Terry Gross

Ray has written twelve books of poetry. His lastest, Sam's Book, centers on memories of his son Sam, who was killed in a drinking accident.

The fiction writer sought adventure, so he followed the Equator around the world. His new book describes the different cultures, colonial vestiges, and natural phenomena of his various stops -- many of which the locals described as the "middle of nowhere."

The critically-acclaimed jazz artist is known for her use of electronics in her performances. She joins Fresh Air to discuss musical development and her experience as a woman in a male-dominated scene.

Journalist Sylvester Monroe grew up in the Robert Taylor Homes public housing project on Chicago's South Side; he was later accepted into a private prep school and, eventually, Harvard. Drawing on these experiences, Monroe wrote for Newsweek about the underreported experience of poor black men in the United States. He has expanded that work into a book, called Brothers.

Performer-in-residence Harry Connick, Jr. plays songs by Matt Dennis and Cole Porter.

Fashion writer Samuel Coleridge visited sweatshops in India and South Korea to learn more about the hidden side of fashion design and clothing sales. His new book explores exploitative labor, licensing, and gender dynamics within the industry.

Brad Dourif has played several killers and disturbed people throughout his career. He won an Oscar for his portrayal of a mental patient in the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. He voices a killer puppet in the new horror flick, Child's Play. Dourif says these kinds of roles pay the bills, but he keeps his eye out for other, more varied parts.

Jordan was a fiction writer before becoming a filmmaker. His early cinematic work was financed by the British network Channel 4. His newest movie, a supernatural comedy called High Sprits, is his first big-budget feature. Jordan made his mark with Mona Lisa, a noir about call girl and her driver.

Film critic Stephen Schifff says that the Irish rock band's new concert film, Rattle & Hum, exaggerates U2's abilities, importance, and depth. The movie follows them during a U.S. tour; in between performances, the band visits landmarks of American music, and share their superficial insights into their significance.

Joe Franklin has been an enduring institution in the world of radio and television talk shows. Over the past 36 years, he's interviewed countless actors, comedians, and musicians. His show is a unique, low-budget operation; Franklin books all the guests himself.