Terry Gross

Arnold Rampersad's biography of the African American poet has been called "a literary event." Despite dedicating his writing to the black experience, Hughes grew up in a largely white community. His more radical work didn't find much of an audience, which led to him adopting a more social-realist style later in his career.

Kevin Boyle's group Article 19, name after the United Nations provision protecting free speech, fights against censorship around the world, both in democracies and dictatorships.

Performer-in-residence Harry Connick, Jr. plays the music of Harold Arlen. While his name may be known to few, Arlen wrote several popular and recognizable songs.

Josiah Thompson taught philosophy and later became a detective while on sabbatical. He relates his work as private investigator to the writing of both Dashiell Hammett and Soren Kierkegaard. Thompson tells Fresh Air host Terry Gross about several of the cases he's worked on. His new book, Gumshoe, details his experiences.

Jonathan Katz stars as standup comedian Jackie Shore in the new movie Things Change, which was written by his friend David Mamet. Katz played a con man in the earlier Mamet movie House of Games, which Katz says was loosely based on their experience as small-time ping pong hustlers.

Stephen Schiff says that director Leonard Nimoy's adaptation of Sue Miller's novel is lifeless, but Diane Keaton's performance might justify the cost of a ticket.

Folklorist Jan Harold Brunvard recently returned from a trip to New Zealand, where he learned about a curious away homeowners try to keep dogs off their lawns/

Author William Gibson is credited with creating the cyberpunk genre, which dispenses with nationalistic ideas of the future, and instead posits a world where multinational corporations rule and nation-states have eroded. His newest novel is called Mona Lisa Overdrive.

Wall Street Journal reporter Brooks Jackson details how election campaigns raise funds by finding ways to circumvent legal donation limits, and coordinating with special interests and political action committees. Corporations and other groups are exploiting these actions in an attempt to influence policy. Jackson's new book is called Honest Graft.

For over forty years, Nikolais has been considered a revolutionary figure in modern dance. His choreographic vision included the use of visual arts and electronic music long before it became popular.