Terry Gross

Dibango is considered one of the founders of world music. His first album, "Soul Makossa," was a big hit in 1973. His latest album is called "Wakafrika" and blends traditionally African music with European pop. This album features such artists as Youssou N'Dour, Peter Gabriel and Sinead O'Connor. His new autobiography is "Three Kilos of Coffee."

Susan Walker is refugee specialist working with Physicians for Human Rights, an organization of health professionals which investigates and tries to prevent violations of international human rights law. She was recently a member of a team that conducted an "early warning" assessment of Burundi, the country which borders Rwanda. The team warns that Burundi may soon face a bloody civil conflict similar to Rwanda's.

The drummer and lead vocalist's Arkansas roots gave the Canadian group an American folk sound. In the 1960's The Band got it's start backing Bob Dylan. They went on their own in 1968 with "Music From Big Pink." The Band's most recent album is called "Jericho." They're playing Woodstock this weekend, and will then continue to tour.

Baez was leading figure in the heyday of the Greenwich Village folk scene. She has continued to use her music in the service of various political causes, including a number of human rights organizations. In 1987, she published an autobiography called "And a Voice to Sing with: A Memoir." Most recently, Baez has performed at the Amnesty International's "Conspiracy of Hope" and "Human Rights Now!" concerts, and has been involved in human rights work for Bosnia. Her latest album is called "Play Me Backwards."

The two musicians are two-thirds of the rock group Crosby, Stills, and Nash. The trio is celebrating their 21st year together with a 70 city concert tour and a new album, called "Live It Up."

Marty Moss-Coane talks to the Turki about his youth in Palestine and how the Israeli-Arab conflict influence his politics. His new book is called "Exile's Return." Turki now lives in the United States.

DeMent's music combines country and folk. Her latest album is called "My Life." She draws from her and her family's life experiences growing up in rural Arkansas, and Southern California. Her first album, "Infamous Angel' was released in 1992. Some of the music from it is used in the recent movie, "LIttle Buddha."

O'Brien spent twenty years as a reporter for the Chicago Sun Times. In 1988, she worked as Michael Dukakis' press secretary when he ran for president. She now writes novels; her latest is called "The Ladies Lunch," about a group of Washington women who meet weekly for lunch, until one of their group, the White House press secretary, dies a violent and mysterious death.

A broadcast of a panel held at New York University in April called "Cops and Writers: Crime and Punishment in Literature and Real Life." The panel, sponsored by the PEN American Center and The New York Review of Books, features police officials and writers, including crime writer Walter Mosley and author Joyce Carol Oates. The panel focuses on the fine line between crime fiction and crime reality. The writers talk about the fact that crime novelists generally draw on real criminals and real crimes to create their characters and plot.