Terry Gross

Poet and novelist Carol Muske-Dukes founded the University of Southern California's doctoral program in literature and creative writing; she's written three novels and seven collections of poetry, been a National Book Award finalist and received a Guggenheim fellowship.

British singer-songwriter Bryan Ferry is probably best known as the frontman for Roxy Music, the experimental synth-pop band he founded in 1971.

But over the years, in between his Roxy music, he's recorded albums devoted to songwriters he admires.

The latest? It features his takes on tunes from "Simple Twist of Fate" to "Make You Feel My Love," and it's called Dylanesque.

Singer Mary Weiss first found fame as a member of the Shangri-Las, with hits like "Leader of the Pack." In March, she recorded Dangerous Game, her first album of new material since 1965. This interview was first broadcast March 7, 2007.

This year is Neil Sedaka's 50th in the music business. He was part of the original creators of the Brill Building Sound of the late '50s and early '60s, writing hits for Connie Francis and other artists. Then came a string of hits he performed himself, from "Calendar Girl" to "Laughter in the Rain." This interview was first broadcast April 16, 2007.

Comedian and actor Patton Oswalt stars in Ratatouille, the new animated feature from Pixar. He's also a writer and stand-up comic, who starred in his own comedy specials and appeared in the TV shows The King of Queens and Reno 911! He'll release a new comedy album, called Werewolves and Lollipops, on July 10.

Singer Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, who helped bridge '50s doo-wop and '60s rock 'n' roll, are celebrated in a new four-CD box set called Jersey Beat. The group released two dozen Top 40 hits, including "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Sherry" and "Walk Like a Man." Jersey Boys, the Tony Award winning Broadway musical, is based on the lives of the Four Seasons.

Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter Linda Greenhouse, who's been covering the United States Supreme Court since 1978, talks about the just-concluded court term, the landmark decisions handed down last week, and issues facing the court in its next session.

Singer-songwriter Paul Simon, recipient of the first annual Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, began his career in 1964 as half of the '60s folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, delivering classics like "The Sound of Silence" and "Mrs. Robinson."

He went on to a successful solo career, with hits including Graceland, "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," and "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard." He's written film soundtracks and Broadway shows, and has even done some acting.

Illinois farmer John Peterson grew up on the farm, took it over after his father's death, and lost most of it in the '80s, when the bank foreclosed on his loans. Later, during the 90s, he turned the place into a community-supported agriculture venture producing organic food.

Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times correspondent Tim Weiner discusses his book Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA. Weiner did extensive archival research and conducted interviews with CIA insiders, including former chiefs Richard Helms and Stansfield Turner.