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The Def Poetry Experience A thrilling evening of spoken word infused with hip-hop music featuring the stars of HBO Def Poetry…Daniel Beaty, YOLANDA KAE WILKINSON, & Helena D. Lewis. Join these three internationally renowned, award winning poets as they electrify the mike tackling themes such as womanhood, bad relationships, Jewish identity, sexuality, racism, and bad breath!
Vibe-n-Verse Five spoken word poets and musicians who make up Vibe-n-Verse do a performance that blends original spoken word poetry with live music. The two hour program ends with audience interaction and Q&A.
R.W. Apple, Jr. For 30 years, R. W. Apple, Jr. has roamed the United States and the world, traveling close to a quarter of a million miles a year as an eyewitness to history during the most eventful periods in the modern era. The Chief Correspondent for The New York Times, R.W. Apple, Jr. has known and interviewed every President since Lyndon B. Johnson, plus Senators, Governors and world leaders on five continents. Few journalists of our time have seen as many great events; for that reason he is a sought-after commentator on television in the United States and abroad. He participates regularly in major international forums discussing diplomatic, economic and military questions.
Coach Carter Coach Carter is a coach, author, educator and inspiration for the movie Coach Carter, featuring Samuel L. Jackson. The movie recounts Carter’s decision to literally lock his undefeated, state play-off bound basketball team out of the gym and force them to hit the books. Coach Carter is an advocate for Richmond's youth and is active in his community. He is diligent in providing them with opportunities to build meaningful relationships with their peers and caring adults, and recognizes the advantages inherent in a sound sports program. In October, 2000 he announced his plans to travel from Richmond High School to the steps of the California State Capitol in Sacramento. Using only a kick scooter, Carter traveled for 3 days to Sacramento hoping to draw awareness to the deteriorating state of our schools and the need for students, parents, teachers, and school board officials to commit to making a difference. His efforts proved successful, and subsequently Richmond High received building enhancements and computers from the Office of the Secretary of Education. Under the direction and guidance of Coach Carter, in December of 2000, 11 students from Australia arrived in the U.S. to promote peace and to learn first hand what it takes to be an American high school basketball player. Coach Carter found a way to bring something positive to the lives of Richmond High students, where heroes and positive role models are few and far between. Using basketball as the common bond, the intention of the visit was to offer these students an opportunity to meet each other, gain awareness about each others' culture and communities, and to learn hands-on about what it takes to be a top-notch American athletic. Carter feels that exchanges such as these are needed to promote a more just and peaceful place for us all to live in.
Hinewirangi Hiné is Coordinator of the Maori Women's Resource Center and a Representative of the Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific movement. She is a Board Member of the International Indian Treaty Council and has served as Co-Director. She is mother of two children and has mothered several others. She has published four volumes of poetry, is currently working on a novel and has written and directed 6 videos for children about recognizing sexual abuse. She has written many dramas reflecting her culture. Her life's work has been with women and children, healing effects of abuse
Ayaan Hirsi Ali Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a prominent, often controversial author, film maker and critic of Islam. She was a member of the Tweede Kamer (the Lower House of the States-General of the Netherlands) for the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) from January 30, 2003 until May 16, 2006. Hirsi Ali has had to maintain a high level of security due to threats against her life for voicing views critical of certain aspects of Islam. For example, her film Submission, directed by Theo van Gogh (who himself was assassinated for his works), made her one of the targets of the Hofstad Network. On May 15, 2006, officials of the Netherlands government cast doubt on Hirsi Ali's status as a Dutch national, due to concerns related to the fact that in order to obtain refugee status in the Netherlands she had provided false information. She later used the same false information when she applied for, and was granted, Dutch citizenship. The Dutch minister of immigration and integration, Rita Verdonk, moved to annul her citizenship, a move that was overridden by order of the Prime Minister. She released to the New York Times personal letters from her father and other family members that affirmed her story about fleeing a forced marriage. On June 27, 2006, the Dutch government announced that Hirsi Ali would keep her Dutch citizenship. On May 16, Hirsi Ali announced resignation from parliament and confirmed her previous statement that she would move to the United States to work at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. Her prospective arrival in September 2006 was welcomed by Deputy US Secretary of State Robert Zoellick.
The Spy Who Knew Too Much Award-winning, investigative reporter and political journalist, Elliot Goldenberg is the author of The Spy Who Knew Too Much: The Government Plot to Silence Jonathan Pollard; and The Hunting Horse: The truth Behind the Jonathan Pollard Spy Case, a controversial new book about the United States Government's plot to silence Jonathan Pollard. This book tells the story of Jonathan Pollard, a former civilian Navy Intelligence analyst who passed classified United States military secrets to the State of Israel, and in so doing, unwittingly uncovered a secret United States polity, allegedly overseen by former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, that was designed to weaken Israel and strengthen the hand of her enemies in the Arab world. As a result, Pollard's greatest crime may not have been what he did for Israel - his greatest crime may have been that he got too close to the truth.
Dr. Ro Dr. Rovenia Brock is America’s most renowned African American nutritionist and author of the national best-seller, Dr. Ro’s Ten Secrets To Livin’ Healthy. She hosted “Heart & Soul,” the first ever national health and fitness television show for African American women which aired on BET. She is a familiar face on MSNBC, CNN, and previously on the nationally syndicated “Queen Latifah Show”, and on “The Tavis Smiley Show” on NPR. Her nutrition and health expertise has been featured online on WebMD and in publications that include O Magazine, Ebony, Essence, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News, Today’s Black Woman, Heart and Soul, Black Elegance, and Vibe. Dr. Ro holds a Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences and an M.S. degree in Community Nutrition and Broadcast Journalism from Howard University. She is a native of Washington, DC and is a member of The National Association of Black Journalists.
Yue-Sai Kan Entrepreneur, Author, Journalist and Humanitarian Yue-Sai Kan is perhaps the most famous woman in China today. A unique combination of entrepreneur, best-selling author, television journalist, and humanitarian, Kan has been honored in Monaco as a "Leading Woman Entrepreneur of the World" and in Fortune magazine as one of the five most influential women in China. She is also the only living American to have a Chinese postage stamp bear her likeness. Kan is the founder of the first major beauty products company in ChinaŃYue-Sai Kan CosmeticsŃwhich she later sold to L'Oreal. Always an innovator, Kan also produced and hosted the first television documentaries to promote East/West relations, including the Emmy Award-winning China Walls and Bridges. She now hosts Yue-Sai's World, a series that brings the latest international lifestyle trends to over one billion Chinese viewers. An ardent supporter of education for the underprivileged, Kan has established a fund to build schools in China and provide scholarships to gifted female students.
Ghost Whisperer Mary Ann Winkowski was born in Cleveland, Ohio and has been communicating with earthbound spirits for most of her life. Her earliest memories include talking to spirits of the deceased as if they were living people and helping these entities cross over into the White Light. Over the course of work as a paranormal investigator, Mary Ann's reputation has spread. She is a consultant to the CBS hit television show Ghost Whisperer, has appeared on numerous TV and radio news programs, and spoken at countless lectures. What once she between raising two daughters, foster parenting, and pet grooming has now become a fulltime vocation. Still living and working primarily in the Cleveland area, Mary Ann has offered her abilities to those in need as far away as New Mexico, St. Lucia, and Scotland. In When Ghosts Speak: Understanding the World of Earthbound Spirits (Grand Central Publishing, October 2007) Mary Ann shares a lifetimes worth of information about the spirit world and reveals her often surprising interactions with some memorable ghosts. Mary Ann shows the human side of the paranormal -- stories about ghosts told from the perspectives of the ghosts themselves and teaches us how we can coexist peaceably with the spirits that surround us. Unlike the sensationalized tales of most ghost lore, When Ghosts Speak presents real stories of troubled people -- both the living and the dead -- not simply the terror of sinister paranormal manifestations served up by horror novels and Hollywood. Mary Ann offers lessons on death and the immortality of the spirit that only someone who can actually speak with the deceased could teach. Her abilities have offered solace to countless people, either by reuniting them with loved ones who have died or by removing unwanted spirits and negative energy from homes, businesses or possessions.
Harlym 125 Harlym 125 was born Jamele Adams in Harlem. This educator, activist, romantic, entertainer, poet and actor lives his art with conviction toward preserving its purity: artistic freedom and creativity. 125 is responsible for starting the Hip Hop Society and the Kenyon Alive Poets Society. He believes that the community of the mind is where we reinvent the spirituality of the streets.
Judy Scales-Trent Noted law professor, attorney and author of Notes of a White Black Woman: Race, Color, Community, which describes a hidden part of the Black experience in America by exploring what it is like to be a "white" Black woman and to live simultaneously inside and outside of both white and Black communities. By tracing how America's racial purity laws have operated over the past 400 years (creating a large group of Black Americans with white skin), Judy Scales-Trent explores the question of what we really mean by "race" in this country.
Robert Draper Robert Draper has been a national correspondent for GQ magazine for the past decade, and prior to that was senior editor at Texas Monthly. He lives in Washington, D.C. He is author of a novel, Hadrian's Walls (Knopf), and the biography Rolling Stone Magazine: The Uncensored History.
Frank W. Abagnale Frank W. Abagnale is one of the world's most respected authorities on the subjects of forgery, embezzlement and secure documents. For over thirty years he has lectured to and consulted with hundreds of financial institutions, corporations and government agencies around the world. His rare blend of knowledge and expertise began as a teenager. More than 40 years ago he was known as one of the world's most famous confidence men as depicted in his best-selling book, "Catch Me If You Can." He cashed $2.5 million in fraudulent checks in every state and 26 foreign countries over a five-year period. Between the ages of 16 and 21, he successfully posed as an airline pilot, an attorney, a college professor and a pediatrician. Apprehended by the French police when he was 21 years old, he served time in the French, Swedish and U. S. prison systems. After five years he was released on the condition that he would help the federal government, without remuneration, by teaching and assisting federal law enforcement agencies. Mr. Abagnale has been associated with the FBI for over 30 years. He lectures extensively at the FBI Academy and the field offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. More than 14,000 financial institutions, corporations and law enforcement agencies use his fraud prevention programs. In 1998, he was selected as a distinguished member of "Pinnacle 400" by CNN Financial News. In 2006 Mr. Abagnale was selected as one of the 15 Differentiators in Retail by the editorial board of RIS News. Mr. Abagnale's most recent book, "Stealing Your Life", will be released in April 2007 by Random House. He has also written "The Art of the Steal", "The Real U Guide to Identity Theft" and "The Bankers' Document Verification and Currency Transaction Manual". In 2004 Mr. Abagnale was selected as the national spokesperson for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA). Mr. Abagnale was the subject of a major motion picture entitled "Catch Me If You Can", directed by Steven Spielberg with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks.
Dr. Keith Ablow Keith Ablow is a psychiatrist, writer and television personality who treats men and women across the country, in Europe and in Asia who come from every corner of society—college students, married couples, Fortune 500 executives, the homeless, mental health professionals and high-ranking government officials. In addition to Dr. Ablow’s ongoing work with patients, he has testified as an expert witness on forensic psychiatry in some of America’s most highly-publicized trials. The root of Ablow’s unique ability to "reach" patients and the foundation of his writing is that all of us suffer, that none of us is born evil, and that we must be helped to confront the truth about our lives. Ablow graduated Brown University and the Johns Hopkins Medical School. While a medical student, he worked as a reporter for Newsweek magazine and a freelancer for the Washington Post and Baltimore Sun, as well as a medical editor and producer for Lifetime Medical Television in New York and Los Angeles. He also wrote his first book, a guide to gaining admission to medical school and preserving one’s humanity during the four grueling years that follow. Following his studies, Ablow entered a psychiatry residency at Tufts/New England Medical Center hospitals (where he is now an assistant professor). He continued to write about psychiatry and social issues for publications such as U.S. News and World Report and USA Today. He also wrote three more books: How to Cope with Depression, To Wrestle with Demons, and Anatomy of a Psychiatric Illness. In 1990, Dr. Ablow’s close friend and fellow psychiatry resident was murdered. This tragedy prompted him to write Without Mercy, a true crime book examining the killer’s life and the use of the insanity defense at his trial. After residency, Ablow served as medical director of the Tri-City Mental Health Centers, one of the country’s oldest networks of community psychiatry clinics. He also was medical director of Heritage Health Systems, a state-wide spectrum of medical, psychiatric and addiction facilities. Today, Ablow is busier than ever. His USA Today bestselling psychiatric thrillers featuring Dr. Frank Clevenger include Denial, Projection, Compulsion, Psychopath, Murder Suicide and The Architect. His true crime book, Inside the Mind of Scott Peterson, hit the New York Times Bestseller list this year. He is a contributing editor to Good Housekeeping magazine, and his columns have appeared there, as well as in The New York Times and Cosmopolitan. He is also a frequent guest on programs including Oprah, Tyra, Good Morning America, Good Day NY, Catherine Crier Live and many others. Dr. Ablow is now at work on a self-help book (Little, Brown, April, 2007) that will make his healing philosophy and techniques available to readers everywhere. His syndicated talk show, Dr. Keith Ablow, produced by Telepictures and LMNO TV, will begin airing across the nation in September.
