Terry Gross

Actress Diane Lane co-stars with Adrian Brody, Ben Affleck and Bob Hoskins in the new film Hollywoodland. The film is based on the real-life mystery surrounding the death of actor George Reeves, who played Superman on TV.

Journalist Wayne Slater has written extensively about the influence of Karl Rove on President Bush. His new book is The Architect: Karl Rove and The Master Plan for Absolute Power. Rove has been involved with the Bush family for nearly 30 years and worked with George W. Bush on every one of his campaigns.

Trumpeter, composer, and arranger Gerald Wilson turned 88 years old Monday. He grew up in Mississippi, and got his start playing with Jimmy Lunceford's band in New York City. He later worked with Benny Carter's band and formed his own. As a composer-arranger, he worked for the Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie bands. And he accompanied Billie Holiday on her tour of the South in 1949. He's arranged music for Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Sarah Vaughan, Bobby Darin, and Carmen McRae. His most recent CD was released last year, In My Time.

Writer Jonathan Franzen's massive 2001 bestseller The Corrections was based, in part, on his own life. His new book is a memoir, The Discomfort Zone: A Personal History. Franzen's other books include The Twenty-Seventh City, Strong Motion and How to be Alone.

This summer, at age 53, Texas singer James Hand released his debut album, The Truth Will Set You Free. Hand has been singing and playing for nearly four decades, but he performs mostly in small-town dives. When he's not singing, Hand works as a horse trainer. He has been compared to Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell. (Original airdate: 6/20/06)

Country music singer and songwriter Willie Nelson's newest book is The Tao of Willie: A Guide to the Happiness in Your Heart. Nelson, who has been performing for more than 50 years, has recorded 250 albums and appeared in 25 films. (Original airdate: 5/25/06)

Singer-songwriter Billy Joe Shaver's life has been a rough road. Shaver became famous in the 1970s as the songwriter for the so-called "country music outlaws," including Waylon Jennings. This interview originally aired July 13, 2005.

Singer-songwriter Billy Joe Shaver's life has been a rough road. Shaver became famous in the 1970s as the songwriter for the so-called "country music outlaws," including Waylon Jennings. This interview originally aired July 13, 2005.

A compelling father-and-son story, country musicians Wayne and Darrell Scott inspire each other. Darrell Scott's most recent CD is The Invisible Man. And last year, he persuaded his father, Wayne Scott, to record his own debut album of original songs — at age 71. It's called This Weary Way. (Original air date: July 3, 2006)

We kick off our series on country music in time for the Labor Day holiday with Martie Maguire, Emily Robison and Natalie Maines. They are considered the biggest-selling female band in history, but found themselves boycotted in 2003 when Maines made an off-the-cuff remark about President Bush on the eve of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. In June, they released their first CD in three years, Taking the Long Way. (Original air date: June 6, 2006)