Terry Gross

Charles Busch's off-Broadway send-up of classic beach movies features men in drag playing female roles. Critic-at-large Laurie Stone says the play offers a unique but problematic commentary on gender roles.

The insurance agent turned suspense novelist has gained widespread popularity, even with President Reagan and among the intelligence community. Clancy's latest, Patriot Games, follows CIA agent Jack Ryan, who was first introduced in The Hunt for Red October.

The new president of the National Organization for Women, now in her 70s, joins Fresh Air to discuss her lifelong awareness of women's second-class status, which fueled her political activism. She hopes to use NOW to support more women running for elected office.

After watching the re-release of Disney's classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, critic Stephen Schiff says the movie is a powerful story about a girl's sexual awakening--only without the sex. He recommends it for it for viewers of all ages.

Photographer Eve Arnold documented the life of the iconic film actress, but embargoed her photos after Monroe's death. Arnold has now compiled them into a book, called Marilyn Monroe--An Appreciation.

Many viewers think Dennis Franz stole the show with his portrayal of Norman Buntz in Hill Street Blues. He stars in an upcoming comedy spinoff called Beverly Hills Buntz. Franz got his start early on in theater; small film parts later raised his profile as an actor.

Sarah Paretsky's novels feature women detectives who are every bit as tough as their hard-boiled male counterparts. Her work subverts classic tropes of vulnerable virgins and femme fatales. Her newest book is called Bitter Medicine.

Record producer, musician and songwriter Todd Rundgren joins Fresh Air to talk about his career both in-studio and on the concert stage. Recently, he's branched out into television, writing music for Pee Wee's Playhouse.

Jazz critic Francis Davis reviews a 7-LP box set, The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz, which was just reissued with additional tracks. He says the selections, curated by fellow critic Martin Williams, are essential but predictable, and often dismissive of more forward-looking artists.

Critic Pat Aufderheide reviews two new PBS documentaries about the ways Japan struggles to remember the bombing of its two cities.