Terry Gross

Writer John McPhee. He's a classic example of a "writer's writer," one whose style is endlessly studied and mimicked, and whose effortlessness in moving between subjects as diverse as Alaskan geology, oranges, and birch-bark canoes is the envy of every freelancer. He's worked at The New Yorker magazine since the late 60s and is one of its most popular contributors.

Contributor Ilene Segalove takes us on a tour of The Museum of Jurassic Technology, a Los Angeles museum of "unnatural history." The museum features exhibits of the bizarre and improbable, such as the "Deprong Mori," a South American bat that uses X-ray to fly through solid objects, or the way extreme ultraviolet rays appear to restore the flesh to a skeleton.

Screenwriter and producer Lowell Ganz. He co-wrote the script to "Parenthood," the new comedy starring Steve Martin. He also co-wrote the script for "Splash," which introduced Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah. Both films were directed by friend and collaborator Ron Howard. Ganz also was the supervising producer of the popular TV series "Happy Days," starring Henry Winkler as The Fonz.

Film Critic Stephen Schiff reviews "sex, lies, and videotape," the first feature film by 26-year-old director and writer Stephen Soderbergh. The film, made on a budget of $1.2 million, won the top prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Political writers Jack Germond and Jules Witcover. Their new book, Whose Broad Stripes and Bright Stars? is an examination of last year's Presidential election. In particular, the book focuses on the degree to which behind-the-scenes `handlers' determined the election's tone and outcome. The book also explores how the process of picking a president has changed in the 30 years that they have covered national politics. Germond and Witcover write the only nationally syndicated daily column devoted to politics.

Writer Daniel Stern. Stern's written nine novels, and he's just published his first book of short stories. It's called Twice Told Tales, and it pays homage to works by Hemingway, Freud, Lionel Trilling, Henry James, and E.M. Forster. Stern has also been a professional cellist with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, an English professor, and the head of advertising for one of the TV networks.

Writer and critic Patricia McLaughlin looks at the wave of "Batmania" now at full force throughout the country.

Director James Cameron. Though his career is relatively young, Cameron has established himself as one of the best directors and writers of intense dramas that jump between exhilaration and terror. His best-known work is "Aliens," the sequel to the 1979 sci-fi classic in which Lt. Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver, stalks a vicious alien that's invaded her spacecraft and is slaughtering the crew. The film was nominated for seven Oscars and won two.

Keenen Ivory Wayans. He co-wrote and acted in "Hollywood Shuffle," Robert Townsend's film about a black actor trying to make it in a world of show business stereotypes. Earlier this year, he released his own film, "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka," a comedy that parodies black exploitation, kung fu and wild action movies. He wrote, directed and stars in the film. (Rebroadcast. Originally broadcast on Thursday, January 12, 1989.)

The master of funk, George Clinton. He began his musical career as a teenager when he formed The Parliament. 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!