Terry Gross

Dr. David Eisenberg is Director of the Beth Israel Center for Alternative Medicine Research. He is also a member of the National Institute of Health's Alternative Medicine Program Advisory Council. He'll discuss the Center's research on the use of alternative therapies, such as chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, and homeopathy.

Playwright David Henry Hwang (pronounced "Wong"). He received numerous awards for his Broadway debut "M. Butterfly." His newest production "Golden Child" about the struggle between tradition and change in a family in 1918 China, opens on Broadway in April. It received a 1997 Obie Award. (Interview by Babara Bogaev)

Writer Dorothy Allison. Her bestselling novel "Bastard Out of Carolina," was about a poor South Carolina family's violence and incest, and was largely autobiographical. She says that she doesn't like most abuse literature because it tends to eroticize abuse. Allison has also written a book of short stories called "Trash" and a book of poems called "The Women Who Hate Me." Allison's new novel is "Cavedweller" (A Dutton Book) (Interview by Barbara Bogaev)

Film critic Neal Gabler is the author of the book, "An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood," which examined how a group of Jewish European emigrees -- who became Hollywood's movie moguls -- created the screen's idea of the American Dream, and how America adopted that dream. There's a new documentary based on the book, "Hollywoodism: Jews, Movies and the American Dream." On the A&E cable network, Sunday at 8pm. (REBROADCAST from 10/11/88)

Pianist Marian McPartland, host of Marian McPartland's piano jazz will celebrate her 80th birthday in a live broadcast from New York City, Saturday night. We'll rebroadcast Terry's interview with her. (REBROADCAST from 9/8/87)

Actor Peter Fonda. He's been nominated this year for an Oscar for his performance in "Ulee's Gold." The son of actor Henry Fonda, he's best known for his role in the cult classic "Easy Rider." He's written his memoir, "Don't Tell Dad" (Hyperion

Wall Street Journal reporter Tony Horwitz has written "Confederates In The Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War". It is published by Pantheon. Horwitz explores the subculture of Civil War re-enactment fanatics. Many of these wannabe rebels will run barefoot, sleep in the rain, and starve themselves to recreate the conditions of battle to get a "period rush". Horwitz won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting at the Wall Street Journal and is the author of "Baghdad Without a Map" and "One for the Road".

Edward Ball has written about his family's role in American Slavery. His book is "Slaves in the Family" which is published by Farrar, Strauss and Giroux. Ball traced his family's history and learned that over six generations his family controlled more than 20 plantations and over four-thousand slaves.

Lawrence Wright has just written the new book "Twins and What They Tell Us About Who We Are". It is published by Wiley. In his book, he explores how research on twins is helping us understand how genetics shapes our lives. Wright is a staff writer for the New Yorker. (Interview with Barbara Bogaev)

Fauziya Kassindja and Layli Miller Bashir have co-written "Do They Hear You When You Cry". It is published by Delacorte Press. The book is based on their experience. Kassindja fled Toga, Africa to escape female genital mutilation. Bashir as a law student fought for Kassindja's freedom. Bashir is the founder of Tahirih Justice Center, which assist women facing human rights abuses.