Kirn was raised a Mormon on a Minnesota farm, and has been an editor for "Vanity Fair" and "Spy" magazines. His first collection of stories, "My Hard Bargain," was published two years ago. His most recent book, "She Needed Me," is about religion and redemption.
Pekarkova emigrated from Czechoslovakia in 1985. She has worked in New York as a cab driver for four years. Her novel "Truck Stop Rainbows: A Road Novel," was published this year. lt deals with a rebellious young woman in communist Czechoslovakia who hitchhikes around the country, trying to raise money to buy a wheelchair for her invalid friend.
John Leonard reviews Ellroy's "White Jazz," the final installment of his tetralogy of crime novels. The story reveals the darkest elements of Los Angeles life in the 1950s.
Schwarzkopf commanded American troops in the Mideast during the Gulf War. He's got a new memoir, "It Doesn't Take a Hero," in which he claims "hawks" in the Bush administration pushed to start a land offensive against Iraq before troops were ready and diplomatic efforts were exhausted.
Professor of Political Science John Schwarz of the University of Arizona has just co-written a new book called "The Forgotten Americans: Thirty Million Working Poor in the Land of Opportunity." The authors challenge conventional wisdom: they found that the working poor are neither uneducated nor unskilled, that they encompass all age, ethnic, and racial groups in the U.S.; and that the situation can't necessarily be blamed on declines in domestic manufacturing or decreases in industrial productivity.
A liberal in his early years, Will joined the conservative camp while studying at Oxford. He is regarded as one the most intellectual conservative thinkers in his field. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1977. His most recent book is "Restoration," which argues that term limits for Congresspeople could improve the legislative process and discourage a divided government.
English actress Helen Mirren. She stars in "Prime Suspect," a three-part thriller premiering this week on public television's "Mystery" series. Mirren has preformed with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and the films "The Comfort of Strangers," "Age of Consent," "The Long Good Friday," and "Excalibur."
Stiller is the son of the comedy team of Jerry Stiller & Anne Meara. He's acted in the Lincoln Center's revival of "House of Blue Leaves," and appeared in the films, "Fresh Horses," "Stella," and "Empire of the Son." He's got a new comedy show "The Ben Stiller Show," which grew out of his work as a writer-performer with "Saturday Night Live."
Holland made the critically acclaimed and controversial film, "Europa Europa." Her latest film is "Olivier, Olivier," about a woman reunited with her son six years after he disappeared at the age of nine. Many of her movies deal with the life of Polish Jews, especially during World War II.
Judis was a radical in the Sixties, and came to appreciate the intellectualism and dialogue in the conservative movement, a topic he pursued as a journalist. He considers the current splintering of that movement, and where President Bush fits in.
Sinise was a founding member of Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater Company and is best known for his starring role in the Tony-award winning production of "The Grapes of Wrath." Sinise's latest project is as producer, director, and star of the new film "Of Mice and Men," which also stars John Malkovich. The screenplay, written by Horton Foote, is based on the John Steinbeck novel.
Fresh Air producer Amy Salit interviews Linda McCartney. She has a new book of photographs, "Linda McCartney's Sixties: Portrait of An Era." The book is a collection of photographs taken of rock groups and personalities from the decade. She's married to Beatles' bassist Paul McCartney.
Incumbent Republican Senator Arlen Specter for the State of Pennsylvania. He's up for re-election this year, running against Lynn Yeakel. Yeakel has never served in public office, but says she was inspired to run after Specter's questioning of Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings.
Rothfeder has just written a new book called "Privacy for Sale: How Computerization Has Made Everyone's Private Life an Open Secret." Using Dan Quayle and Dan Rather as examples, Rothfeder shows how easy it is to get access to a person's personal life -- such as a their birthdate, unlisted phone number, financial status, health status, and even what prescription drugs you take and where you shop -- all through a computer.
Rhodes won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for his book, "The Making of the Atomic Bomb." His book, "A Hole in the World," an account of his abused childhood, was critically acclaimed. His new book, "Making Love," is a sexual autobiography, an account of how he used sex to help him work through the trauma of child abuse. It's been called, "A stunning act of self-revelation, bound to create a stir."
TV critic David Bianculli reviews the season opener of "Murphy Brown," and he previews the premiere of "Mad About You," which he says is the best of all the new fall shows.
