Wes Anderson co-wrote and produced the new film The Royal Tenenbaums, about a family of geniuses, who despite their talents are ill-suited to deal with everyday problems. The family comes together for an unexpected reunion. The film stars Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Billy Murray, Wyneth Paltrow and Ben Stiller. Anderson also co-wrote and directed Bottle Rocket and Rushmore.
Biological and chemical weapons expert Eric Croddy is a senior research associate at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and author of the book, Chemical and Biological Warfare: A Comprehensive Survey for the Concerned Citizen (Copernicus Books).
Actor Patrick Warburton is best known for his recurring role on Seinfeld as Elaine laconic boyfriend, Puddy. Though he only appeared in nine episodes, he became one of the show favorite characters. Warburton currently stars in the new FOX show The Tick. He could also be heard as the voice of Joe on Fox animated series The Family Guy and has been in commercials for American Express, Cadillac and M&M's. He starred in the movie The Woman Chaser which was critically acclaimed at the New York Film Festival and The Sundance Film Festival, and he was in the Australian film, The Dish.
Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Poetry Speaks (Sourcebooks) a collection of poems by 42 English speaking poets, along with biographical and critical essays, as well as three CDs featuring the poets reading their own work.
Composer Aaron Jay Kernis is one of the youngest composers to win the Pulitzer Prize. This Saturday, his latest composition will be performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra as part of the grand opening of the Kimmel Center, Philadelphia's new concert hall. The piece was commissioned specifically for the event. The Walt Disney Company has commissioned a piece by Kernis. His many awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship, an NEA grant, a New York Foundation for the Arts award, and two Grammy nominations. Kernis was born in Philadelphia and is 41 years old.
David Atkins directed Novocaine, a new film starring Steve Martin. It's about a dentist who's lured into a life of crime. Atkins is also a drummer and songwriter, and participated in the creation of several songs on the movie soundtrack. He also wrote the screenplay for the film Arizona Dream, starring Johnny Depp, Faye Dunaway and Lili Taylor. It something of a cult classic in the U.S., although it was successful overseas. Novocaine is his feature film directorial debut.
Classical Music Critic Lloyd Schwartz previews the Great Performances special The Art of Violin, airing on PBS stations tonight. The program is also available on DVD. For more information, visit The Art of Violin Web site.
It's been twenty-five years since Sissy Spacek's memorable performance in the 1976 horror film Carrie, based on a Stephen King novel. Her new film is In The Bedroom, a family drama/tragedy. It won several awards in this year's Sundance festival. Spacek won an Oscar for her performance in Coal Miner's Daughter, and she's been nominated for Best Actress 5 times. She got her start in the film Badlands. She's had roles in numerous films and TV dramas, including Three Women, Raggedy Man, Night Mother, and The Straight Story.
Journalist Charles Sennott has just returned from Afghanistan, where he traveled with the Special Forces. He also the author of the new book, The Body and The Blood: The Holy Land Christians At the Turn of a New Millennium (PublicAffairs). Sennott was the Boston Globe Middle East bureau chief, and is currently the Globe European bureau chief. He lives in London.
Journalist Sebastian Junger has just returned from Afghanistan, where he was traveling with the Northern Alliance. Last year he was also in Afghanistan following Ahmad Shah Massoud, (known as the "Lion of Panjshir"), the legendary leader of the guerrilla war against the Soviets, who had been fighting the Taliban. Massoud was assassinated by Osama bin Laden's associates in September. Junger is also the author of the bestseller The Perfect Storm, and his new book, Fire.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. He's the author of a number of books including a memoir about his boyhood, An Hour Before Daylight His latest is a memoir, Christmas in Plains (Simon & Schuster). Carter and his family has spent the last 48 Christmases in Plains, through out his Navy career, his stint as Governor and his tenure as President. The only exception was 1979 when American hostages were being held in Iran.
Book critic Maureen Corrigan has her holiday season literary gift list. This year, all the books revolve around New York City: Manhatten Unfurled (2001) by Matteo Pericoli; A Walker in the City (1951) by Alfred Kazin; A Drinking Life (1994) by Pete Hamill; Terrible Honesty (1995) by Ann Douglas; Down 42nd Street: Sex, Money, Culture, and Politics at the Crossroads of the World (2001) by Marc Eliot; My New York (1993) by Kathy Jakobsen.
U.S. Senator James Jeffords of Vermont. Last May he shocked his fellow Republicans when he defected from the party and became an Independent. Stating that he could no longer reconcile his beliefs with the party, he switched allegiences. In doing so he deprived the Republicans of their trifecta: control of the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives. He explains how he came to make the decision in the new book, My Declaration of Independence
Actress Angie Dickinson. She played an undercover cop in the TV series Police Woman from 1974-78. Her film roles include Dressed to Kill, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Pretty Maids all in a Row, and Ocean Eleven which she made in 1960 with the rat pack: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr.
Gerald Early is Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters at Washington University in St. Louis. He is also a former commentator for Fresh Air. Early is the editor of the new book, The Sammy Davis Jr. Reader: The Life and Times of the Last Great Hipster (Farrar, Straus & Giroux). The book includes writings about him by his friends, as well as profiles, reviews and interviews. Early also edited The Muhammad Ali Reader.
Her latest film is David Mamets State and Main. She also starred in Mamets earlier films The Spanish Prisoner and The Winslow Boy. Pidgeon is also known for her work on stage. She trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London and appeared in many plays including the London production of Speed the Plow, and The Old Neighborhood on Broadway. Pidgeon is also a singer/songwriter. Her latest CD is called Four Marys.
His new book, Hitler: 1936-1945 Nemesis is the second volume of his biography of Hitler. It has been nominated for the Whitbread Prize. The first volume, Hitler: 1889-1936 Hubris was an editors choice of the New York Times and is now available in paperback. Kershaw is a professor of modern history at the University of Sheffield.
Leila Ahmed is Professor of Women Studies in Religion at the Harvard Divinity School. She written extensively on feminism and Islam, and is the author of a new memoir about growing up in Egypt during the 1940s and 50s. It called A Border Passage: from Cairo to America - a Woman Journey.
Program Director for the International Center for Transitional Justice, Paul van Zyl. As such he helps emerging democracies to reckon with the human rights abuses in their past. Van Zyl is from South Africa and was the executive secretary of South Africa Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The center is now working with the U.N. to design a justice policy for post-Taliban Afghanistan. The International Center for Transitional Justice is located in New York City.
