Terry Gross

Health care reporter Laurie Kaye Abraham. For her new book, "Mama Might Be Better Off Dead: the Failure of Health Care in Urban America" (U of Chicago), Abraham spent three years with a poor African American family studying the problem of lack of access to medical care. Abraham reveals how difficult it is for a poor family to make sense of Medicaid and Medicare, and the discrimination that blacks face in trying to find health care.

The four-man comedy troupe The Firesign Theatre. The Firesigns created satire out of the political and civil upsets of the late 1960's, drawing big underground radio and college campus audiences. Now, more than ten years since the last tour, The Firesign Theatre is making a comeback. Known for their eclectic comedy routines, they're celebrating their 25th anniversary with a reunion tour.

Writer Walter Mosley His first book, "Devil In A Blue Dress," (Norton) is a hard-boiled detective story starring a black gumshoe up against white prejudice. Mosley's mysteries are loosely based on stories his father told him about black culture the 1940's. His latest book is called "A Red Death" (Thorndike). (REBROADCAST FROM 6/8/90)

Detective writer Mickey Spillane. One of the world's most popular writers of the hard-boiled private investigator genre. His most famous character is Mike Hammer. In 1989, Spillane wrote his first Mike Hammer story in 19 years. Spillane's latest book is called "Big Kill." Last year his book "My Gun is Quick" (Chivers North America), first published in 1950, was reprinted. (REBROADCAST FROM 11/22/89)

Irish writer and journalist Tim Pat Coogan. In the expanded edition of his twenty-some year old book, "The IRA: A History" (Roberts Rinehart), Coogan explains the historical background of the Irish struggles. For hundreds of years the Irish Republican Army has been fighting for home rule in Northern Ireland...their latest attack was a massive bombing of London last April. "The IRA: A History," is being released for the first time in the U.S., thought it's been required reading for British and Irish Military officers alike.

Photographer J.S. Cartier. A native to France, Cartier and his wife, Anna, returned to France and Belgium to take photographs for their "Western Front Project." Seventy-five years after the end of the First World War, the remaining vestiges and veterans are few, and vanishing quickly. For two years the Cartiers traveled "The Western Front," talking with villagers and veterans, and documenting the remaining traces of the war.

Comedian and actor Jerry Stiller. He's currently playing George Costanza's father on this season's "Seinfeld" show. Stiller got his start in standup comedy with his wife Anne Meara as The Stillers, the befuddled jewish guy and the heart-of-gold Irish girl. They performed for nine years on the Ed Sullivan Show, and did popular radio spots for Blue Nun wine and other TV shows and specials.

Director Brian De Palma. Now 53, he's the son of a orthopedic surgeon in Philadelphia, and sometimes watched his father's surgeries. Perhaps this explains the frequent depiction of blood and violence in many of his films, which include "Carrie", "Dressed to Kill", "The Fury", and "Scarface". His thrillers were often compared with those of Hitchcock.

From 1953 until 1989 Helen Suzman served as an Opposition Member of the South African Parliament. Suzman was a pioneering political leader in the fight against apartheid and anti-semitism. For thirteen years she was the sole representative in the Parliament to reject race discrimination.

Israeli peace activist and novelist Amos Oz. He lived on a kibbutz for many years and is a veteran of the Six-Day War in 1967 and the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Oz is a leading acivist for peace between the Arabs and the Israelis. His new book is called "Fima" (Harcourt Brace), he has written eleven novels in all. Amos Oz received the German Publishers Peace Prize in 1992.