Terry Gross

Writer William Shawcross's new book profiles the Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, who was overthrown during the Iranian revolution. Despite his despotic rule -- including the brutal deployment of the SAVAK secret police -- the Shah advanced some reforms in education and women's rights. He was an ally to the United States; who provided the Iranian state with money for weapons.

The director trades comedy for drama in his latest movie. Film critic Stephen Schiff says the story explores the tired, false dichotomy of thinking versus feeling; and the dialogue leaves much to be desired.

Writer Noel Hynd looks at the history of baseball by profiling the New York Giants in his new book, The Giants of the Polo Grounds.

The legendary singer started performing when he was four, and became a traveling musician as a teenager. He has a new autobiography, as a well as an album called Reunion. He joins Fresh Air to talk about his decades-long singing and songwriting career.

Russian poet Irina Ratushinskaya was sent to a labor camp for her poetry advocating human writes. She continued to write in prison, smuggling her poems out for publication and committing many others to memory. Her memoir, Grey is the Color of Hope, details that time.

Folklorist Jan Harold Brunvand recently came back from New Zealand, where he learned some of the local urban legends. Several of them echoed familiar tales in the United States.

Landesman's name isn't well known, but her songs are, like "Ballad of the Sad Young Men" and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most." She was part of the 1950s Beat scene, and now lives in London.

Newman made his mark in popular music with ironic lyrics about good old boys, petty criminals, saints and lovers. He also wrote the soundtracks for the films "The Natural" and "Ragtime." Newman's latest album, his first in five years, is titled "Land of Dreams."

Marti Jones has preferred to perform and record songs written by other artists; now, she's starting to flex her own songwriting muscles with her partner, guitarist Don Dixon. Her latest album is called Used Guitars.

Journalist Neil Sheehan covered the Vietnam War, and published the leaked Pentagon Papers. His new book is about Lt. Col. John Paul Vann, who served in the war and grew frustrated with Army and political leadership. Vann was an invaluable source to the press during that time.