Dr. Miriam Adahan Dr.Miriam Adahan, author, lecturer and renowned psychotherapist, is famous throughout the Jewish world for her sensitive advice and her highly effective EMETT ("Emotional Maturity Established Through Torah") system for coping with life's crises. She has a B.A. in psychology, with honors, from the University of Michigan. She also holds a Masters in counseling psychology from Wayne State University and did three years of post-Masters work in Humanistic Psychology Institute in San Francisco.
Janus Adams Nationally syndicated columnist, broadcast journalist, entrepreneur, motivational speaker and award-winning author. Her latest book is Sister Days: 365 Inspired Moments in African-American Women's History. The third volume of a series, it continues the saga begun in Glory Days:365 Inspired Moments in African-American History; and Freedom Days-a history of the civil rights movement in which she was a participant. In February 1998 and again in 1999, McDonald's Corporation licensed Glory Days for its Black History Month campaign. Her national advice column, "What Do We Tell Our Children?" explores race relations and other bias-related issues.
Rebecca Adamson Rebecca Adamson, a Cherokee, is the founder and president of First Nations Development Institute. She has worked directly with grassroots tribal communities and as a national advocate of local tribal issues for over 25 years. Working alongside the best political and philosophical thinkers in Indian country, Adamson advocates reform and thinks that the key to native people controlling their own lives is economics. A recipient of the 1996 Ms. magazine "Woman of the Year" Award, her organization has advised indigenous people around the world. Activist Rebecca Adamson has helped and advised indigenous people around the world, winning the admiration and trust of almost everyone she has encountered. Seventeen years ago, as a single mother with only an unemployment check and a dream, Adamson set out to establish a place where Native Americans could find outside capital and technical support to build successful small businesses and self-sufficient reservation economies independent of federal control. Adamson, a Cherokee, is the founder and president of First Nations Development Institute. She has worked directly with grassroots tribal communities and as a national advocate of local tribal issues for over 25 years. The organization has raised and distributed millions of dollars, fostered the birth of dozens of micro-enterprises coast-to-coast and set up a $1 million revolving loan fund. Adamson is a recipient of the 2001 John W. Gardner Leadership Award, which honors outstanding Americans who exemplify the leadership of individuals working in the voluntary sector who build, mobilize or unify people, institutions or causes. She was awarded the Council on Foundations 1996 Robert W. Scrivner Award for creative and innovative grantmaking and the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development's 1996 Jay Silverheel Award. In addition, Ms. magazine named her one of their seven "Women of the Year" (1997) and in 1998, she was named as one of the top ten Social Entrepreneurs of the Year by Who Cares magazine. She writes a monthly column for the newspaper Indian Country Today, devoted to alternative economic development and other issues. Adamson says her success is rooted in the summers she spent with her Cherokee grandparents in North Carolina, where she learned "the Indian value of listening." She began by listening to good business ideas that couldn't find money when she worked at her first job as a planner for the Spokane and Nez Perce tribes. She listened and saw that the Native Americans with whom she lived had the lowest incomes and highest unemployment, the lowest life-expectancy and the highest rates of disease, alcoholism and poverty. She also saw a Third World country buried in the richest country in the world and the experience led her to a movement for Indians to regain control of their destiny by controlling their own schools.
Dr. Na'im Akbar The published volumes of Dr. Akbars works are excellent illustrations of the unique and special approach he has taken to the role of an activist scholar. His volumes are targeted to a mass audience. Though the concepts that he presents are highly sophisticated, they are presented in a concise and simple way that readers with minimal education and possibly no familiarity with mainstream psychology will be able to comprehend the ideas from his books and increase their understanding of themselves. Though his scholarly status is unquestioned this area of his work is targeting a much broader audience than would likely encounter his works prepared for advanced students, professional colleagues and for the dialogue of the academy. He feels very strongly that truly relevant ideas should be available to as wide an audience as possible in order that they may study these ideas and apply them to their lives and to their communities. The measure of success for this aspect of his scholarship becomes the number of people from various walks of life that have been able to study these ideas, change their lives and their world.
Meena Alexander Born in India and raised in India and North Africa, Meena Alexander is widely published as a poet, essayist and critic. Her haunting book, Nampally Road, vividly portrays contemporary India and one woman's struggle to piece together her past. Her newest book is Manhattan Music.
Miguel Algarin Miguel Algarin is the "poet laureate" of Loisaida - also known as the Lower East Side - and founder of the Nuyorican Poets Café in New York City, where he has nurtured the spoken and written word for nearly three decades. Through the Café Algarin helped cultivate the popular "slam" poetry movement. Colliding the gritty topics of urbanity with the art of literature, Algarin's Café has provided a venue for words to jump from the page to the stage. Since 1974, the Nuyorican Poets Café has captured the flavor of the streets serving as a haven for poets, writers, thespians, performance artists, musicians, visual artists and hip-hop renegades, running the cultural gamut from acclaimed theater productions to hip-hop open mikes to celebrations of salsa and merengue music. The Café is the living room hosting the freshest art to immigrate to New York City, from not only the Caribbean and the Americas, but from all over the world. The Nuyorican Poets Café is a stage of words made visible. Situated in Manhattan's Lower East Side, Loisaida, the community, is a mixture of various ethnic backgrounds: Puerto Rican, Dominican, African-American, Ukrainian, Polish and Irish, to name a few. The community also hosts a great number of artists. This diverse energy is reflected in the performances of the Nuyorican Poets Café. Algarin, along with the emerging artists of the Nuyorican Poets Café, bring their talents to the forefront, dazzling audiences with their vibrant presentations. Mixing the traditional arts of oral story telling and classical poetry with the edgy raw rhythm of the hip-hop influenced streets creates the soulful heartbeat which is the Café. Recognized as a long-term cultural worker of the Lower East Side, Miguel Algarin's Nuyorican Poets Café has become a Loisaida institution. The Café and its milieu have provided a blueprint for the development of the international slam poetry movement that first surfaced in Chicago.
Shahrazad Ali Controversial author specializing in independent research on social and ethnic issues, Shahrazad Ali says her study proves that “the Black woman's disrespect and rebellion against the leadership and authority of the Black man is a direct cause of the breakdown in the Black family structure.” Ms. Ali is the author of Are You Still a Slave?, The Black Man's Guide to Understanding the Black Woman; andThe Black Woman's Guide to Understanding the Black Man and Womens Rights Womens Power..
Harry Allen Hip-Hop Visions looks at the way media and advertising affect our understanding of gender, race, identity, and power. It's a compact, economical program that deeply involves both young and adult audiences by utilizing the music and imagery of rap -- the compelling sound of today's youth culture -- to drive thought and inspire. Harry Allen, hip-hop activist and media assassin, writes about race, politics, and hip-hop for Vibe, Spin, The Source, The Village Voice, Billboard, Essence, Newsday, and XXL, among other publications. Widely hailed as one of hip-hop culture's most original minds, he has been quoted as an expert in The Wall Street Journal, on National Public Radio, and on CNN. Well known for his association with the seminal band Public Enemy, Allen also founded the world's first not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization for hip-hop culture, the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame & RhythmCultural Center, Inc. (d.b.a. RCI: The RhythmCultural Institute) in 1994. He further satisfies both his musical and political interests through service on the advisory board of the Archives of African-American Music & Culture at Indiana University, in Bloomington IN, and as a segment producer at the Pacifica Radio Foundation's WBAI-NY/99.5 FM, where he covers film, media, art, science, literature, and other subjects. Allen is currently developing a book on architecture, researching a documentary on hip-hop, and building the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame. He lives in Harlem.
Julie Alvarez Well known Hispanic novelist.
Claud Anderson A leading intellectual, historian and economist, Dr. Claud Anderson is the author of the best selling books,Black Labor, White Wealth: A Search for Power and Economic Justice,; Dirty Little Secrets about Black History: It's Heroes & Other Trouble Makers; and PowerNomics: Unleashing Blacks Potential. Dr. Anderson is president of the Harvard Institute, a pro-active public policy research organization. He is igniting a national movement among Blacks for the economic, social and political solutions necessary to create an economically self-sufficient and competitive Black America.
Dr. Maya Angelou Dr. Maya Angelou chosen by President Bill Clinton, Dr. Maya Angelou delivered her dedicatory poem "On The Pulse of Morning" at the inaugural ceremony in January 1993. Considered one of our national treasures, and the author of many best-selling books, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, her performance/lecture stresses the value of ethnic, economic and religious diversity in all undertakings. A passionate and powerful speaker, Dr. Angelou challenges her audiences to invest their spirits and hearts in the elevation of the human condition. Dr. Maya Angelou is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature and as a remarkable Renaissance woman. A poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director, Dr. Angelou continues to travel the world making appearances on college campuses, spreading her legendary wisdom. A mesmerizing vision of grace, swaying and stirring when she moves, Dr. Angelou captivates her audiences lyrically with vigor, fire and perception. She has the unique ability to shatter the opaque prisms of race and class between reader and subject throughout her books of poetry and her autobiographies. Dr. Angelou has authored numerous best-selling books, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and Even The Stars Look Lonesome. In 1981, Dr. Angelou was appointed to a lifetime position as the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University. In January 1993, she became only the second poet in U.S. history to have the honor of writing and reciting original work at the Presidential Inauguration. Dr. Maya Angelou and Hallmark Cards, Inc. have collaborated to make a gift selection that offers inspiration, hope and joy. Now available in select Hallmark stores, the collection features vases, pilows, wind chimes, frames and other charming trinkets. With compassion and candor, Dr. Angelou's works speak to the heart, encouraging us to love life, to perservere through its challenges and to share our gifts with others.
Max Apple Award-winning author Max Apple has written an extraordinary new book, Roommates: My Grandfather's Story, the heartwarming tale of his forty-year relationship with his grandfather, Rocky Goodstein. As a small child, Max shared his grandfather's room and as a young man, he shared his college apartment with his then 94-year old grandfather. Rocky continues to share his life, his wisdom and energy with Max and Max's wife and children until his last breath at age 105! Roommates, is more than just the story of a family, it is a tribute to the human spirit and a celebration of love and family and life! Roommates has been made into a feature film by Disney, with Peter Falk starring as "Rocky." A humorous and engaging storyteller, Max Apple has been delighting audiences all over the country!
Debby Applegate Debby Applegate, recipient of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for her book The Most Famous Man in America: The Biography of Henry Ward Beecher. Debby Applegate discovered Henry Ward Beecher, the scandalous 19th-century preacher, in the archives at Amherst College when she was an undergraduate and made him the subject of her American Studies dissertation at Yale, where she earned her Ph.D. in 1998. She spent a decade reworking her academic analysis into a lively narrative that performs the delicate balancing act of appealing of to a general audience while also contributing to scholarly debates about the culture of celebrity, the evolution of American Protestantism, and the history of print media. In addition to winning the Pulitzer Prize, The Most Famous Man in America was named one of the best books of the year by the New York Times Book Review, NPR's Fresh Air, and the Washington Post.
