Terry Gross

History professor and author R. Laurence Moore. His new book is "Selling God: American Religion in the Marketplace of Culture." (Oxford) Moore explores the relationship between spiritualism and consumerism in this country over a two-century span. He develops his theses with examples from the lives as such American personalities as P. T. Barnum, Cecil B. DeMille and Sylvester Graham, inventor of the Graham cracker.

Journalist and author Allister Sparks. Sparks is a fifth- generation South African. He heads the Johannesburg Institute for the Advancement of Journalism. In 1990, he published his historical study of South Africa called "The Mind of South Africa" (Knopf). His recent piece in "The New Yorker," called "The Secret Revolution" (April 11, 1994, p.56), reveals the little known, behind the scenes drama that started unfolding within South Africa almost 10 years ago.

Musician and television composer Mike Post.

James Fallows. He's the Washington Editor for the "Atlantic Monthly" and the author of a new book, "Looking at the Sun" (Pantheon). Fallows examines new political and economic systems that have arisen in East Asia which challenge Western principles of capitalism and democracy. Fallows argues the impact of Asia on the West has been hidden by America's false perception about the "success" of individual enterprise and rights in the area.

Dumisani Kumalo grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa, and fled the country in the 1970s. Kumal is back in the country to act as a monitor for South Africa's upcoming elections.
Jennifer Irish is a human rights activist who is not optimistic about the elections. Irish is coordinator for the Network of Independent Monitors which is tracking election related violence.

South African writer Gerhard Maré is the author of the biography "Appetite for Power." He discusses the upcoming elections in South Africa.

Jazz pianist Fred Hersch. His new solo album is "Fred Hersch at Maybeck." Hersch recently revealed he is HIV positive and appears on several recordings to fund raise for the disease.

Iain Softley is the writer and director of the film "Backbeat." The film focuses on the early days of The Beatles when Stu Sutcliffe was the bass player.

It's Divine, the late leading lady of John Waters' films. Born Harris Glen Milstead, the 300-pound transvestite passed away in March of 1988, shortly after starring in John Waters' first big budget studio film, "Hairspray." He was 42. Divine was an integral part of Waters' ensemble cast, appearing in all his earlier films except "Desperate Living." Divine and Waters knew each other from childhood. It was Waters' movie "Pink Flamingoes" that made Divine famous, because he ate dog feces (yes, real feces) at the end of the film.

We feature a new interview with John Waters on the day his latest film, "Serial Mom," is released. After the low-budget "Polyester," Waters went to Hollywood to make the big-budget films "Hairspray" and "Cry Baby." Waters still lives in Baltimore, where he was born. "Serial Mom" stars Kathleen Turner and Sam Waterston. Waters is also the author of several books, including "Shock Value" and "Trash Trio."