Oscar winning British actor Jeremy Irons. He stars in two new movies this year: "Chinese Box" and "Man in the Iron Mask". His films include: "The French Lieutenant's Woman," "Brideshead Revisited," "Reversal of Fortune," and "Dead Ringers."
Filmmaker Wayne Wang. With the films "Chan is Missing," "Dim Sum," "Slamdance" and "Eat a Bowl of Tea," to his credit, Wang was the first Chinese-American film director to make an impact in the American film industry. Wang went on to direct "The Joy Luck Club," and the films "Smoke" and "Blue in the Face." His newest film is set in Hong Kong, "Chinese Box" starring Jeremy Irons.
Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz on poet Elizabeth Bishop and how he saved a poem of hers from obscurity. It's called "Breakfast Song." Lloyd is the editor of "Elizabeth Bishop and Her Art" (University of Michigan Press).
Artist Chuck Close. He's been called "the most methodical artist that has ever lived in America" and the "reigning portraitist of the Information Age." He creates jumbo size faces on canvas (8 or 9 feet high), copying them from photographs. They are painted in a dotted faux pointillist style. In 1989 Close suffered a stroke which left him paralyzed from the neck down, gaining partial use of his hand with a brace, he learned to paint all over again. There's currently a retrospective of his work exhibited at The Museum of Modern Art in New York.
British standup comic Eddie Izzard. The cross-dressing comic is a household name in England, but little known here. His new one-man show is "Dress to Kill" (at New York's Westbeth Theater, in the West Village). A New York Times review describes him as "a ticklingly entertaining hybrid of mainstream cultural influences and offbeat personal tendencies." (Interview by Barbara Bogaev)
Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews the long-awaited reissue of American soprano Helen Boatwright singing Charles Ives' compositions: "The Songs of Charles Ives and Ernst Bacon" (CRI Label)
Editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar, Liz Tilberis. She's written a new memoir about working in the fashion industry while battling ovarian cancer. It's called "No Time To Die" (Little, Brown & Co.) (Interview by Barbara Bogaev)
Last week the opening event of the Favorite Poem Project, was held at New York's Town hall. The Project is part of poet laureate Robert Pinksy's plan to have 1000 average Americans recite their favorite poem and archive it on audio or video tape. The Town Hall event brought together such notable people as Geraldine Ferraro, Arthur M. Schlesginer Jr., and choreographer Bill T. Jones, as well as junior and high-school students. We'll excerpt a part of the event. We feature readings by: Ed Bradley, of 60 Minutes; Louis Rodriguez, a high school student; Dr. Calvin O.
Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great African-American singer, actor and political activist Paul Robeson. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews his recording of "Songs of Free Men" (Sony's Masterworks Heritage series).
Singer, songwriter, pianist Ben Folds of the piano-bass-drum trio, Ben Folds Five. They're best known for their hit "Brick" a ballad about an abortion, in which the word "abortion" is never used. The band, from North Carolina, has been in existence since 1994. It includes drummer Darren Jessee and bassist Robert Sledge.
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich. He's written a new book, "Newt Gingrich: Lessons Learned the Hard Way: A Personal Report" (HarperCollins).
Historian Jill Ker Conway. She's the author of the bestselling memoir, "The Road from Coorain," about growing up in the Australian outback. Conway also edited two volumes of women's memoirs "Written By Herself" (Volumes I and II) which were, in part, about the nature of autobiography written by women. Her new book is "When Memory Speaks: Reflections on Autobiography." (Knopf) Conway was the first female vice president of The University of Toronto, and from 1975 to 1985 was the president of Smith.
Jazz Critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the new CD "Hubsongs" a new collection of Freddie Hubbard songs performed by Tim Hagans and Marcus Printup. It has been released on Capitol Records.
Poet Billy Collins. His newest book "Picnic, Lightning" (Univ of Pittsburgh) is his sixth collection. His other books include, "The Art of Drowning," (Univ of Pittsburgh Press), and "Questions about Angels" (William Morrow & Co.,1991), which was selected as a winner of the National Poetry Series Competition in 1990. John Updike says of Collins' poetry, "Billy Collins writes lovely poems. . .
Journalist Michael Ruhlman is the author of the book, "The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute of America" (Henry Holt). Ruhlman attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York to research his book. (Interview by Barbara Bogaev)
Egyptologist Bob Brier is the author of "The Murder of Tutankamen: A True Story" (Putnam) about his search for the killer of King Tut, using forensic evidence. Brier also hosts The Learning Channel's series "The Great Egyptians." He's also the author of several books: "Ancient Egyptian Magic," Egyptian Mummies," and "Encyclopedia of Mummies." Brier's speciality is paleopathology: the study of disease in the ancient world. He is a professor of philosophy at the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University.