Karen Armstrong Armstrong is a writer, lecturer, broadcaster and author of 12 books. Her best-known book is A History of God: The 4000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, which was on the New York Times best-seller list for many months. She teaches at the Leo Baeck College for the Study of Judaism and the Training of Rabbis and Teachers in London, England. A limited number of tickets ($10) are on sale at the Greensboro Coliseum box office, online (www.Tickets.com), by phone (1-888-397-3100) or at selected Lowes Food Stores in the Greensboro area. There is a service charge for all tickets purchased online or by phone. Subject to availabilty, Guilford students and employees may receive one free ticket at the door with valid ID the night of the event. Educated at Oxford University, Armstrong taught modern literature at the University of London. She was a Catholic nun from 1962-69, and in 1982, she became a freelance writer and broadcaster. Armstrong's books include Through the Narrow Gate, a best-seller in Britain, The Gospel According to Women, Holy War: The Crusades and Their Impact on Today's World, Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet, Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths, and The Battle for God. Her latest book, published in 2004, is a memoir, The Spiral Staircase: My Climb out of Darkness.
Byllye Avery A dreamer, visionary, and grassroots realist, Ms. Avery combines activism and social responsibility by developing a national forum for the exploration of health issues of African-American women. By gathering and documenting African-American women's health experiences she is providing a supportive atmosphere for African-American women. Prior to her entry into the health care arena, Ms. Avery taught special education to emotionally disturbed students and consulted on learning disabilities in public schools and universities throughout the southeastern United States.
Michael Baisden Michael Baisden a author, motivational speaker, former TV talk show host, and host of his own nationally-syndicated radio show. Baisdens first book, Never Satisfied: How and Why Men Cheat, was released under a Vanity Press label. In 2001, he made a series of promotional appearances on daytime talk shows. He was also host of his own short-lived syndicated talk show entitled Talk or Walk in 2001. Currently, Baisden is host of the nationally-syndicated radio program "Love, Lust, and Lies
Dennis Banks Native American leader, activist, teacher, lecturer and co-founder of the American Indian movement (AIM). He is the author of his autobiography, Sacred Soul.
Amiri Baraka Amiri Barakas standing as a major poet is matched by his importance as a cultural and political leader. As leader of the Black Arts movement of the 1960s, Baraka did much to define and support black literature's mission into the twenty-first century. Writers from other ethnic groups credit Baraka with opening "tightly guarded doors" in the white publishing establishment. Baraka, known as LeRoi Jones until 1967, writes with a style that is confrontational, calculated to shock and awaken audiences to the political concerns of black Americans. Baraka's own political stance has changed several times, each time finding expression in his plays, poems, and essays so that his works can be divided into periods; a member of the avant garde during the 1950s, Baraka became a black nationalist, and later a Marxist with socialist ideals. Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note, Baraka's first published collection of poems, appeared in 1961. Throughout, the poet shows his integrated, Bohemian social roots. With the rise of the civil rights movement Baraka's works took on a more militant tone, and he began a reluctant separation from his Bohemian beginnings.
Dave Barry Well known Humorist, author and Pulitzer Prize winning syndicated columnist.
Lance Bass Lance Bass Singer (*NSYNC), Producer, Writer, Entrepreneur & Philanthropist Program Title: In Sync With Lance Bass At sixteen, Lance Bass received a phone call from Justin Timberlake that would change his life forever. Soon after, he left his small-town in Clinton, Mississippi to join an emerging musical group called *NSYNC. Two years later *NSYNC was inspiring Beatles-esque mania around the world, becoming the new face of the MTV generation. And now this inspiring entertainer is taking on a new role for a very special limited time only: Guest Speaker. Lance speaks candidly about his childhood, his astonishing experiences growing up in one of the biggest bands in the world, his shock and frustration at the band's eventual dissolution, and his subsequent career, including his four months in Russia, training to become a cosmonaut. Lance frankly discusses life as a gay man --his struggle keeping his sexuality hidden from fans in case it jeopardized *NSYNC's success, and the true circumstances that led to his decision to publicly come out. Lance's program is full of fascinating behind-the-scenes lore and revealing insights that makes for an evening not to be missed! Lance Bass is the ultimate multi-hyphenate: Singer-Actor-Producer-Writer-Entrepreneur- Philanthropist who has sold some 25 million records worldwide as a member of *NSYNC. The group holds the all time record for most album sales in a single day (over 1 million) and in a single week (2.4 million) for its 2000 album No Strings Attached, which ultimately became a rare “Diamond” album, with over 10 million records sold. In addition, the albums *NSYNC, Celebrity, and Home for Christmas all went multi-platinum. As a member of *NSYNC, Lance has won a number of awards, including People’s Choice, American Music Awards, MTV Video Awards, Kid’s Choice, and a host of Grammy nominations. The groups’ several worldwide tours have been among the highest grossing and most well attended in history and have played well on HBO and IMAX screens. Aside from *NSYNC, Lance Bass also made a name for himself in a variety of other endeavors. He executive produced and starred in the Miramax film On the Line that received the coveted Movieguide® award for excellence in family-oriented programming. Lance Bass also received the Golden Apple Award® as Male Film Discovery of 2001. In addition, Lance has made guest appearances in the film Zoolander and the television shows 7th Heaven, The Simpsons, Star Search, and Who Wants to be a Millionaire, NBC’s hit series America's Most Talented Kid, co-host for the American Music Award’s Red Carpet Party.
Ishmael Beah Former Child Soldier, Human Rights Activist and Best Selling Author of A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier Program Title: A Long Way Gone Ishmael Beah was born in Sierra Leone on November 23, 1980. When he was eleven, Ishmael Beah's life, along with the lives of millions of other Sierra Leoneans, was derailed by the outbreak of a brutal civil war. After Ishmael Beah's parents and two brothers were killed, Ishmael was recruited to fight as a child soldier. He was thirteen. Ishmael Beah fought for over two years before Ishmael Beah was removed from the army by UNICEF and placed in a rehabilitation home in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. After completing rehabilitation in late 1996, Ishmael Beah won a competition to attend a conference at the United Nations to talk about the devastating effects of war on children in his country. It was there that he met his new mother, Laura Simms, a professional storyteller who lives in New York. Ishmael Beah returned to Sierra Leone and continued speaking about his experiences to help bring international attention to the issue of child soldiering and war affected children. In 1998 Ishmael Beah came to live with his American family in New York City. He completed high school at the United Nations International School, and subsequently went on to Oberlin College in Ohio. Throughout Ishmael Beah's high school and undergraduate education, Ishmael Beah continued his advocacy work to bring attention to the plight of child soldiers and children affected by war around the world, speaking on numerous occasions on behalf of Unicef, Human Rights Watch, United Nations Secretary General’s Office for Children and Armed Conflict, at the United Nations General Assembly, serving on a UN panel with Secretary General Kofi Annan and discussing the issue with dignitaries such as Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton. Ishmael Beah is a member of the Human Rights Watch Children’s Rights Division Committee. In A Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah, now twenty-six years old, tells a riveting story. At the age of twelve, Ishmael Beah fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, Ishmael Beah had been picked up by the government army, and Ishmael Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts. Eventually released by the army and sent to a UNICEF rehabilitation center, Ishmael Beah struggled to regain his humanity and to reenter the world of civilians, who viewed him with fear and suspicion. This is, at last, a story of redemption and hope.
Cathy Bao Bean Cathy Bao Bean, author of The Chopsticks Fork Principle, A Memoir and Manual, is a daughter, mother, wife, friend, sister, aerobics instructor, business manager, and board member of the Claremont Graduate University School of the Arts and Humanities, the NJ Council for the Humanities and Society for Values in Higher Education. In a previous incarnation, she was a philosophy teacher, cook, student, carpool driver as well as founding member of the Ridge and Valley Conservancy. In the process, she has been learning how to make the foreign more familiar and the ordinary and extraordinary into each other.
Alison Bechdel Since its inception in 1983, Alison Bechdels comic strip *Dykes To Watch Out For* has become a countercultural institution. The strip is syndicated in dozens of newspapers, translated into several languages and collected in a series of award-winning books. *Utne* magazine has listed DTWOF as "one of the greatest hits of the twentieth century." And *Comics Journal* says, "Bechdels art distills the pleasures of *Friends* and *The Nation* we recognize our world in it, with its sorrows and ironies." In addition to her comic strip, Bechdel has also done exclusive work for a slew of publications, including *Ms.*, *Slate*, the *Advocate*, and many other newspapers, websites, comic books, and 'zines. In 2006, Houghton Mifflin published her graphic memoir, *Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic*. The bestselling coming-of-age tale has been called a "mesmerizing feat of familial resurrection" and a "rare, prime example of why graphic novels have taken over the conversation about American literature.
Yosef Ben-Jochannan Well known Black historian, cultural anthropologist and author. Dr. Ben was adjunct professor at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, for over a decade (1976–1987). He has written and published over forty-nine books and papers, revealing much of the information unearthed while he was in Egypt. Two of his better known works include, Black Man of the Nile and His Family and Africa: Mother of Major Western Religions. In 1939, shortly after receiving his undergraduate degree, Dr. Ben's father sent him to Egypt to study first hand the ancient history of African People. Since 1941, Dr. Ben has been to Egypt at least twice a year. He began leading educational tours to Egypt in 1946. When asked why he began the tours, he replied "because no one knew or cared about Egypt and most believed Egypt was not in Africa." According to Dr. Ben, Egypt is the place to go to learn the fundamentals of living. Over five decades have passed and Dr. Ben, a preeminent scholar and Egyptologist, remains focused on Nile Valley Civilization.
Lerone Bennett Noted journalist, historian, author, and executive editor of Ebony Magazine.
Len Berman Emmy Award-winning sports analyst and a popular Today Show regular, Emmy Award-winning sportscaster Len Berman is known to millions of viewers for his "Spanning the World" round-ups of the astonishing and the hysterical from the world of sports. To sports fans, he is also known as creator and host of the Sports Fantasy program for NBC's SportsWorld. A popular feature in its several years on the air, the show arranged to have viewers act out their sports fantasies with their favorite athletes. He has hosted World Series games and Super Bowls and has done play-by-play for college basketball and NFL football since joining NBC-TV in September 1982. He is the recipient of five Emmy Awards for his sports reports, and his Sports Update program in New York was cited by United Press International for Outstanding Sports reporting. For corporate events, Berman offers the perfect antidote to dry seminars and painfully serious speakers. His program features a hilarious compilation of highlights from his "Spanning the World" segments, as well as anecdotes of his experiences with some of the world's biggest athletes and sports personalities. Whether he is delivering an after-dinner speech or hosting an annual award banquet, Berman's wealth of stories and winning sense of humor guarantee an evening of big league entertainment As one of the nation's top sportscasters, Berman can also make your company tournament or sports outing truly memorable by doing a portion of the play-by-play!
