Terry Gross

Head of Afghanistan’s Human Rights Commission, Dr. Sima Samar. She was appointed to the position in July. Previously she served as the country’s first Minister for Women’s Affairs appointed by the interim Afghan government. Dr. Samar is an internationally-renowned feminist and human rights activist. Samar defied the Taliban and continued to operate schools for girls and health clinics in Afghanistan’s provinces and refugee camps in Pakistan. Samar was born in Ghazani, Afghanistan and is a Hazara, one of the most persecuted of the ethnic minorities.

Journalist Gershom Gorenberg is an associate editor and columnist for The Jerusalem Report and a regular contributor to The New Republic. He's the author of The End of Days: Fundamentalism and the Struggle for the Temple Mount

Novelist Tim LaHaye is the co-author of the popular Left Behind series. The books are apocalyptic Christian thrillers. The tenth and latest book is The Remnant, which debuted at the top of the New York Times bestseller list. LaHaye is also the former co-chairman of Jack Kemp's presidential campaign, was on the original board of directors of the Moral Majority and was an organizer of the Council for National Policy which has been called "the most powerful conservative organization in America you've never heard of."

Co-executive producer, star and writer of the HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm — Larry David. The show just began its third season. David was also the co-creator, former executive producer and one of the writers of Seinfeld. David was the basis for the "George" character — Jerry Seinfeld's neurotic best friend. David was a writer for Saturday Night Live and the short-lived ABC late-night series, Fridays. This interview first aired Jan. 2, 1991.

Christopher Lloyd is the executive producer of the TV show Frasier. The show debuted in 1993 and since then has won many awards including the Peabody. The book, The Frasier Scripts collects 15 of the staff's favorite shows. This interview first aired Feb. 24, 2000.

Standup comic Bernie Mac. His sitcom The Bernie Mac Show on the FOX network is loosely based on his own experience when he took care of his sister's three children. It begins its new season on Oct. 30th. This year the show won the prestigious Peabody Award for Broadcast Excellence. Mac has had several HBO specials and was featured in Spike Lee's documentary Kings of Comedy. Mac is also the author of Bernie Mac on How Life Is: I Ain't Scared of You. This interview first aired Nov. 27, 2001.

Father Donald Cozzens is the author of the new book Sacred Silence: Denial and the Crisis in the Church (Liturgical Press). Father Cozzens is president-rector and professor of pastoral theology at Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology in Cleveland. He is also editor of The Spirituality of the Diocesan Priest. His previous book is The Changing Face of the Priesthood: A Reflection on the Priest's Crisis of Soul.

Singer/songwriter, guitarist Richard Thompson. He first became known for his work with "Fairport Convention." He's since gone solo and is known for his dark songs, which blend elements of British folk ballads and the blues. He's released a number of solo albums, including Mirror Blue and Rumor and Sigh. Rykodisc also compiled a retrospective of his work Watching the Dark: The History of Richard Thompson. Currently, Thompson is performing a show he calls "A Thousand Years of Pop Music," which includes British and American folk songs, jazz and pop.

Saxophonist Branford Marsalis. He's just released "Footsteps of Our Fathers," the debut release on the artist's own Marsalis Music label. In the nearly two decades that he has released solo albums, he's won two Grammy Awards and was nominated for a third in 1995. He was the first band leader for Jay Leno's "The Tonight Show" and appeared on the show from 1992-1995. In addition to the solo and ensemble records he's released, Marsalis has participated in various film scores as both composer and featured soloist.