Lead singer and songwriter for The Kinks, Ray Davies. He's just written his "unauthorized autobiography." The book is written in the third, nameless person, and takes place in a corporation-run future. It's called, Ray Davies: X-Ray. (The Overlook Press). Ray started The Kinks in 1964 with his brother. They are said to be the pioneers of the rowdy garage band genre of rock music. Their many hits included: "You Really Got Me," "Lola," "All Day and All of the Night," and "Tired of Waiting for You."
Co-founders of Brooklyn's Bedford Stuyvesant Volunteer Ambulance Corp. James "Rocky" Robinson and Joe Perez. They began the corp in 1988, after watching people die because the Ambulances responded too slowly to calls. (There are 39 volunteer ambulance corps in New York City). They are the focus of a new "The American Promise" PBS documentary. (The program premiered October 1).
Professor Richard Foulds. He teaches at the University of Delaware. He's the father of a child with A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder) and a member of C.H.A.D.D. a non-profit organization directed by parents of children with ADD.
Broadcast journalist John Merrow. He's the anchor and Executive Editor of "The Merrow Report" a quarterly series of documentaries on PBS that examines education and surrounding issues. Their latest documentary is "Attention Deficit Disorder: A Dubious Diagnosis?" In the documentary Merrow disputes the widely held belief that Ritalin, the drug given to children with Attention Deficit Disorder, is not "dangerous and addictive." Merrow also found that the drug has been overprescribed, and that some kids have begun to abuse it.
Geoffrey Canada is author of Fist Stick Knife Gun; A Personal History of Violence in America (Beacon Press 1995) It provides a look into the lives of children living in violence. Canada is President and CEO of Rheedlan Centers for Children and Families in New York. He helps at risk children in the inner-city to find alternatives to violence.
Terry Johnson is a local organizer for the Philadelphia contingent headed to Monday's Million Man March. Johnson plans to walk to Washington to help symbolize his determination for a positive change in U.S. race relations. He and others will follow the path once used by the Underground Railroad.
Glenn Loury is an African-American conservative who is an outspoken critic of affirmative action programs. He has just written the book One by One From The Inside Out: Essays and Reviews on Race and Responsibility in America. Free Press 1995. In 1987, Loury was nominated to become Reagan's Deputy Secretary of Education. Loury withdrew his name citing "personal reasons." Later that year, Loury was arrested for possession of marijuana and cocaine. He now a Professor of Economics at Boston University.
Mark Harrell (her-ell) is a local organizer for the Philadelphia contingent headed to Monday's Million Man March in Washington D.C. Last year, Harrell chaired a three-day forum in Philadelphia that brought together several hundred African-American men together to discuss problems in the black community. He is the Director of the Youth Gang and Drug Prevention Program for the Philadelphia Mayor's office.
Kazuo Ishiguro won international recognition with his novel The Remains of the Day. He won the distinguished Booker Award for this book in 1989. It was later adapted to a movie starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. The Japanese born British writer has released his latest book The Unconsoled, Alfred A. Knopf 1995. A story about the mixed blessings of celebrity from the point of view of a concert pianist. Other titles by Ishiguro include: A Pale View of the Hills, An Artist of the Floating World.
Former Secretary of State James Baker talks about his role during the Bush Administration. His new autobiography is The Politics of Diplomacy: Revolution, War & Peace, 1989-1992.It was co-written with Thomas M. DeFrank and published by G.P. Putnam's Sons 1995. As the 61st Secretary of State, James Baker oversaw U.S. relations during many historic geo-political changes. Among those include The Persian Gulf War, Tiananmen Square, and The fall of the Berlin Wall.
Former Soviet Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Dobrynin. Dobrynin has written his autobiography In Confidence: Moscow's Ambassador to America's Six Cold War Presidents published by Times Books 1995. Dobrynin was Ambassador from 1962 (Kennedy) through 1986 (Reagan). He was a key diplomat in many U.S./Soviet conflicts including The Cuban Missile Crisis. Dobrynin, now 76 years old, is still active in Russian diplomacy as senior advisor to the Foreign Ministry. He lives in Moscow.
TV Critic David Bianculli previews a two-part documentary titled "The Private Life of Plants." It will be featured on cable TV's TBS network tonight and tomorrow night. Bianculli says its the best documentary he's seen this year.
Former Executive Editor of The Washington Post Ben Bradlee. During his stint at the paper he helped transform the Post into one of the most influential investigative newspapers. Under his leadership, reporters investigated and broke open the Watergate story. The paper also challenged the federal government over the right to publish the Pentagon Papers. Bradlee has written his autobiography: Ben Bradlee: A Good Life: Newspapering and Other Adventures. (Simon & Shuster)
Marc Mauer is a co-author for a new study that says there has been a sharp increase over the past five years in the number of African-American males age 20-29 in jail, on probation or on parole. The study finds, on any given day, one in three black men in their 20s is under some form of court supervision. Five years ago, a similar study found that the percentage at one in four blacks. The study is titled Young Black Americans and the Criminal Justice System: Five Years Later. it's two authors are Marc Mauer and Tracy Huling.