Carl Bernstein Few journalists in Americas history have had the impact on their era and their craft as Carl Bernstein. Bernsteis most recent book is the national bestseller A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham, acclaimed as the definitive biography of the woman who may be the next President of the United States. In the early 1970s, Bernstein and Bob Woodward broke the Watergate story for The Washington Post and set the standard for modern investigative reporting, for which they and The Post were awarded the Pulitzer Prize. Together, they wrote two classic bestsellers: All the Presidents Men also a movie starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman about their coverage of the Watergate story and The Final Days about the denouement of the Nixon presidency. Since then, in books, magazine articles, commentary, television reporting, and as editor of an award winning website, Bernstein has continued to build on the theme he and Woodward first explored in the Nixon years the use and abuse of power: political power, media power, financial power, and spiritual power. In the 1990s, Bernstein turned his attention to one of the towering figures of the age, Pope John Paul II, resulting in the ground breaking papal biography John Paul II and the History of Our Time. The book, co authored with Vatican journalist Marco Politi and published in 1996, was the first to detail the Popes pivotal, and often secret, role in the fall of communism. Much of the information was unearthed from the Kremlins secret archives of the Cold War era, and from Vatican sources who also shed historic light on the Popes ecclesiastical policies and personal attitudes towards sex, priestly celibacy, women, dogma, and tensions between the American church and the Vatican. Bernstein is also author of a masterful memoir of his familys experience in the McCarthy era, Loyalties: A Son's Memoir, published by Simon and Schuster in 1986. In the political season of 1999 2001, Bernstein served as editor and executive vice president of Voter.com, a pioneering website that Forbes magazine named the best political site on the internet. The site initiated the now standard practice of amassing and consolidating content from multiple sites. Currently, he is a political analyst for CNN, a contributing editor for Vanity Fair, and a former Washington Bureau Chief and correspondent for ABC News. In addition to his political coverage and commentary, Bernstein has written and lectured extensively and critically about the role and responsibilities of the American press. Bernstein was born and raised in Washington, DC. He began his journalism career at age 16 as a copyboy for The Washington Evening Star, and became a reporter at 19. At The Washington Post, he covered virtually every aspect of the urban experience: police, the courts, city hall, the suburbs, race and civil rights, the anti war movement, Maryland and Virginia politics. He was also a part time rock critic at the paper.
Dr. Bernita Berry An outspoken advocate for people of color, prominent sociologist Dr. Bernita Berry is one of America's leading authorities on race, ethnic relations, gender, class and public policy issues. She lectures extensively on such topics as African American History, how to cope in a predominately white environment; cultural diversity; women and people of color in America.
Dr. Bertice Berry Comedian, motivational speaker, sociologist and talk-show host. Dr. Bertice Berry combines inspiration, folk wisdom, humor and pathos in her lecture presentation. She is the author of Bertice: The World According To Me; and Sckraight from the Ghetto: You Know You're Ghetto If...
Michael Beschloss Beschloss is an award-winning historian of the U.S. presidency and the author of seven books, including his most recent work, the acclaimed New York Times bestseller The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1941-1945. Newsweek has called Beschloss "the nation's leading presidential historian." He is a regular commentator on the PBS program The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and a contributor to ABC News. Beschloss has completed two books in a trilogy on President Johnson's secret tapes, Taking Charge (1997) and Reaching for Glory (2001), which were both national bestsellers. His first book, Kennedy and Roosevelt: The Uneasy Alliance (1980), started as his senior honors thesis at Williams College. His book The Crisis Years: Kennedy and Khrushchev, 1960-1963 (1991) won the Ambassador Book Prize and was called by the New Yorker the "definitive" book on President Kennedy and the Cold War. Beschloss wrote the essay on President George W. Bush for the book Character Above All and participated in the 1996 PBS television adaptation of that book. He served as chief historical adviser and appeared in a 1994 two-part documentary on President Eisenhower, which aired on The American Experience series. He also appeared in the PBS documentary The Kennedys in 1992. As literary executor for the late Newsweek columnist Meg Greenfield, he edited her posthumously published book Washington (2001), which was a New York Times bestseller. He is now working on a history of President Lincoln's last days and his assassination.
Stephen Birmingham Best-selling author of such books as Our Crowd: The Great Jewish Families of New York and The Right People.
Ken Blanchard Dr. Blanchard has received worldwide recognition for his phenomenal best-selling book, The One Minute Manager, co-authored with Spencer Johnson. Selling more than seven million copies worldwide, The One Minute Manager has been translated into more than 25 languages and is regarded as one of the most successful business books of all time. In addition, Dr. Blanchard has written several other successful books, including five more within The One Minute Manager Library. He also co-authored The Power of Ethical Management, with Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. In 1992, he released Playing the Great Game of Golf followed by Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service, co-authored with Sheldon Bowles. Dr. Blanchard is chairman of Blanchard Training and Development, Inc., a full-service management training and consulting company which he and his wife Dr. Marjorie Blanchard founded in 1979 in San Diego, California. He is also a visiting lecturer at his alma mater Cornell University, where he is a trustee emeritus of the Board of Trustees. Ken has received a multitude of awards and honors for his contributions in the field of management and leadership. In 1991, the National Speakers Association awarded him its highest honor, the ?Council of Peers Award of Excellence.? In 1992, Dr. Blanchard was inducted into the HRD Hall of Fame by Training Magazine and Lakewood Conferences, and also received the 1992 Golden Gavel Award from Toastmasters International.
Lawrence Block Lawrence Blocks novels range from the urban noir of Matthew Scudder (All the Flowers are Dying) to the urbane effervescence of Bernie Rhodenbarr (The Burglar on the Prowl), while other characters include the globe trotting insomniac Evan Tanner (Tanner On Ice) and the introspective assassin Keller (Hit List). He has published articles and short fiction in American Heritage, Redbook, Playboy, Cosmopolitan, GQ, and The New York Times, and 84 of his short stories have been collected in Enough Rope. In 2004, he became executive story editor for the television series TILT. Several of his novels have been filmed, though not terribly well. His newest bestsellers are All the Flowers are Dying, the 16th Matthew Scudder novel, and The Burglar on the Prowl, his tenth Bernie Rhodenbarr novel, now available in paperback. Block is a Grand Master of Mystery Writers of America, and a past president of both MWA and the Private Eye Writers of America. He has won the Edgar and Shamus Awards four times each and the Japanese Maltese Falcon Award twice, as well as the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, and, most recently, the Cartier Diamond Dagger for Life Achievement from the Crime Writers Association (UK). In France, he has been proclaimed a Grand Maitre du Roman Noir and has twice been awarded the Societe 813 trophy. He has been a guest of honor at Bouchercon and at book fairs and mystery festivals in France, Germany, Australia, Italy, New Zealand and Spain, and, as if that were not enough, was presented with the key to the city of Muncie, Indiana.
Robert Bly Award winning poet and best-selling author of Iron John: A Book About Men, a book about male initiation, the role of the mentor and the truths about masculinity that go beyond the stereotypes of our popular culture. A winner of the National Book Award, Robert Bly is recognized as a salient figure of the recent man's movement in the United States.
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach Rabbi Shmuley Boteach is a world-famous thinker, author, lecturer, and activist who has become a phenomenon both in the US and internationally due to his provocative and insightful writings, live debates and extensive media appearances. Rabbi Boteach first came to world attention through his founding of the Oxford University L'Chaim Society, an organization of Oxford students that within two years of its founding in 1988 had become the second largest student organization in Oxford 's history. In Oxford , where Rabbi Boteach served as Rabbi for eleven years, he played host to and debated some of the world's leading thinkers and statesmen. Rabbi Shmuley is also the author of fourteen books, including the international best-sellers Kosher Sex, Dating Secrets of the Ten Commandments, and Judaism for Everyone: Renewing your Life through the Vibrant Lessons of the Jewish Faith. His relationship book, Why Can't I Fall in Love was a finalist for the 2002 Books for a Better Life Award. Rabbi Boteach's newest book is The Private Adam: Becoming a Hero in a Selfish Age. In this image of two divergent Adams -- the aggressive public figure, and the humble private man -- Boteach finds a parable for man's eternal struggle between ambition and altruism, self-promotion and self-sacrifice. Illuminated with inspiring examples from history and contemporary life -- and filled with valuable advice -- The Private Adam is Boteach's most thoughtful and universal book yet. In the spring of 2002, Rabbi Shmuley began a nationally-syndicated radio talk show on the Talk America Network, one of the largest radio syndicators in North America . The call-in, discussion, and advice show airs Monday through Friday for 3 hours. Shmuley is also one of the country's most sought guests on radio and television talk show circuit. He has appeared on nearly every American talk and news program, including The Today Show, The View, Politically Incorrect, Larry King Live, The O'Reilly Factor, CBS This Morning, NBC Evening News, Hannity and Colmes, Entertainment Tonight, and Inside Edition. Rabbi Shmuley has been profiled in Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, the London Telegraph, The Washington Post, The L.A. Times, The Jerusalem Post, the Chicago Tribune, The South China Morning Post, the Sydney Morning Herald, The Miami Herald, and Newark Star-Ledger. Jewsweek.com placed Shmuley at number 17 on their annual list of the 50 most influential Jews in America .
Keith Boykin Keith Boykin is the editor of The Daily Voice online news site, a CNBC contributor, a BET TV host and a New York Times best-selling author of three books. Educated at Dartmouth and Harvard, Keith attended law school with President Barack Obama and served in the White House as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton. Keith has been actively involved in progressive causes since he worked on his first congressional campaign while still a student in high school. He is a veteran of six political campaigns, including two presidential campaigns, and he was named one of the top instructors when he taught political science at American University in Washington. Keith has traveled extensively across four continents, and in 1997 President Clinton appointed him, along with Coretta Scott King and Rev. Jesse Jackson, to the U.S. presidential trade delegation to Zimbabwe. He was a star on the 2004 Showtime television series American Candidate and has since appeared on numerous national media programs, including Anderson Cooper 360, The O'Reilly Factor, The Tyra Banks Show, The Montel Williams Show, Judge Hatchett and The Tom Joyner Morning Show. A founder and first board president of the National Black Justice Coalition, Keith has spoken to audiences, large and small, all across the world. He delivered a landmark speech to 200,000 people at the Millennium March on Washington and he gave a stirring speech about the AIDS epidemic in front of 40,000 people in Chicago's Soldier Field in July 2006. Each of Keith's three books has been nominated for a Lambda Literary Award, including his most recent book, Beyond the Down Low: Sex, Lies and Denial in Black America. Keith won the Lambda Literary Award for his second book, Respecting The Soul, while his first book, One More River to Cross, is taught in colleges and universities throughout the country. Keith is an associate producer of the 2007 feature film Dirty Laundry and is working on his fourth book. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Keith currently lives in New York City.
James Brady Editor-at-Large of Advertising Age, James Brady has written nine novels, including the best seller, Further Lane, the second in a four book series that takes place in the Hamptons, on the east end of Long Island. His most recent work is the bestseller The Marines of Autumn. Mr. Brady began his journalism career as a reporter and went on to become publisher of Women's Wear Daily. He was on of the creators of "W" magazine; was editor and publisher of Harper's Bazaar; and was editor of New York magazine.
Sherry Brantley Inspirational speaker and author of the book Choices: The Power Is Within You,Sherry Brantley is known for her dynamic, energetic seminars and workshops. As she states: "I was homeless, jobless, car-less and hopeless--all at the same time, but thankfully not clueless!" Sherry's belief: "We all have a Spiritual, Personal Power. We have always possessed this power. The power is within us. All of us. Without exception. We can learn to tap into this power on a daily basis, to begin to make positive choices in how our lives should go, resulting in the changes that we want to accomplish. There is a universal law that states: 'What you focus on in life, you expand in your life.' Begin to focus on what you want to expand in your life!" Start To Exercise Personal Power (STEPP) a program founded by Sherry, is designed to not merely assist people of various backgrounds to realize their potential, goals and purpose in life, but also assist them Sherry Brantley is known for her dynamic, energetic seminars and workshops.
Dahlak Brathwaite Dahlak Brathwaite is a 19-year old emcee, actor, poet and playwright originally from Sacramento, California. Since entering the spoken word scene in 2003, Brathwaite has won the San Francisco Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam two years in a row (2004 & 2005). He was also a member of the Berkeley Slam Team that won the Brave New Voices' International Slam in 2004. A member of Ill-Literacy, a San Francisco-based spoken word collective, Brathwaite has performed at universities including Stanford, Loyola Marymount and Berkeley, and has opened for such esteemed artists as Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Goapele, Michael Franti, and Dead Prez. He is also a mentor at Youth Speaks, the San Francisco-based spoken word collective, where he recently helped launch the organization's First Word Productions arm with the release of Innerworks Mixtape Vol.1 - a compilation of hip-hop and R&B songs featuring Brathwaite and two-time Def Poet Rafael "A.D." Casal. He also helped co-write and perform in Scourge, a play by Broadway vet Marc Bamuthi Joseph, which headlined the San Francisco Hip-Hop Theater Festival. In 2005, Brathwaite will be touring with the Scourge Company, releasing a solo hip-hop/spoken word album on First Word Productions, and continuing to write and perform poetry, music, and plays.
