Terry Gross

In her new memoir, Dreamgirl, singer Mary Wilson outlines the history of the girl group, including their contentious legal and financial relationship with Motown Records.

The Philadelphia-based musician didn't begin playing his instrument until he was 22, after serving in the Air Force as a fighter pilot. He describes his first 10 years performing with jazz legends as his version of going to school.

Film director John Waters has cultivated a second career as a writer. His newest collection of essays is called Crackpot. He joins Fresh Air to talk about his television watching and filmgoing habits, and to discuss some of his favorite recent releases. Listeners call in with their questions.

Dick Cavett began his career writing jokes for Jack Parr and Johnny Carson. As a television talk show host, he is known for his esoteric guest and intellectual style.

John Houseman has had an illustrious career as an actor and producer of film, television, and radio. He is known for bringing Shakespeare to diverse audiences via Broadway, the Federal Theater Project, and film adaptations of the playwright's work.

Deborah Eisenberg began writing short fiction in her 30s, without any formal training, while she worked as a waitress. Her first collection, Transactions in a Foreign Currency, received critical acclaim.

Film critic Roger Ebert returns to Fresh Air to discuss the impact VCRs and the home video market has affected an audience's movie watching habits--a topic he explores in the book Roger Ebert's Movie Home Companion. The newest iteration of his television show with fellow critic Gene Siskel is called At the Movies. Fresh Air listeners call in with their questions.

Anne Rice latest installment in her Vampire Chronicles series, The Vampire Lestat, continues the story of the titular protagonist, who first appeared in Interview with the Vampire.

The singer and pianist perform classic American popular songs for a live studio audience. They talk to Fresh Air producer and guest host Amy Salit about what makes some popular music endure.

Anand Nagar, which translates into the City of Joy, is one of the most densely-populated slums in Calcutta. In order to learn more about how people survive in dire poverty, French writer Dominique LaPierre and his wife lived in a hovel alongside the neighborhood's residents. His book about the experience, called The City of Joy, has just been released in paperback.