Terry Gross

Writer Stacy Schiff. She’s the author of “Vera” (now in paperback, Modern Library), about Vera Nabokov, and her 52 year marriage to Russian writer Vladimir Nabokov, the author of “Lolita”. The book is a literary story and a love story, revealing how important Vera was in shaping Nabokov’s work, and how devoted the two were to each other. (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES THRU THE END OF THE SHOW)

Professor of Architecture and Gerontolgy Victor Regnier (Ruh-NEAR) teaches at the University of Southern California. In 1997 he published a book (Assisted Living Housing for the Elderly: Design Innovations from the United States and Europe” (Wiley) comparing the Northern European and U.S. approaches to caring for the elderly. The European model helps the elderly to stay in their homes, with the help of assisted living programs. This week he is presenting a paper on the subject at the AIA (American Institute of Architects) convention in Philadelphia.

Writer Ted Conover (CON-over) spent a year as a prison guard inside New York State’s infamous Sing Sing prison. He wanted to experience first hand the conditions within a prison. He writes about it in his new book “Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing” (Random House). Conover’s previous books chronicled his time spent with illegal aliens (“Coyotes”) and railroad hoboes (“Rolling Nowhere”). Conover is a contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine.

Novelist Francine Prose. Her new book “Blue Angel” (Harper Collins) echoes the title of the film classic about a German teacher who becomes infatuated with a show girl (played by Marlene Dietrich). In Prose’s novel, a creative writing teacher falls in love with his talented student. Recently Prose wrote an article in the New York Times Magazine (Feb 13, 2000) about the problems with cultural programing ‘for women, by women.’

Singer/guitarist Alex Chilton has been playing music for decades. As a teenager he was a member of the Memphis Band Box Tops. He was 16 years old when they recorded their hit, the R&B song “The Letter.” Later with the band “Big Star” he became a underground hero. After dropping out of sight to kick an alcohol addiction, Chilton returned to performing. By then many younger bands, REM and The Bangles, considered him a legend. Chilton’s new release (as a part of a trio) “Set” (bar-none) was recorded on the spur of the moment, and without overdubbing.

Minimalist composer Steve Reich. He's considered one of our foremost living composers. Three of his early recordings have been recently reissued on the new CD: Steve Reich: New York Counterpoint/Eight Lines/Four Organs (Nonesuch). Last year "Reich Remixed" was released, a dance album in which American, British, and Japanese DJ's pay tribute to REICH, by sampling and reassembling his music. Also last year Reich's "Triple Quartet" written for and performed by the Kronos Quartet, had it’s world premiere at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.

Director Sofia Coppola is the daughter of film director Francis Ford Coppola. She’s directed the new film “The Virgin Suicides” based on the novel by Jeffrey Eugenides, about five teenage sisters and the domino effect after the youngest kills herself.

From 1968-1975 “Operation Babylift” took place in Vietnam. Thousands of orphans were evacuated to safety and homes in the U.S. and other countries. The last babylift took place twenty-five years ago in the waning days of the war. A discussion about the effort with: Sister Mary Nelle Gage who took part in the airlifts from 1973 to February 1975. Now she organizes gatherings of those adoptees in the U.S. We also hear from two former orphans: Zachery Hill who is now 26. He was adopted by a family in Atlanta, and Fredo Sieck who is also 26.

Playwright and director George C. Wolfe. He wrote and directed the hit Broadway musical “Jelly's Last Jam,” about Jelly Roll Morton. Wolfe also wrote the play “The Colored Museum,” a satire about the black experience in America. His newest musical is “The Wild Party” based on the long-lost classic poem about the roaring twenties by Joseph Moncure March. (the book was republished in 1994 with drawings by Art Spiegelman). It’s currently playing at the Public Theatre on Broadway.

Australian actress Toni Collette She stars as Queenie, a vaudeville dancer, in “The Wild Party.” Collette is best known for her offbeat role as Muriel in the film “Muriel’s Wedding.” She also had a role in “Velvet Goldmine.” This year she received an academy award nomination for her portrayal of the boy’s mother in “The Sixth Sense.”