Terry Gross

Music critic Nelson George considers the changing nature of black music. In the past, Nelson says, African American artists, record store owners, and concert promoters were more community oriented. He thinks the focus now is on corporate-backed, commercial success.

The musical theater actress walked away from Broadway, only to return to the stage as a cabaret singer. Cook was recently featured in a concert version of Follies and stars in a new musical revue.

David Watts continued the gorilla research of Dian Fossey after her 1985 murder. He served as a consultant on the film Gorillas in the Mist, based on Fossey's book of the same name.

Pat DiNizio fronts the rock band The Smithereens, whose new album is called Green Thoughts. He joins Fresh Air to talk about his musical inspirations and straightforward approach to lyric writing.

Singer Bonnie Koloc sings a new song she said was inspired by a magical night in the countryside. She is accompanied by pianist Howard Levy.

Fred de Cordova worked in radio, Broadway, and film. Now he's a producer on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He books guests and manages the flow of the program. Cordova's new autobiography is called Johnny Came Lately.

Part II of the Fresh Air interview with Penelope Spheeris. Terry Gross asks the filmmaker about growing up in a carnival, the prophetic power of rock music, and making movies about youth culture. Spheeris's new documentary is The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years.

Film critic Stephen Schiff says that two new crime comedies, A Fish Called Wanda and Midnight Run, don't do justice to the excellent performances of their lead actors.

Part I of Terry Gross's interview with filmmaker Penelope Spheeris. Spheeris talks about her new movie, The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: the Metal Years, a documentary about the heavy metal scene. She thinks stereotypes of the inarticulate and unskilled metal musicians are unfair -- though it's often true that they embrace a drug-fueled, self-destructive lifestyle.

Sociologist Barry Glassner's new book Bodies explores the pressures Americans face to conform to particular standards of health and beauty. He says this cultural expectation -- which even extends to the workplace -- has led to a proliferation of diet and exercise programs, which most participants are doomed to fail.