Rosemary Bray Journalist and writer, Rosemary Bray is the author of the critically acclaimed book Unafraid of the Dark, a powerful memoir of growing up on welfare in Chicago's Black Belt, her triumphant rise to a Yale degree, and becoming a respected journalist in New York
Jimmy Breslin Outspoken syndicated newspaper columnist and author.
Peter Brookes Peter Brookes writes a weekly column on foreign policy and defense for the New York Post and is penning a book on national security affairs for McGraw Hill due out early next fall. He appears regularly on national TV and radio. Prior to joining the Heritage Foundation, Brookes served in the Bush administration as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for Asian and Pacific Affairs in the Office of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, where he was responsible for the development, planning, guidance and oversight of U .S. security and defense policy for 38 countries and 5 bilateral defense alliances in the Asia-Pacific region. Brookes has a distinguished military background, including active duty in support of military operations in Iraq/Kuwait (Desert Storm); Haiti (Restore Democracy); and Bosnia (Joint Endeavor). He flew reconnaissance missions in East Asia and the Persian Gulf while stationed in Japan covering military matters related to the Soviet Union, North Korea, China, Vietnam, Iran and Iraq. His personal awards and decorations include: the Joint Service Commendation Medal; the Navy Commendation Medal (3 awards); the Navy Achievement Medal; several naval and joint unit awards; the Defense Language Institute’s Kellogg Award; the Joint Chiefs of Staff service badge; and Naval Aviation Observer (NAO) wings.
David Brooks David Brooks, editor, political and social commentator. Brooks writes or serves as an editor for The New York Times, The Weekly Standard, Newsweek, The Atlantic Monthly, The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Forbes, The Washington Post, The TLS, The Public Interest and many other magazines. He is the author if "Bobos In Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There and Backward and Upward: The New Conservative Writing."
Tony Brown Called "television's civil rights crusader," Tony Brown is a distinguished producer, educator, writer and film director. His Tony Brown's Journal on PBS was selected as one of the top ten television shows in history presenting positive African-American images. He is the author of Empower the People: A 7-Step Plan to Overthrow the Conspiracy That Is Stealing Your Money and Freedom. Tony Brown is considered by many to be a true renaissance man, cultural diversity consultant, TV journalist/commentator, self-help advocate, radio talk show host, keynote speaker, syndicated columnist, media entrepreneur, film director, educator and author. His efforts in all arenas have garnered national recognition and support. His first book, Black Lies, White Lies: The Truth According to Tony Brown, was published in 1995 and offers an innovative plan for making America more competitive and helping the country solve its race problem. It also examines his Team America concept and discusses cultural diversity as America's industrial salvation. Brown is also the author of Empower The People: A 7-Step Plan to Overthrow the Conspiracy That is Stealing Your Money and Freedom.
Elaine Brown Elaine Brown is a former leader of the Black Panther Party, and author of A Taste of Power and The Condemnation of Little B. — A Taste of Power was optioned in January 2007 by HBO in connection with its six-part series The Black Panthers, now in development. # Brown is presently co-authoring For Reasons of Race and Belief, The Trials of Jamil Al-Amin (formerly H. Rap Brown) with Karima Al-Amin (for 2010 publication by Basic Books), and is completing the non-fiction book Melba and Al, A Story of Black Love in Jim Crow America, slated for publication in 2009 (Seven Stories Press). She is the editor of Messages from Behind the Wall, a collection of autobiographical essays by black prisoners in New Mexico, published in February 2007 by the New Mexico Department of African American Affairs.In 1996, after living seven years in France, Brown moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where she established the nonprofit education corporation Fields of Flowers. In 1997, Brown co-founded Mothers Advocating Juvenile Justice, and, in 2002, co-founded and became a Board member of the National Alliance for Radical Prison Reform. Presently, Brown is a member of the Georgia Geechee Council, a partner in Seize the Time, Inc., a member of the Committee to Free Romaine "Chip" Fitzgerald, and a partner in The Toubakolong Partnership (The Gambia).In November 2005, Brown ran for mayor of Brunswick, Georgia, with the intent of using the office to create a base of economic power for the city's majority black and poor population through redistribution of the massive revenues of the city's port. She is co-founder of the Brunswick Women's Association for a People's Blueprint.Brown is Executive Director of the Michael Lewis Legal Defense Committee, supporting the legal appeal of Lewis ("Little B"), who, arrested at the age of 13 for a murder he did not commit, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison (1997). Brown regularly lectures at colleges and universities throughout the country on "New Age Racism" and realization of the vision of eliminating racism, gender oppression and class disparity toward an inclusive and egalitarian world society. A fluent French speaker, Brown has traveled extensively throughout the world, from China, North Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, Algeria to France, Italy, Russia, Argentina, Uruguay, and elsewhere. Brown, who studied classical piano for years, has recorded two albums of original songs, one for Motown records, Until We're Free, and her 1969 album, Seize the Time, which includes "The Black Panther Party National Anthem" (The Meeting), re-released as a CD in January 2007 by Warner Bros.
Anita Bunkley Highly acclaimed African American novelist, Anita Bunkley is the author of such historical novels as Emily; The Yellow Rose; Black Gold; and Starlight Passage.
Augusten Burroughs Augusten Burroughs has rapidly become one of America's most successful young writers, with multiple titles on the national and international bestseller lists. His legions of devoted fans devour every hilarious, stunning, thought-provoking and moving sentence in his rapidly growing body of work, and often line up for hours to see and hear him in his live performances. To say that Augusten Burroughs had an unusual childhood would be an understatement. Somehow, Augusten survived, and turned his experiences into two of the most successful memoirs ever published. These two books, Running With Scissors, and Dry: A Memoir, chronicle his life in his foster family, follow him to New York City, into adulthood, out of the closet, and through rehab for drug and alcohol addiction. Running With Scissors has been on The New York Times list for over 70 weeks, and was recently joined by his critical smash, Magical Thinking. Entertainment Weekly included Augusten in its definitive "It List" and named him one of the "Fifteen Funniest People in America." The film version of Running with Scissors, which is being directed by Emmy Award-nominated writer/director Ryan Murphy (Nip/Tuck), began filming in March, 2005. The largely Oscar-nominated/winning cast includes Annette Bening, Gwyneth Paltrow, Alec Baldwin, Jill Clayburgh and Joseph Cross (as Augusten). A film version of his novel Sellevision is also in the works. Augusten's new book of true stories, Possible Side Effects, which The New York Times called "(H)ilarious, wildly fanciful reminiscences," was released in May, 2006. ------------------------------------------------- What does Augusten Burroughs talk about? An Evening With Augusten Burroughs: Stories From A Remarkable Life Augusten Burroughs' lectures and readings are a tour de force performance—funny, moving, and inspiring, they draw sell-out audiences to theatres and lecture halls across the country. Not without reason did Entertainment Weekly name Augusten Burroughs the 15th Funniest Person in America. His live performances are hilarious and provocative, displaying the same dry wit and eye for the absurd that have made his books so wildly popular. A natural and gifted storyteller, Augusten delves into his own bizarre, disturbing, but ultimately life-affirming childhood and young adulthood in a tour de force performance that can only be described as amazing. Howlingly funny and devastatingly moving, Burroughs' lectures inspire audiences to embrace humor, accept difference, overcome challenges, and create the conditions for their own tremendous success. He is one of that rare breed—a world-class writer who can go from paper to podium without losing any of the force, vitality, and sophistication of the written word.
Tony Burroughs Tony Burroughs is an internationally known genealogist, author, teacher and lecturer. He teaches genealogy at Chicago State University and is the president of Black Roots. Mr. Burroughs appeared as the African American genealogy expert in the public television series, Ancestors (February 1997). In 1996, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Genealogical Society and co-authored the African-American Genealogical Sourcebook (Gale Research 1995). Mr. Burroughs has been practicing genealogy for twenty years, having traced two family lines back seven generations. He has extensive experience in libraries, archives, historical societies and county courthouses. He has conducted the African-American Genealogy workshop at the National Archives – Great Lakes Region for nine years. He also lectures at local, state and national genealogical conferences and has given half-day and full-day workshops in over a dozen cities. He was the APG 20th Anniversary Luncheon Speaker at FGS in 1999, the Keynote Banquet Speaker at GENTECH 98 in Fort Wayne, and the James Dent Walker Memorial Lecturer in Richmond, Virginia in 1994. His talks are on all aspects of American Genealogy, African-American Genealogy and technology. His presentations include exciting color slides to bring family history alive. Mr. Burroughs is a graduate of the National Institute of Genealogical Research in Washington, D.C. and the Institute of Genealogy and History at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. Board positions include: New England Historic Genealogical Society, Association of Professional Genealogists, Gentech, and an FGS Delegate. Past board positions include: President of the Afro-American Genealogical & Historical Society of Chicago, Inc.; Federation of Genealogical Societies and the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Postal Advisory Committee. He is also past curator of the African-American Genealogy Collection at the Avalon Branch of the Chicago Public Library.
Jenna Bush Jenna Bush shares her mother's love of reading and teaching. Jenna taught elementary school in Washington, D.C. after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin in 2004 with a degree in English. She has also written articles for CosmoGIRL! and the New York Times. Her first book, #1 New York Times bestselling Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope, is based on her work with UNICEF.
Jennifer Calderon As a writer, her cutting edge articles on hip hop culture, white privilege, and social justice have appeared in The New York Times, Self Magazine, The Source Magazine, among other traditional and new media outlets. Her fourth book, Till The White Day Is Done: White Privilege, Hip Hop, and Social Change, promises to be as provocative as her personal politics. Due in 2009, the anthology will feature contributions from Sonia Sanchez, Tim Wise, Talib Kweli, and other respected voices.
Alexis Caputo Alexis Caputo is a Multidiscipline Performance Artist, Poet, Writer & Activist. Her artistic portfolio began in performance studies and educational theatre. Upon personal exploration, looking at the historical context of womens contributions in the arts and her contribution to the educational community where her instruction was received, she identified these experiences as chief in her emergence. The interest and strengthening endorsements of her work by theatre scholars Dr. Nancy Putnam-Smithner, Dr. Lowell Swortzell and Playwright, Karen Malpede, all whom she studied under, were instrumental and pivotal references. To this, she has steadily increased her voice beyond the university level as a writer and performance artist creating notable works for theatre. Her course to augment the womens movement in the arts is evident in her portfolio. Her work includes poetry, spoken word, narratives/texts, audio/media, dance (movement) and visuals (iconic symbols). She has created an impressive and distinct body of originally written and performance work, addressing human rights issues, political, cultural, gender, racial, class and social differences. This has enhanced her cultural awareness while entertaining, educating, sharing history and life-affirming work. Solo projects written and performed include SOULED OUT, Truths Carved from the Belly, Woman of the Drum, The Proud Pilgrim and Deconstruction & Deliverance, which toured at noteworthy off Broadway theaters in New York (Harlem Theatre Company, Henry Street Settlement/Abron's Art Center & Dixon Place). The Proud Pilgrim, Truths Carved from the Belly & SOULED OUT were presented at the Langston Hughes Cultural Arts Center in Corona, New York. Woman of the Drum was presented at the Miami-Dade Cultural Center. She represented Delray Beach, Florida as a member of DADA Slam, an assembly of poets who performed at the National Poetry Championships in Madison, Wisconsin 2008. Her published journalism and writing portfolio are for the news houses: The Tribune & Nassau Guardian (Nassau, Bahamas) Broward Times, Miami New Times & the Miami Times.
Robert A. Caro Distinguished historian and author of the new best selling book Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson. Robert Caro won the Pulitzer Prize for his book, The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York. His books, The Path to Power and Means of Ascent both won the National Book Critics Circle Award.
