Terry Gross

Writer Brendan Gill died Saturday at the age of 83. We'll remember him with a excerpt from a November 1987 interview. He's best known for his work with The New Yorker magazine, for which he was hired in 1936. He wrote 15 books including biographies of Charles Lindberg, Cole Porter, and Tallulah Bankhead, and his best-seller "Here at the New Yorker." He was also an active campaigner for historic preservation in New York City. (REBROADCAST from 11/12/1987)

Will Friedwald has written an encyclopedic guide to the music legacy of Frank Sinatra: "Sinatra! The Song is You: A Singer's Art" (Da Capo Press). The work chronicles Sinatra's five-decade career, drawing on interviews with his many collaborators, and interviews with Sinatra himself, and includes a discography of his well know, as well as little known recordings. Friedwald is also the author of "Jazz Singing." (Originally aired 9/24/97)

Naturalist and biologist Roger Tabor has studied house cats for twenty years. He has prepared television series on felines for the BBC and has written several books on the subject. He is author of "Understanding Cats: Their History, Nature, and Behavior."

Dr. Nicholas Dodman, a veterinary behaviorist, is the author of "The Dog Who Loved Too Much: Tales, Treatments, and the Psychology of Dogs" (Bantam). He describes his own methods for correcting dog behaviors, such as attacking the telephone when it rings or scaring company, and he includes many stories from his own practice.

Film director Martin Scorsese. Shortly before her death, his mother, Catherine Scorsese, published a cookbook of recipes: "Italian-American: The Scorsese Family Cookbook" (Random House). She acted in, and cooked in (on and off-screen) for several of her son's movies. Martin Scorsese will talk about casting his mother in his films and about her book. (Rebroadcast of 2/12/1997)

We remember poet and author Denise Levertov who died on Saturday at the age of 74. Her publisher says the cause was complications from lymphoma. (Rebroadcast of 12/4/1987)

Novelist Russell Banks and Canadian Film Director Atom Egoyan discuss their new film “The Sweet Hereafter”. The film is adapted from Banks’ 1991 novel. It’s the story of how a small town deals with a tragic school bus crash. Banks has written 12 novels which include: “Affliction,” “Rule of the Bone,” “Searching for Survivors,” “The Book of Jamaica,” and “Continental Drift.” Egoyan is best known for “Exotica” a film that won the International Critics Prize for Best Film at the Cannes Film Festival.

Rhythm and Blues singer Ruth Brown. She got her start in the 1940s, and influenced a whole generation of singers including Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Little Richard and Bonnie Raitt. Her hits include "Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean" and "Teardrops From My Eyes." Later she appeared in John Water's film "Hairspray" and in the Broadway hit "Black and Blue." In 1996 her autobiography was published, "Miss Rhythm"(Donald Fine Books) and this year she has a new CD, "R + B = Ruth Brown"

Director John Woo grew up in Hong Kong and directed numerous films there before coming to Hollywood. He has established himself as a master of action thrillers and is known for his elaborate action scenes. Woo also directed the American films “Broken Arrow,” and “Hard Target." "Face/Off," his newest blockbuster film starring John Travolta and Nicholas Cage is out in video. (REBROADCAST from 7/10/97)

Jazz musician Bob Dorough, musical director of the 1970s educational TV series, "School House Rock" and composer of the popular song "Three is a magic number". The CD, "Schoolhouse Rock Rocks", was released with contemporary artists such as Blind Melon, Lemonheads and Pavement, playing the old songs. Also, "School House Rock: The Official Guide". (Hyperion Books) by the creators of the series, Tom Yohe and George Newall. Dorough's latest CD is "Right On My Way Home" (Blue Note) (REBROADCAST from 5/9/96)