Terry Gross

Nakasian left Wall Street to pursue her dream of becoming a professional jazz singer. The alto, who has recorded seven albums, including tributes to June Christy and Billie Holiday, describes her path from investment banking to touring internationally with Jon Hendricks and Company.

E-books are rapidly gaining market share, and publishing companies are going through changes that parallel the music business. New Yorker writer Ken Auletta explains how the transition from paper to screen is changing the way we choose, buy and read books — and what the changes mean for publishers and authors.

The son of a career diplomat, the actor explains how being a theater geek helped him acclimate to new schools every few years — and details how he channeled his father while playing White House Counsel Oliver Babish on Aaron Sorkin's drama The West Wing. Platt currently stars in Nicole Holofcener's film Please Give.

Wilbert Rideau went to prison in 1961 at the age of 19 for killing a woman during a bungled bank robbery. Prison changed him. He became the editor of the award-winning prison magazine The Angolite and was released with time served in 2005. His new memoir, In the Place of Justice, describes his 44 years behind bars.

You might define the films of James Cameron by listing two characteristics: state-of-the-art special effects and huge box-office receipts. Cameron discusses the special effects in his films Titanic, The Terminator and Avatar — and explains how he came up with his innovative filming techniques.

This interview originally aired Feb. 18, 2010

New York Times foreign correspondent Dexter Filkins has just returned from Afghanistan. He discusses what he's seen since the recent troop surge and explains the challenges the U.S. faces in trying to drive the Taliban out of the country.

Richard Clarke, the former anti-terrorism czar, has now turned his attention to a new national security threat: cyberwar. In a new book, Clarke details what a full-scale cyberattack could look like, how the United States is particularly vulnerable, and what measures can be taken to ensure our networks remain safe.

Jazz singer Catherine Russell spent years singing backup for performers like Paul Simon and David Bowie before starting a solo career. She's just released her third album, Inside This Heart of Mine.

This interview was originally broadcast on June 11, 2008.

If you've ever hummed "Camptown Races" or "Oh! Susanna," then you're familiar with 19th century songwriter Stephen Foster. But the lyrics in Foster's songs often contained condescending racial ideas. Music historian Ken Emerson, the author of a Foster biography, has annotated many of the songwriter's lyrics in a new book, Stephen Foster & Co.

This interview was originally broadcast on June 17, 1997