President Jimmy Carter As 39th President of the United States, President Jimmy Carters most significant singular achievements were the signing of the historic Camp David Agreements, the Panama Canal Treaties, the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Peoples Republic of China, and his strong focus on an adherence to human rights around the world. As a private citizen, President Carter founded the Carter Center, addressing vital world issues through nonpartisan study and consultation. He continues to demonstrate his solidarity with the peoples struggling for their rights in various parts of the world. President Carter is the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development. In his speeches, Mr. Carter draws upon his experiences as President of the United States to address almost any vital world issue particularly human rights.
Lorene Cary Award winning author, Lorene Cary is best known in literary circles for her book Black Ice, which she wrote about her two years boarding experience at St. Pauls School, a formerly all white, all male elite prep school in New Hampshire. She is the author of FREE!, a collection of true life Underground Railroad Stories for young readers; The Price of A Child, a 1995 novel chosen as a One Book, One Philadelphia selection by the citys mayor; and Pride. She is currently at work on her fifth book, Blackface. A Senior Lecturer in creative writing at the University of Pennsylvania, Cary is the founder of Art Sanctuary, a non profit performance series that brings black artists to speak and perform at the Church of the Advocate in North Philadelphia. With its partner Asian Arts Initiative, Art Sanctuary has won Pennsylvanias 2005 Governors Award in the Arts for Creative Community collaboration. For her writing and arts activism, Cary was awarded her citys highest civic honor, The Philadelphia Award. Her essays have appeared in Newsweek, Time, Essence, Mirabella, and other publications. She is president of the Union Benevolent Society. Cary lives in Philadelphia with her husband, the Rev. Robert C. Smith, and daughters Laura and Zoe.
Neil Cavuto Host, "Your World With Neil Cavuto" on FOX News, Cable's #1 Business Show Vice President, Anchor, and Managing Editor for Fox News, Neil Cavuto hosts the number one business news program in America, Your World With Neil Cavuto. He has been named by The Wall Street Journal as the best interviewer in business news, and cited by The Journalist and Financial Reporter as the toughest inquisitor of financial and political types. He has been voted best business TV interviewer for five years running. As vice president, anchor and managing editor at Fox, Cavuto oversees all business programming at the network, including Bulls & Bears, Cavuto on Business, Forbes on Fox, and Cashin’ In. Along with Your World, these represent the top five business news programs and Fox has them all. Before joining Fox in 1996, Cavuto anchored and hosted more than three hours of live daily programming for CNBC, and was a financial contributor on NBC’s Today Show and NBC News at Sunrise. His more than 20 years of financial reporting include stints at PBS’ Nightly Business Report, where he served as New York Bureau Chief, and Investment Age Magazine, where he was a Washington Editor. Cavuto has covered some of the most important business and general news stories of our time, including the September 11th, 2001 attacks on this country and the economic programs of every president going back to Ronald Reagan, including the 1987 stock market crash. He served as an intern in the Carter administration as well. Cavuto’s first book, More Than Money: True Stories of People Who Learned Life’s Ultimate Lesson is both a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller. His second book, Your Money Or Your Life, was released in October 2005.
Iris Chang Author of the critically acclaimed book, Thread of the Silkworm and the international bestseller, The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II, which remained on The New York Times bestseller list for ten months in 1997.
Gordon Chang Gordon H. Chang is a professor of American history at Stanford University in the United States. His academic interests lie in the connection between race & ethnicity in America and American foreign relations. Gordon H. Chang is author of Friends and Enemies: The United States, China and the Soviet Union, 1948-1972 (1990), Morning Glory, Evening Shadow: Yamato Ichihashi and His Wartime Writing, 1942-1945 (1997), Asian Americans and Politics: An Exploration (2001), and Chinese American Voices: From the Gold Rush to the Present (2006).
Colin Channer Channer's first novel, Waiting In Vain, was selected as a 1998 Critics Choice by the Washington Post. It was also excerpted in Hot Spots: The Best Erotic Writing in Modern Fiction. His novella, I'm Still Waiting, was published in the bestselling volume Got To Be Real. His next work, Passing Through, is a collection of short stories and will be published in May 2004.
Colin Channer Channer's first novel, Waiting In Vain, was selected as a 1998 Critics Choice by the Washington Post. It was also excerpted in Hot Spots: The Best Erotic Writing in Modern Fiction. His novella, I'm Still Waiting, was published in the bestselling volume Got To Be Real. His next work, Passing Through, is a collection of short stories and will be published in May 2004. The writer was born in Jamaica in 1963. He was raised in Kingston and attended Ardenne and Meadowbrook before moving to New York, where he studied electronic journalism and Spanish. He is the bass player for the reggae band Pipecock Jaxxon.
Susan Cheever Author of five novels and a biography of her father, John Cheever.
Farai Chideya A modern day wordsmith and humanitarian who can go from serious journalism to free-spirited fiction, Farai Chideya has worked in print, television, online, and radio. Prior to joining NPRs News & Notes, she hosted Your Call, a daily news and cultural call-in show on San Francisco's KALW 91.7 FM. Chideya has also been a correspondent for ABC News, anchored the prime time program Pure Oxygen on the Oxygen womens channel, and contributed commentaries to CNN, Fox, MSNBC, and BET. She got her start as a researcher and reporter at Newsweek magazine. In 1997, Newsweek named her to its Century Club of 100 people to watch. In 1996, she spent the presidential election season as a CNN Political Analyst and was named to The New York Daily News "Dream Team" of political reporters and commentators. Her first novel, Kiss the Sky, will be released soon, and explores the life of a rebounding rock-star fighting for fame. Chideyas stereotype shattering book, Dont Believe the Hype:Fighting Cultural Misinformation about African Americans, is now in its eighth printing. Using statistics, she systematically undercuts the argument that African Americans are at the root of problems like crime, welfare and drugs. Her book, The Color of Our Future, was named one of the best books for teens by the New York Public Library and Trust: Reaching the 100 Million Missing Voters, shows why half of Americans are cut out of the political system and what we can do about it. Founder of PopandPolitics.com, an online journal for young Americans, Chideya provides an antidote to mainstream political and cultural reporting. PopandPolitics.com straight-up, non-partisan style blog has earned Chideya awards including a MOBE IT Innovator award, being named one of Alternets New Media Heroes, and ranking in PoliticsOnline.coms worldwide survey of "25 Who Are Changing the World of Internet and Politics."
Claire Chow Asian American psychologist and author of Leaving Deep Water: The Lives of Asian American Women at the Crossroads of Two Cultures. A licensed marriage, family and child counselor, Claire Chow is a adjunct professor at the John F. Kennedy University's Graduate School of Professional Psychology.
Chin-Ning Chu One of the most extraordinary thinkers of our time, Chin-Ning presetns the warrior philosophy of Asia as the premier vehicle for mastering stategic thinking within the political arena and the corporate world as well as in daily life. Chin-Ning fuses timeless wisdom and spirituality with practical business tactics into dynamic tools for solving life's ever-shifting challenges. The most successful Amercian author of such books as The Asian Mind Game; Do Less, Achieve More; and Working Woman's Art of War.
Tom Clancy Best-selling author of such books as The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger.
Carol Higgins Clark Popular mystery author.
Mary Clark Popular mystery writer Mary Higgins Clark is the master of psychological thrillers. Her bestsellers include: On The Street Where You Live, A Stranger is Watching, Stillwatch, and I'll Be Seeing You.
Pearl Cleage Pearl Cleage is a fiction writer, playwright, poet, essayist, and journalist who has lived in Atlanta for more than thirty years. In her writing, Cleage draws on her experiences as an activist for AIDS and womens rights, and she cites the rhythms of black life as her muse. Cleages first novel, What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day, was an Oprah Book Club selection in 1998 and appeared on the New York Times best seller list for nine weeks. Cleage (pronounced cleg) was born on December 7, 1948, in Springfield, Massachusetts, the younger daughter of Doris Graham and Albert B. Cleage Jr. She grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where her father was a church pastor and played a prominent role in the civil rights movement. Many leaders of the movement passed through the Cleage house on their way to rallies and demonstrations in other cities in the Midwest and Northeast. After graduating from the Detroit public schools in 1966, Cleage enrolled at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she majored in playwriting and dramatic literature. In 1969 she moved to Atlanta and enrolled at Spelman College, graduating in 1971 with a bachelors degree in drama. She later joined the Spelman faculty as a writer and playwright in residence and as a creative director. Also in 1969 she married Michael Lomax, an Atlanta politician and educator and the current president of Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana. They have one daughter, Deignan Njeri. The marriage ended in divorce in 1979. Cleage married Zaron W. Burnett Jr., writer and director for the Just Us Theater Company, in 1994.
Lucille Clifton Lucille Clifton is one of the most beloved and respected figures in American poetry today, widely acclaimed for her powerful explorations of race, womanhood, spirituality, and mortality. A major voice since her debut collection Good Times, in 1969, she has continued to portray the experiences of being an African-American, a woman, and a human with clarity and elegance. Her language, often described as "deceptively simple," strikes a nuanced balance between complexity of thought and economy of words. She has published 12 collections of her poetry, one autobiographical prose work and 19 children’s books, with more on the way. She received the National Book Award for Poetry for her book, Blessing the Boats (BOA 2000). Her most recent book of poems is Mercy (BOA 2005); other titles include Ordinary Woman, Quilting, and The Book of Light. Her work has been anthologized in close to 200 anthologies of poetry. Ms. Clifton has received many fellowships and awards for her poetry collections and children’s books, including the 2007 Ruth Lilly Prize, Shelley Memorial Prize, a Charity Randall Citation, an Emmy Award from the American Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, selection as a Literary Lion by the New York Public Library, a Lannan Achievement Award in Poetry and a Lila Wallace/Reader’s Digest Writer’s Award. Ms. Clifton served as distinguished Professor of Humanities and holder of the Hilda C. Landers Endowed chair in the Liberal Arts at St. Mary’s College of Maryland until her retirement in the fall of 2005. She continues to serve St. Mary’s as Professor emeritus and Friend to the College. She served as Poet Laureate of the State of Maryland from 1975-1985. She has appeared on the “Today Show,” “Sunday Morning” with Charles Kuralt, “The Power of the Word” with Bill Moyers and “Nightline” with Ted Koppel. Ms. Clifton serves on the board of Chancellors of the Academy of American Poets, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is the only poet to have had two books nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in the same year.
Andrei Codrescu Well known poet, author and National Public Radio commentator.
Randy Cohen Author and ethicist, Randy Cohen's column, "The Ethicist" appears weekly in The New York Times magazine as well as in 38 newspapers across the U.S. and Canada. His book, The Good, The Bad and The Difference, based on his column was recently published. Previously, he wrote humor pieces for The New Yorker, Harpers, the Atlantic and the on-line magazine, Slate. He was the original head writer on "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" and won three Emmy awards as a writer for "Late Night with David Letterman."
Stephen Colbert Born and raised in South Carolina, Colbert began making a name for himself in Chicago as a member of the famed Second City improv troupe where he met Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello. After several years at Second City, the threesome moved to New York City and, along with others, developed Exit 57, a halfhour sketch comedy series for HBO Downtown Productions which ran for two seasons during the mid90s on Comedy Central. Exit 57 received five CableACE nominations for best writing, performing and comedy series. Colbert reunited with Sedaris and Dinello to create Comedy Centrals first ever, live-action, narrative series, Strangers with Candy, a twisted take on the classic and typically moralistic afterschool specials. Colbert also starred opposite Will Ferrell and Nicole Kidman in Bewitched; wrote and was a cast member on The Dana Carvey Show; appeared in commercials for GM Mr. Goodwrench wrote for Saturday Night Live and was the voice of Ace on the animated SNL series The Ambiguously Gay Duo. Since 1997, Stephen Colbert has been The Daily Shows longestrunning and most diverse correspondent. In addition to his role as Senior Political Correspondent he was one of the hosts of Even Stephven, a point-counterpoint assault featuring co-correspondent Steve Carell, and the host of "This Week in God," in which he reported on all things theological with the assistance of the "God Machine." Stephen helped The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to win numerous Emmy and Peabody Awards, and contributed to America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction (Warner Books), which immediately topped The New York Times Best Seller List and stayed there for 15 consecutive weeks. His personality, insight and overall rightness could only lead to The Colbert Report, a half-hour nightly platform for him to give his take on the issues of the day, and, more importantly, to tell you why everyone else's take is just plain wrong.
