Terry Gross

Writer/Director Richard Linklater's film, A Scanner Darkly, is now out on DVD. Based on the book by Philip K. Dick, about drug addiction, paranoia and surveillance, it stars Robert Downey Jr., and Keanu Reeves. Linklater is a self-taught director and his other films include Slacker, Dazed & Confused and The School of Rock. This interview originally aired on Jul. 10, 2006.

Novelist Robert Stone has written a new memoir that begins with a stint in the Navy in the late 1950s, continues through his work as a journalist in Vietnam and then includes his counterculture years in the 1970s, taking hallucinogenic drugs, cross-country road trips, and hanging out with Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters. His memoir is, Prime Green: Remembering the Sixties. Stone's novels include Dog Soldiers (which was adapted into the film Who'll Stop the Rain), and Outerbridge Reach.

Writer Stefan Kanfer. His new book is “Stardust Lost: The Triumph, Tragedy, and Mishugas of the Yiddish Theater in America.” It’s about the glory days of Yiddish theater in the late 19th and early 20th century. Kanfer was a writer and editor at Time magazine for 20 years and is the author of many books including biographies of Lucille Ball and Groucho Marx.

Journalist Jody Rosen. He’s put together an album called “Jewface” (Reboot Stereophonic Records). It’s the first anthology of Jewish minstrel songs. Tracks include “Cohen Owes Me 97 Dollars,” “I’m a Yiddish Cowboy” and other long lost hits from the vaudeville stage of the early 20th century. Rosen is the music critic for Slate.com and also writes for The Nation. He’s the author of the book “White Christmas: The Story of an American Song.”

Songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen. His latest volume of poetry is called “Book of Longing.” He’s also working on an upcoming album. Cohen’s poetry career began 50 years ago with the 1956 publication of “Let Us Compare Mythologies.” Cohen is also known for his deep voice and slow phrasing of songs that straddle the folk-rock fence. He’s made 17 albums. The latest is “Dear Heather” (2004). He also appeared in the 2005 feature length documentary, “Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man,” which is now out on DVD.

Born James Jewell Osterburg, Jr., he took the name Iggy while in a high school band. His career began in the late 1960s with the band The Stooges who put out two influential albums that were not great sellers. The band eventually broke up, and Pop went solo. His albums include Fun House, Raw Power, Sister Midnight and Avenue B. Pop has influenced countless rock, pop, heavy metal and garage bands, and his work was collected in last year's album, A Million in Prizes: The Iggy Pop Anthology. This interview originally aired on Jul. 14, 2006.

Thom Yorke is the lead singer and songwriter of the band Radiohead which has released six critically acclaimed records and explored the boundaries between rock and electronic music. Spin magazine named Radiohead's OK Computer the number one album of the past twenty years. Thom Yorke's new solo CD The Eraser is his first release without the band. This interview originally aired on Jul. 12, 2006.

Singer and songwriter Stuart Murdoch is the front man of the indie pop band from Scotland, Belle & Sebastian. The seven-member band includes a guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, violinist, cellist, drummer and trumpeter. This year they completed their seventh album, The Life Pursuit. When they began a decade ago the band released only singles, refused to speak to the press, or to appear in press photos. This interview originally aired on Mar. 6, 2006.