Terry Gross

Her new book (with co-author Lou Dubose) is Bushwhacked: Life in George W. Bush's America. Her stories have appeared in Esquire, The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times Magazine and The Nation. Her other books include Shrub, about presidential candidate Bush, and Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She?

In addition to heading the National Endowment for the Arts, Gioia (pronounced JOY-ah) is the author of several collections of poetry, including Interrogations at Noon. He has also translated the poetry of Italian Nobel Prize winner Eugenio Montale. Before he quit to become a poet, Gioia was a vice president at General Foods.

Otherwise known as Bette Midler, she made a name for herself in the early 1970s at New York's Continental Baths, a club for gay men. Since then she's been nominated for two Academy Awards and earned Emmy and Grammy awards. She has a new CD, Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook. It's produced by, and features duets with, Barry Manilow.

He died of cancer Saturday, Sept. 27. He was best known for his groundbreaking 1950s work in the Rock 'n' Roll Trio and recorded many rockabilly classics including: Tear It Up, Honey Hush, Lonesome Train (On a Lonesome Track) and The Train Kept A-Rollin'.

Norquist is president of Americans for Tax Reform. He's credited with helping President Bush formulate his administration's tax plan.

Journalist Joshua Hammer is Jerusalem bureau chief for Newsweek. His new book is called A Season in Bethlehem: Unholy War in a Sacred Place. Hammer stayed in Bethlehem for two years and writes about the Israelis and Palestinians living there. The book includes Hammer's account of the 2002 siege of the Church of the Nativity. The standoff between the Palestinians and Israeli military forces lasted over a month.

She is the widow of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped then killed by militant Islamists in 2002. Before Daniel was abducted, the Pearls were both foreign correspondents, reporting from Pakistan. She has a new memoir.

She stars in the new film Casa de Los Babys, by director John Sayles. She received a Golden Globe nomination for her starring role in the film Secretary. Her other films include Adaptation and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.