Johnnetta Cole One of the most powerful well-regarded African American women in the US, Johnnetta B. Cole has a way with making history. Shes been the first female African American President of Spelman College, the first woman ever elected to the Board of Coca-Cola Enterprises, and the first African American woman to serve as Chair of the Board of United Way of America. In over 30 years in education, she has also served two US Presidents in leadership roles. As a scholar, author, and activist for social and economic justice, Cole spearheads breakthrough thinking about diversity, leadership, and womens issues. Now chairing the Johnnetta B. Cole Global Diversity & Inclusion Institute at Bennett College, she partners diversity with academic institutions, businesses, corporations, civic and community organizations, and government and global thought leaders. An inspiring force, Cole rallies everyone to embrace diversity as not only a moral and social value, but as a compelling case for business. She encourages audiences to move beyond the status quo to fully take advantage of the innovative and profitable ideas that stem from a more diverse workforce, membership, and student body. Barriers are meant to be broken and success will follow notes Cole: "How much better our world would be if each of us respected difference until difference doesn't make any more difference."
David Coleman Real-life date coach David Coleman sees plenty of parallels between Will Smith's character in the new movie Hitch and his own career helping others find love. Coleman says he has called himself The Dating Doctor since 1985. ... Meet a real-life 'Hitch' is known nationwide as The Dating Doctor and "America's Real-Life Hitch." He has been named the National Speaker of the Year on 10 separate occasions - 7 times by Campus Activities Magazine and 3 times by The National Association for Campus Activities. He recently won again for 2006! He is a highly sought after speaker, entertainer, and retreat facilitator. David received his Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology ('83) and his Master of Arts Degree in College Student Personnel Administration ('85) from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. His second book, Date Smart! How to Stop Revolving and Start Evolving in Relationships has remained a top seller. His third and fourth books, Let Your Leadership Speak and Leadership's Greatest Hits (both co-authored), offer experiences, strategies and ideas to expand your leadership potential. His most recent work, Making Relationships Matter, is an honest look at how to live a life with no regrets while getting the most from every day and every relationship in a post 9/11 world. David has been featured in such fine publications as Us Magazine, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Cosmopolitan, USA Today, Celebrity Living, The Wall Street Journal, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Washington Post and The New York Times. David has appeared on ABC, NBC, CBS, WGN, Fox and CNN as well as hundreds of radio and television stations nationwide. He is a regular guest on Star 105.7 in Grand Rapids, Star 94 in Atlanta, MIX 105.1 in Orlando, KLITE in Bakersfield and The Big One, 700 WLW, in Cincinnati and has worked closely with MSN to promote their Streets and Trips software release and their Shopping.MSN.com website. From his appearances on radio, TV, live and in print, David has impacted more than 10,000,000 people worldwide. Audience members at more than 2,500 college campuses, conferences, single's organizations, churches, corporations and marriage encounter groups have experienced his energetic and entertaining programs.
Jill Ker Conway Dr. Conway is an academic, writer and business leader who is best known for her autobiography The Road From Coorain, an account of her childhood in Australia. She has a Ph.D. from Harvard University, and taught at the University of Toronto from 1964 to 1975, serving as vice-president from 1973 to 1975. She was the first woman president at Smith College, serving from 1975 to 1985. Dr. Conway has received 16 honorary doctorates from American and Canadian universities. She is a director of Merrill Lynch & Co, Colgate-Palmolive Co. Inc. and Nike Inc. and serves as chair of Lend Lease, an Australian-based property and financial services group. She is also visiting professor in the Science, Technology and Society Program of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Robin Cook, MD Best selling author of such medical mystery thrillers as Coma, Outbreak and Fatal Care.
Alycia Cooper Stand-Up Comedienne, Alycia Cooper, wrote the Top 10s for the #1 radio show in LA, "The Steve Harvey Morning Show," and has written for the likes of Russell Simmons, of Def Jam fame. She has penned a feature length screenplay and has worked on "The Dr. Phil Show, Wanda Does It, “Bands Reunited, The Magic Hour, "The Love Connection, "Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus," "Oh Drama," "The Grown-Ups" and "The Parkers. Alycia has been featured in Essence Magazine as a comedienne to watch! She has also warmed up audiences for Girlfriends and Wanda at Large. Stand Up Credits include BETs Comicview. Alycia has also been on NBCs “Last Comic Standing, "BET Live" and "Oh Drama." She has produced several successful reality shows and has a development deal with Buena Vista/ Disney.
Dr. Grace Cornish Well known relationship expert, image consultant, family therapist, Gracie Cornish delivers a positive message of self-reliance directed to women from all walks of life. She is the author of three books of empowerment for women: The Fortune of Being Yourself; Think and Grow Beautiful; and Radiant Women of Color and Womens Rights Womens Power, a book which has won critical acclaim as a total self-empowerment guide for Black women. A much sought after guest on the TV talk show circuit, she has appeared on "The Montel Williams Show," "Ricki Lake," "Rolanda" and NBC's "Positively Black."
Rita Cosby Rita Cosby News anchor and correspondent Recipient of numerous awards for investigative reporting and journalism distinction, Rita Cosby is a special correspondent for MSNBC, anchoring Rita Cosby: Live and Direct. She also serves the network as Special Correspondent. Cosby previously worked as an anchor and reporter at Fox News where she hosted The Big Story Weekend Edition and Fox News Live with Rita Cosby. Cosby has conducted exclusive interviews with various world leaders such as Slobodan Milosevic, Yasser Arafat, Ariel Sharon and Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Ronald Reagan. Having reported numerous stories from extremely dangerous places in the world, Cosby is one of the most highly acclaimed journalists today.
Ellis Cose Prominent journalist and contributing editor of Newsweek magazine where he writes on a broad range of subjects, including domestic policy, race and the press. Prior to that he served as editorial page editor and chairman of the editorial board at The New York Daily News. He is also on the board of contributors for USA Today and he writes essays for the newspaper. Ellis Cose is the author of five books on important social issues in America including "Color-Blind: Seeing Beyond Race In a Race-Obsessed World;" "A Man's World;" and "The Rage of a Privileged Class".Cose has appeared on The Today Show, Nightline, Dateline, ABC Evening News, Good Morning America, the PBS "Time to Choose" election special, Charlie Rose, CNN's Talk Back Live, and a variety of other nationally televised and local programs. He has also been interviewed for British, Brazilian and Canadian television. He is also a judge for the New York Public Library Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism. Cose has received fellowships or individual grants from the Ford Foundation, The Andrew Mellon Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies, and numerous journalism awards-including the University of Missouri medal for career excellence and distinguished service in journalism, four National Association of Black Journalists first place awards (for commentary and for magazine writing), and two Clarion awards (for commentary and writings on the incarceration crisis). He was also named the 2002 winner of the New York Association of Black Journalists' lifetime achievement award, winner of the 2003 award for best magazine feature from the National Association of Black Journalists as well as the winner of two New York Association of Black Journalists' first place 2003 awards for commentary and magazine features. In 2004 Cose was named the first recipient of the newly inaugurated annual Vision Award from the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education.
Shu Shu Costa Asian American author who has written extensivley about her connection and fascination for the people and the culture of her ancestors. Shu Shu Costa is the author of Lotus Seeds and Lucky Stars, a narrative of age-old wisdom and fables for Asian-American mothers and Wild Geese and Tea.
Dorothy Cotton Dorothy Cotton translates years of experience and learning into words and song bearing messages of hope. Through "Songs of the Movement," laughter and storytelling, Dorothy synthesizes the lessons from our history into a working vision for the future. Dorothy gets us to laugh, sing, and join together to create a more caring and humane world. Dorothy Cotton was the Education Director for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference for twelve years under the direct supervision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Working closely with Dr. King, Dorothy served on his executive staff and was part of his entourage to Oslo, Norway, where he received the Nobel Peace Prize. She served as the Vice President for Field Operations for the Dr. M.L.K. Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta. Dr. Cotton was the Director of Student Activities at Cornell University for nine years, and served as the Southeastern Regional Director of ACTION, the Federal Government's Agency for volunteer programs for three years. She holds a Masters Degree from Boston University in the area of Special Education. Dorothy has designed and conducted training programs for corporations, schools, universities, government agencies and nonprofit organizations working with well over 100,000 participants. She has delivered commencement speeches and has addressed students at hundreds of colleges and universities including The University of New England and Spelman College (both of which gave her an Honorary Doctorate degree for her public work), Stanford University, The Albuquerque Academy, Brown University, City College of New Jersey and many more.Dorothy was recently featured in an ABC special "The Century" with Peter Jennings. She has spoken and traveled extensively throughout the world, including India, Africa, the People's Republic of China, Switzerland, the former Soviet Union, and Vietnam. Dorothy serves as a valuable resource to organizations on diverse topics addressing race relations, multiculturalism/diversity, communication, personal development, spiritual growth, human relations, citizenship education, civic organizing for the 21st century and nonviolence education. Currently she is involved in the expansion of the National Citizenship School in conjunction with Civic Organizing, Inc. of Minnesota. Dorothy's upcoming book will focus on lessons from the historic citizenship education program and her work with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Ann Coulter Ann Coulter is the author of five New York Times bestsellers —Godless: The Church of Liberalism (June 2006),How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must)(October, 2004), Treason: Liberal Treachery From the Cold War to the War on Terrorism (June 2003); Slander: Liberal Lies About the American Right (June 2002); and High Crimes and Misdemeanors:The Case Against Bill Clinton (August 1998). Coulter is the legal correspondent for Human Events and writes a popular syndicated column for Universal Press Syndicate. She is a frequent guest on many TV shows, including Hannity and Colmes, Wolf Blitzer Reports, At Large With Geraldo Rivera, Scarborough Country, HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, The O'Reilly Factor, Good Morning America and has been profiled in numerous publications, including TV Guide, the Guardian (UK), the New York Observer, National Journal, Harper's Bazaar, and Elle magazine, among others. She was named one of the top 100 Public Intellectuals by federal judge Richard Posner in 2001. Coulter clerked for the Honorable Pasco Bowman II of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and was an attorney in the Department of Justice Honors Program for outstanding law school graduates. After practicing law in private practice in New York City, Coulter worked for the Senate Judiciary Committee, where she handled crime and immigration issues for Senator Spencer Abraham of Michigan. From there, she became a litigator with the Center For Individual Rights in Washington, DC, a public interest law firm dedicated to the defense of individual rights with particular emphasis on freedom of speech, civil rights, and the free exercise of religion.
Katie Couric The first female to solely anchor a nightly network news program and a tireless advocate for cancer prevention, Katie Couric analyzes the hard hitting and hopeful stories making news worldwide. Driven by professional integrity and the human need to connect, Katie Couric brings compassion and understanding to overwhelming and complex stories. She interviews todays newsmakers and tomorrows leaders, gaining acclaim for her in depth interviews with 2008 Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin and with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates during a trip to Afghanistan where he fired the top general waging Americas fight in this critical region. Formerly co anchor of NBCs Today for more than a decade, a contributing anchor for Dateline NBC and the recipient of two Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award, Couric offers audiences humorous, touching anecdotes and a behind the scenes look at her history making role in television news. A tireless advocate for charitable causes, Couric helped found the Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance, which focuses on education, research and awareness.
Catherine Crier Catherine Crier an American television anchor for the Court TV program, Catherine Crier Live, a daily show concerning legal news stories. Crier began her TV career at CNN which she co-anchored the programs Inside Politics â€92 and The World Today. She later was hired by ABC News to be a correspondent for ABC World News Tonight and the newsmagazine 20/20. After spending three and a half years at ABC News, Crier anchored a live nightly talk show program, The Crier Report for Fox News Channel. Prior to having a television career, Crier was a Texas State District Judge for the 162nd District Court in Dallas County. She subsequently became the youngest elected state judge in Texas history at age thirty. From 1982 to 1984, Crier was a civil litigation attorney in Dallas; prior to this, from 1978 to 1981, an Assistant District Attorney and Felony Chief Prosecutor for the Dallas County District Attorney's office.
