Terry Gross

Journalist Paul Solotaroff is a former editor at The Village Voice. He's written a new book that follows the progress of a group in therapy in New York City. It's called, "Group: Six People In Search of a Life." (Riverhead Books)

Actor Pierce Brosnan. The actor who is the latest incarnation of James Bond has two new films: 1) "The Thomas Crown Affair" which is a remake of the original Steve McQueen film. It's also produced by Brosnan's production company, Irish Dream Time, and stars Brosnan and actress Rene Russo. 2) "The World is Not Enough" the latest 007 film, to be released in September. Brosnan is a native of Ireland. He was first noticed in the U.S. for his role on "Remington Steele."

Emily Colas' memoir, "Just Checking: Scenes from the Life of an Obsessive-Compulsive." has just been published in paperback by Washington Square Press. In it, she writes about her many worries and fears about germs, and food poisoning, and her compulsion to trace the design of a star in her head, while having conversations with people. Colas eventually was treated for the disorder. This originally aired 8/4/98.

Peter M. Leschak battles forest fires in the Midwest and the West...He’s not a smoke jumper he says, he’s a grunt--hiking to remote locations, putting out fires sometimes on his hands and knees-spark by spark. His newest book is "Rogues and Toads" which is a collection of his poetry from North Star Press. He has written about his experiences fighting fires in numerous books including " Hellroaring. . He lives in Sidelake, Minnesota. This originally aired 3/9/95.

Terry Gross's interview with French screenwriter and director Francis Veber. He's best known for his farcical french comedies "La Cage Aux Folles" and "The Tall Blonde with One Black Shoe" (which he collaborated on with the director). His latest comedy, "The Dinner Game," was a hit last year in France and is now in the U.S. This year VEBER was honored with a career tribute at the Cannes Film Festival.

Writer Andrew Smith has written a new book about the food that is a staple at movie theatres - popcorn. It's called "Popped Culture: A Social History of Popcorn in America" (University of South Carolina Press).

Film translator Henri Behar is one of the most sought-after subtitlers in the business. He's subtitled over 100 films, mostly from English to French, but also from French to English. He's subtitled films by Woody Allen, David Mamet, and Spike Lee. Recently he subtitled "Shakespeare in Love," and "Halloween 2." For over 10 years he's also served as moderator at the Cannes Festival press conferences. And he co-wrote the book "Hollywood on the Riviera: The Inside Story of the Cannes Film Festival." (William Morrow, 1992).

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson. She is also former President of Ireland. Robinson visited Sierra Leone recently. She warned that the United Nations will not recognize the amnesty, brokered in the peace accord, as applying to gross violations of human rights.

Human rights activist and pro-democracy leader in Sierra Leone, Zainab Bangura ("ZI-nahb Bahn-gurrah"). She's been threatened both by the government and by the rebels because of her outspokenness.

Birder and naturalist Scott Weidensaul author of "Living on the Wind" (North Point Press) discusses the habits of migratory birds, what makes them do what they do, and how they're able to do it.