Terry Gross

Brian Whitaker is the Middle East editor for the British newspaper The Guardian, and his new book is Unspeakable Love: Gay and Lesbian Life in the Middle East. Whitaker also runs the al-Bab Web site, which aims to provide Arab cultural and political information to non-Arabs.

Israeli gay rights activist Noa Sattath is the executive director of Jerusalem Open House, an organization devoted to fostering gay pride. Last month, the city hosted WorldPride 2006: Love Without Borders, an international pride gathering. A gay pride rally was held at a university stadium in Jerusalem under tight security. A march was planned but did not take place.

Musicians Chris Gaffney and Dave Gonzalez of the Hacienda Brothers discuss their new album, What's Wrong with Right. The band, based in Tuscon, Arizona, blends country and rhythm and blues, and 'What's Wrong with Right' is a mix of original songs and covers. Their producer is the legendary Dan Penn.

Since 2004, journalist Huda Ahmed has been covering the war in Iraq for the McClatchy (formerly Knight Ridder) News Service. This spring, she was awarded the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship by the International Women's Media Foundation. The fellowship is named for Boston Globe reporter Elizabeth Neuffer, who was killed while on assignment in Iraq. Ahmed has written about the issues of women and children in a war zone, human rights abuses and the struggle of women in a Muslim society, and will discuss the particular dangers of covering the war in Iraq.

Timothy Egan is the author of the book The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl. Now out in paperback, the book was awarded the National Book Award for nonfiction. Egan is a national enterprise reporter for the New York Times, and was part of the team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2001 for a series on race in America.

Journalist Stephen Kiernan's new book is Last Rights: Rescuing the End of Life from the Medical System. Kiernan writes that doctors are not well-trained in end of life procedures, and that half of those who die in hospitals suffer untreated pain, while those in nursing homes risk abuse and personal bankruptcy. Based in New England, Kiernan has written for the Boston Globe, the Burlington Free Press and other publications. He received the George Polk Award for medical reporting and the Joseph Breckner Center's Freedom of Information Award.

Actor John C. Reilly co-stars in the hit film Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby with Will Ferrell, which will soon be released on video. Probably best known for his association with writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson in the films Hard 8, Boogie Nights and Magnolia, Reilly got his start with the Chicago-based drama troupe The Steppenwolf Theatre. His other films include The Perfect Storm, Dolores Claiborne, The Thin Red Line, Chicago and The Aviator. This interview originally aired on Aug. 7, 2006.

Jazz singer Anita O'Day died last week of a heart attack at the age of 87. She was known for her distinctive legato style, the result of a botched childhood tonsillectomy that left her without vibrato. O'Day made her name with the bands of Gene Krupa and Stan Kenton, and later had success as a solo performer.

Nicholas Blanford is the Beirut correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor. His new book, Killing Mr. Lebanon, is about the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.