Society & Culture

Comic and performance artist Marga Gomez. Her new show is "A Line Around the Block" a solo memoir performance about her father, New York Cuban comedian Willy Chevalier. In 1991 Gomez wrote and performed a piece about her mother a flamboyantly self-dramatizing Puerto Rican dancer, "Memory Tricks." Gomez is performing her new show at The Public Theatre in New York, this month.

Los Angeles prosecutor Christopher Darden. He'd been a Deputy District Attorney with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office for fifteen years before being selected to be on the team that prosecuted O.J. Simpson. He's written his memoir, "In Contempt," (Regan Books, written with Jess Walter.

Reverend Al Sharpton. The controversial advocate for the rights of African Americans has written his autobiography (w/Anthony Walton): "Go and Tell Pharaoh: The Autobiography of The Reverend Al Sharpton." (Doubleday)

Linguist Geoff Nunberg on the long history of the word "suburbs."

Photographer Margaret Morton has a new collection of photographs: "The Tunnel: The Underground Homeless of New York City," (Yale University Press). The community has existed for 20 years. The book's text is taken from the words of the people who live there. Terry also talks with Bob Kalinski who lived underground for eight years, and recently left the tunnel to live in a homeless shelter.

Associate Professor at Columbia University of Public Health Dr. Nahid Toubia. She is from Sudan, and was the first woman surgeon in her country. Toubia is director of "Rainbo" a research and information organization dedicated to the health and human rights of women, particularly women's reproductive and sexual rights. They've begun a campaign against female genital mutilation. Toubia has written a report: "Female Genital Mutilation: A Call for Global Action."

Filmmakers Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Freidman. They've produced a film version of Russo's book, "The Celluloid Closet." The documentary includes film clips and interview with actors, directors, writers and critics.

Film director Joseph Cates. His film "Who Killed Teddy Bear" was made in the mid 1960s. It starred Sal Mineo, Juliet Prowse and Elaine Stritch. The film has recently been re-released. It's been described as a "smorgasbord of Hollywood taboos: voyeurism, pornography, masturbation, incest, child abuse, transvestism, lesbianism." "Who Killed Teddy Bear?" is playing at the Film Forum in New York City, March 8-14.

Editor of Consumer Reports Travel Letter (CRTL), Ed Perkins. He has spent 25 years in travel research and consulting He began editing CRTL, widely known for its objective consumer oriented research. He has a nationally syndicated travel column and has appeared as a travel expert on Good Morning America, The CBS Evening News With Dan Rather, and other TV and radio programs.

Amherst College professor Austin Sarat, a Ph.D. in political science with a law degree from Yale University, is teaching a course on Murder which is the most popular in the school's history--with one fifth of the entire student body enrolled. It breaks the record of a course on Human Sexuality offered in the 70's. The syllabus includes selections from literature, film, and television like "Crime and Punishment," and "Macbeth," as well as "Pulp Fiction," and "Psycho." (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg discusses Gerry Mulligan, jazz, and the use of the world cool.

President of the Social Democratic and Labour Party of Northern Ireland, John Hume. He's been an advocate of nonviolence throughout the 25 years of violence in Ireland. He has received numerous peace and humanitarian awards, has been nominated several times for the Nobel Peace Prize, and is thought to be a leading contender for the award this year. He has a new memoir "A New Ireland: Politics, Peace, and Reconciliation" (Roberts Rinehart Publishers). (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

National Correspondent for U.S. News and World Report Scott Minerbrook. He writes regularly for public radio and his work has appeared in a myriad of publications including The New York Times, and Emerge, where he is a contributing editor. He has received several awards, most recently one from the National Association of Black Journalists. His new book "Divided to the Vein: A Journey into Race and Family" (Harcourt Brace & Co.) discusses the racism he encountered within his own family as the son of a white woman and a black man. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Novelist Stephen McCauley was a yoga instructor and travel agent before writing his first novel, "The Object of My Affection". His newest and third novel is "The Man of the House". (Simon & Schuster)

Commentator Gerald Early puts into historical context Louis Farrakhan's trip to visit various heads of state.

Cultural critic Greil Marcus. He is the author of "The Dustbin of History" (Harvard University Press) about the history embedded in cultural moments. He'll talk with Terry about one of the essays in the book about the song, "Too Soon to Tell," written by Deborah Chessler and recorded by the Orioles in 1948.

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Before and After" the new film starring Meryl Streep and Liam Neeson. . . This will be Stephen's last Fresh Air film review. He'll be going on to a new career in screenwriting. His adaptation for "Lolita" will hit the screen this Fall.

Commentator Gerald Early considers Black History Month.

Nigel Spicer, President of Microsystems Software, Inc. They developed a parental-control software called Cyber Patrol.

Maureen Corrigan review Atticus by Ron Hansen.