Terry Gross

New York Times columnist William Geist, who wrote the paper's popular "About New York" column. He has collected his favorite columns in a book titled City Slickers. Geist recently left the Times and is now a contributor for the CBS News show, "CBS Sunday Morning."

CBS News Producer Leslie Cockburn. Since 1984, she has covered the United States' involvement with the Nicaraguan Contras. Her reports have aired on "60 Minutes" and "West 57th Street." Her new book is titled Out of Control: The story of the Reagan Administration's secret war in Nicaragua, the illegal arms pipeline, and the Contra drug connection.

Writer Jan Novak. He has just published his second English novel, titled The Grand Life. His first was titled The Willys Dream Kit. Novak emigrated to the United States from Czechoslovakia 17 years ago.

Jan Harold Brunvand will explore the urban legends that have sprung up around computer glitches, the so-called "mystery glitches."

James Laughlin, founder and editor of New Directions Books, a small publishing house that has brought out the work of avant-garde poets like Ezra Pound and William Carlos Williams. Laughlin is himself a poet and an authority on Ezra Pound.

"CBS Sunday Morning's" media critic Ron Powers. He's written a book about his hometown, Hannibal, Missouri, titled White Town Drowsing.

Architectural preservationist David Naylor, whose new book, Great American Movie Theaters, charts the past glory and current demise of a uniquely American architectural treasure, the downtown movie palace.

Salvadoran poet Claribel Alegria. She has lived in exile for many years. She now lives in Nicaragua. Her best-known book is titled Flowers From the Volcano.

Siobhan Egan and Eileen Ivers, fiddle players who perform with "Cherish the Ladies," a touring ensemble of top Irish musicians. Both are American-born, and both emigrated to Ireland to pursue their musical education. Ivers earned All-Ireland fiddle champion honors for seven years in a row. They will perform a reel and a jig, accompanied on guitar by Mick Moloney.

August Darnell, lead singer of Kid Creole and the Coconuts. Kid Creole is the dapper stage persona of August Darnell, a wildly inventive showman whose music fuses salsa, rock, jazz, reggae, funk and rap. The group has found fame in Europe and South America, but success in America has proven elusive.