human implications of technological innovation. Penzias' book, Ideas and Information, is a popular history of computers and communications technology.

Norman's book, called the Psychology of Everyday Life, is about the effect of poor industrial design has on our interactions with new and familiar technology. He says not enough consumers complain; without their influence, corporations will continue to produce difficult-to-use products.

Brown joins Fresh Air to discuss the mechanics of filmmaking, and the impact the success of Jaws had on his career. His wife is Helen Gurley Brown; they work together on the women's magazine Cosmopolitan. David Brown's memoir is called Let Me Entertain You.

New York Times journalist Timothy West says that cities in the region like Seattle strike a successful balance between urban centers and the natural world. His new book about his travels throughout the Pacific Northwest is called The Good Rain.

Pakula's new courtroom drama is based on the novel of the same name by Scott Turrow. His previous credits include All The President's Men, Sophie's Choice, and Klute.

New Yorker staffer Tony Hiss has a new book compiling several of his articles for the magazine, called The Experience of Place. His writing concerns the emotional dimensions of city planning. Hiss is the son of Alger Hiss, who was charged with treason during the McCarthy era.