Terry Gross

Writer and Vietnam veteran Lewis Puller's Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir, "Fortunate Son," is now out in paperback. His father, Chesty Puller, was a famous Marine. Lewis also joined the Marines in 1967, and was badly wounded in Vietnam.

Child Psychologist and an expert on how chronic violence affects a child's growth and development James Garbarino. He's just co-authored a new book, "Children in Danger: Coping with the Consequences of Community Violence," about the children who grow up in the "war zones" of cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. Garbarino has also co-authored, "No Place to be a Child: Growing Up in a War Zone, and is president of the Erikson Institute for Advanced Study in Child Development.

Guest host Marty Moss-Coane talks with three young drug dealers from Camden, New Jersey. They're members of the 6th and Ferry gang, and go by aliases: Eddie Bauer, 16 years old, Kevin Madison, 20, and Sampson Riley, 18.

President of the all-women's, HBCU Spelman College, Johnnetta Cole was recently head of the Clinton transition team's education group, and was at one time considered as a possible secretary of education. She has a new book, "Conversations: Straight Talk with America's Sister President."

New York Times reporter Chris Hedges is based in Cairo, where he covers the Middle East. Terry will talk with him about the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in countries like Sudan, Algeria, Egypt, and Jordan. She'll also talk with Hedges bout being held captive at the end of the Gulf War by Saddam's Republican Guard. He was held along with NPR's Neil Conan.

Journalist Erik Larson's article, "The Story of a Gun," is the cover story on this month's issue of "The Atlantic." It tells the tale of what happens with a gun, beginning with the maker, to the dealer, and to the murderer who uses it. Larson claims there is a de facto conspiracy of gun dealers, gun manufacturers, and federal regulators, "which makes guns all too easy to come by and virtually assures their eventual use in the bedrooms, alleys, and school yards of America."

A pioneer in brain and memory research, Dr. Daniel Alkon has written a new book, called "Memory's Voice: Deciphering the Mind-Brain Code." He uses the example of one disturbed person to look at how the brain remembers -- a childhood friend who was abused by her father and emotionally scarred. Alton suggests that people like his friend never complely unlearn behavior brought upon by such traumas, and that the impressions made on a child's memory will permanently linger in the complexes of the brain.

Actor, writer, and Monthy Python member John Cleese suffered from depression and sought therapy from Robin Skynner. In 1983, the two released a co-written book called Families and How to Survive Them. They're collaborating on new book about mental health. Cleese also runs a video production company specializing in instructional films.

Paul shaped much of the sound of rock and roll. He invented the electric pickup, the device that made the electric guitar possible. He also pioneered the first multi-track recorder, and his innovations established the recording studio itself as a legitimate musical instrument. Gibson has sold guitars designed by Les Paul since the early 50s; vintage models are now worth thousands of dollars. Paul also had many top 40 hits in the 50s and his own TV show. There's a new boxed set of his music, called "Les Paul: The Legend and the Legacy."

To conclude our final broadcast of 1992, we're replaying part of a 1987 Fresh Air performance by jazz pianist and singer Jay McShann.