Terry Gross

Principal dancer for the Houston Ballet, and the first African-American to be a principal dancer, Lauren Anderson. She began studying at the ballet’s academy at the age of 7, and working with Stevenson at the age of 11 when he was hired by the ballet. Stevenson choreographed “Cleopatra,” for her.

Dr. Zahi Hawass (ZA-hee HA-WAAS), Director of excavations at the ancient cemetery at Bahariya Oasis, 200 miles outside Cairo. Known as “the Valley of the Golden Mummies,” this area in Egypt has yielded over 100 mummies just in the last year. Hawass will talk about these recent archaeological discoveries. Hawass also lead the teams that discovered the tombs of the workmen who built the pyramids. His new book is called “Valley of the Golden Mummies” (Harry N. Abrams Inc.) Hawass is currently a visiting professor at University of California at Los Angeles.

The mock rock documentary “This Is Spinal Tap” is being re-released in theatres and new special editions are being released on DVD and VHS. We feature interviews with co-writer and co-star Christopher Guest. (INTERVIEW ARE REBROADCAST FROM 9/14/89)

Journalist Burkgard Bilger. His new book about clandestine Southern traditions is “Noodling For Flatheads: Moonshine, Monster Catfish, and Other Southern Comforts” (Scribner) His article "Enter the Chicken" which originally appeared in Harper's Magazine about cockfighting in Louisiana, is in the new book. (REBROADCAST from 3/9/99)

Whit Stillman is the writer, director and producer of the film "The Last Days of Disco which portrayed the disco scene in New York in late 1970's to the early 1980's. Stillman also wrote and directed the films "Metropolitan" and "Barcelona." His new book is a novel which follows the action of his disco film, “The Last Days of Disco with Cocktails at Petrossian Afterwards” (Farrar, Straus & Giroux). (REBROADCAST from 6/11/98)

Actor Greg Kinnear (kin-EAR). He plays a soap opera star in the new film “Nurse Betty.” Kinnear’s other films include “As Good As It Gets” (for which he was nominated for an Academy Award) and “Sabrina.” Kinnear got his start as host and executive producer of “Talk Soup” on E! Entertainment. Later he hosted his own late-night talk show, “Later with Greg Kinnear.”

The United Nation’s High Commissioner for Human rights, Mary Robinson, and former president of Ireland. She’ll discuss the murders last week of three UN human rights workers in West Timor.

Senator and former presidential candidate John McCain. His book, “Faith of My Fathers: A Family Memoir” (Harper Perennial) is now out in paperback. He’ll discuss his years as a POW, his bid for the presidency, and his endorsement of George W. Bush.

Jazz pianist Keith Jarrett. Called one of the greatest improvisers in the history of jazz, Jarrett was famous for his wildly passionate solo recitals. In 1996, Jarrett came down with a mysterious illness—- an interstitial bacterial parasite-- that caused him to stop performing for about two and a half years. Jarrett has started performing and recording again, but he still keeps a low public profile, so his condition will not worsen again. His newest CD, Whisper Not (Universal Classics), will be released next month.