Ann Crittenden Ann Crittenden is an award-winning journalist and author. She was a reporter for The New York Times from 1975 to 1983, where she authored a series on world hunger that was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. She was also a financial writer and foreign correspondent for Newsweek, a reporter for Fortune, a visiting lecturer at MIT and Yale, and executive director of the Fund for Investigative Journalism in Washington, D.C. The hardcover release of her book, The Price of Motherhood, created a national stir. Crittenden utilizes her extensive background in economics to show how the work of raising children creates enormous wealth for society, but huge economic penalties for those who do the work. Some of her findings:
Walter Cronkite Retired journalist, best known for his work as a television news anchorman. During his tenure at CBS Evening News, he was often cited in viewer opinion polls as "the most trusted man in America," because of his experience and professional demeanor.
Tawny Cypress Tawny Cypress played Simone Deveaux on the hit show "Heroes"
Chuck D As leader and co-founder of legendary rap group Public Enemy, Chuck D redefined rap music and hip hop culture with the release of PE's explosive debut album, Yo Bum Rush The Show, in 1987. His messages addressed weighty issues about race, rage and inequality with a jolting combination of intelligence and eloquence never seen before. Chuck D and Public Enemy were celebrated in the May 2004 issue of Rolling Stone magazine as one of the "fifty most important performers in rock & roll history." Chuck D is also a national spokesperson for Rock the Vote, the National Urban League, and the National Alliance for African American Athletes. He has appeared in numerous public service announcements for national peace and the Partnership for a Drug Free America. As he continues to work on commentary, music, and writing on rap, race, and reality, it is clear that there are few who have transcended music and have made an impact as loud of Chuck D.
Mike D'Orso Author of the best selling book, Like Judgment Day: The Ruin and Redemption of a Town Called Rosewood. The motion picture "Rosewood" based on Mike D'Orso's book was released in 1997 in conjunction with the paperbook edition of the book. The New York Public Library selected Rosewood as one of its "best 25 books of the year".
J. Madison Davis America's leading authority of the television phenomena "The Sopranos", J. Madison Davis is a contributing author for the new book The New York Times on the Sopranos which tells the inside story of the show's success from producer David Chase's early efforts and traces the show's trajectory from cable favorite to a mainstream sensation. The Soprano's is watched by over 10 million Americans and tells the compelling and often violent history of a contemporary mob family. A journalism professor and novelist, J. Madison Davis is the former President of the International Crime Writers Association. Don't FUGEDDABOUDIT!
Angela Davis Angela Davis is known internationally for her ongoing work to combat all forms of oppression in the U.S. and abroad. Over the years she has been active as a student, teacher, writer, scholar, and activist/organizer. Professor Davis's political activism began when she was a youngster in Birmingham, Alabama, and continued through her high school years in New York. But it was not until 1969 that she came to national attention after being removed from her teaching position in the Philosophy Department at UCLA as a result of her social activism and her membership in the Communist Party, USA. In 1970, she was placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List on false charges, and was the subject of an intense police search that drove her underground, and that culminated in one of the most famous trials in recent U.S. history. During her 16-month incarceration, a massive international "Free Angela Davis" campaign was organized, leading to her acquittal in 1972. Professor Davis' long-standing commitment to prisoners' rights dates back to her involvement in the campaign to free the Soledad Brothers, which led to her own arrest and imprisonment. Today, she remains an advocate of prison abolition and has developed a powerful critique of racism in the criminal justice system. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the Prison Activist Resource Center, and currently is working on a comparative study of women's imprisonment in the U.S., the Netherlands, and Cuba. During the last 25 years, Professor Davis has lectured in all 50 United States, as well as in Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and the former Soviet Union. Her articles and essays have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, and she is the author of five books, including Angela Davis: An Autobiography (1974); Women, Race & Class (1981); Women, Culture & Politics (1989); Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday (1998); and The Angela Y. Davis Reader (1998). She is also the editor of If They Come In The Morning: Voices of Resistance (1971). Former California Governor Ronald Reagan once vowed that Angela Davis would never again teach in the University of California system. Today, she is a tenured professor in the History of Consciousness Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz. In 1994, she received the distinguished honor of an appointment to the University of California Presidential Chair in African American and Feminist Studies.
Joyce Davis Journalist and senior editor of Upscale Magazine, Joyce Davis writes about lifestyle oriented topics that are of interest to the African-American community including such hot button social issues as gentrification, media coverage of minorities, and male-female relationships.
Darryl Davis He is not white. He's not even light-skinned. Make no mistake about it; he is black. Yet, Klan-Destine Relationships author Daryl Davis has come in closer contact with members of the Ku Klux Klan than most white non-members and certainly most blacks -- short of being on the wrong end of a rope. What's more? He continues to do so, making him one of the most unique lecturers on the college speaking circuit today. Over the last ten years, Daryl Davis walked on the edge with one foot dangling over the precipice. His stories of setting up surprise meetings with Klan leaders unaware of his skin color and attending KKK rallies, has the suspense of Hitchcock, keeping audiences riveted to their seats in disbelief. On a quest to do nothing more than explore racism and gather information for his book, Klan-Destine Relationships, Daryl Davis eventually became the recipient of robes and hoods by Klan members who came to him to rescind their beliefs. Davis had inadvertently stumbled upon a successful method of forming friendships between sworn enemies. His methods have made him the center of controversy. In some white circles he has been deemed "politically incorrect" and in some black circles he has been called "Uncle Tom." Daryl Davis often makes supporters out of his detractors by proving his methods work and issuing this challenge: "I have Klan robes and hoods hanging in my closet, given to me voluntarily by members who have quit the Klan since coming to know me. That's what I've done to improve race relations. How many robes and hoods have you received as a result of your methods?"
Barbara DeAngelis One of America's leading experts on relationships and a highly respected leader in the field of personal growth. As a best selling author, popular television personality and sought after motivational speaker, Barbara has reached millions of people with her positive messages about love, happiness and the search for meaning in our lives. Her latest book is "Chicken Soup for the Romantic Soul."
Karen DeCrow Karen DeCrow is a nationally recognized author and attorney specializing in Constitutional law, gender and age discrimination, and civil liberties. Her long involvement with the National Organization for Women goes back to 1967; from 1968 to 1974 she served as National Board Member of NOW, and from 1974 to 1977 as its President. In 1988 she co-founded (with Robert Seidenberg) World Woman Watch. Karen is based in upstate New York Ms. DeCrow is the author of many articles and columns in publications such as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and USA Today. In 1990 she was given the Syracuse University Press Club's Professional Recognition Award for Best Newspaper Column. She writes a regular column in the Syracuse New Times. At intervals, this is distributed by New York Times Special Features Syndicate. Ms. DeCrow has written several books: University Adult Education (co-authored with Roger DeCrow, American Council on Education, 1967), The Young Woman's Guide to Liberation (Bobbs-Merrill, 1971), Sexist Justice (Random House, 1974), Women Who Marry Houses: Panic and Protest in Agoraphobia (with Robert Seidenberg, M.D., McGraw-Hill, 1983).
Kool Moe Dee Rapper Kool Mo Dee thrived during hip-hops nascent years as a vocalist whose tongue-twisting rhymes and speedy delivery put his counterparts to shame. Educator, entertainer, speaker, actor. Three platinum albums. Has appeared on many talk shows. A few of his many topics are: Gang Violence, Being black in America, Understanding Our White Brothers and Sisters and Visa Versa. On his 1987 album, How Ya Like Me Now, Kool came up with a hip-hop report card: a method of rating MCs (Emcees, Masters of Ceremonies, Master Communicators, or rap vocalists) as a way of separating the premier MCs from their often one-dimensional, overrated counterparts (“Sucka MCs”). Building on this original list, Kool has put together an extensive rating system to compile the definitive list of the greatest MCs of all time. Kool rates each MC based on seventeen different categories, ranging from the artist’s lyricism, vocabulary, and freestyling ability to his longevity, body of work, and social impact. Each artist is given a numerical score from one to ten in each of the seventeen categories, as well as an explanation for how this rating was determined.
Junot Diaz Junot Diaz is author of bestselling Drown, a collection of short stories about his native Dominican Republic, and the 2007 novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Time Magazine hailed Oscar Wao as astoundingly great the Star Tribune praised it as a preview of what the next generation of English might look like. Diaz is also a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Eric Jerome Dickey Best selling novelist of such books as Friends & Lovers; Milk In My Coffee; Cheaters, Liar's Game, and Between Lovers.
Phil Donahue Former host of televisions's highly regarded program "The Phil Donahue Show."best known as the the creator and star of The Phil Donahue Show, also known as Donahue, the first tabloid talk show. The Phil Donahue show enjoyed a 27-year run on national (U.S.) TV, plus two years of local broadcast in Dayton, Ohio before ending in 1996. His shows have generally focused on issues that often divide liberals and conservatives in the U.S., such as abortion, consumer protection (his most frequent guest was Ralph Nader, for whom he campaigned in 2000), civil rights and war protests. Donahue later hosted a show on MSNBC (2002–2003)
Lynn Donohue A high school dropout at the age of 15, Donohue was living out of her car and earning minimum wage as a bartender when she learned of a new training program for women interested in the construction trades. Seizing the opportunity to steer her life in a new direction, she began taking classes towards becoming a professional mason. After surviving years of discrimination in a male-dominated field, she won the Massachusetts state masonry competition and later opened her own construction company. Realizing she needed a formal business education to advance her company, Donohue returned to school and is in the midst of finishing her MBA degree. Donohue is the author of a critically acclaimed book, Brick by Brick: A Woman's Journey, which recounts her journey from bartender to bricklayer to sole owner of her own construction company, all before her 27th birthday.
Rita Dove Rita Dove is the first African-American and the youngest person ever to be Poet Laureate of the United States. Dove won the Pulitzer Prize in 1987 for Thomas and Beulah, in which she evoked the lives of her grandparents. She is also the author of On the Bus with Rosa Parks, which was named a New York Times notable book of the year. Famed poet Rita Dove was born in Akron, Ohio, in 1952 as the daughter of the first Black research chemist who, in the 1950s, broke the race barrier in the tire industry. In 1970 she was invited to the White House as a Presidential Scholar, one of the two most outstanding high school graduates of the State of Ohio that year, before attending Miami University in Oxford, Ohio as a National Achievement Scholar. She graduated summa cum laude (as well as Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi) with a degree in English in 1973 and studied for a year on a Fulbright scholarship at Universität Tübingen in Germany. She then joined the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in 1977. In 1976 she met her husband, the German writer Fred Viebahn, who was a Fulbright fellow in the University of Iowa's International Writing Program that year; their daughter Aviva Chantal Tamu Dove-Viebahn was born in 1983. Appearances in magazines and anthologies had already won national acclaim for Dove when she published her first poetry collection, The Yellow House on the Comer, with Carnegie-Mellon University Press in 1980. It was followed by Museum (1983) and Thomas and Beulah (1986), both also from Carnegie-Mellon. Thomas and Beulah, a collection of interrelated poems loosely based on her grandparents' life, earned her the 1987 Pulitzer Prize, making her the second African-American poet (after Gwendolyn Brooks in 1950) to receive this prestigious award. Other publications by Dove include a book of short stories, Fifth Sunday, Calialoo Fiction Series, 1985; the poetry collections Grace Notes (W.W. Norton, 1989), Selected Poems (Pantheon/Vintage, 1993) and Mother Love (W.W. Norton, 1995); the novel Through the Ivory Gate (Pantheon, 1992); the verse drama The Darker Face of the Earth (Story Line Press, 1994; 2nd, revised edition 1996) and a book with her laureate lectures (The Poet's World, The Library of Congress, 1995). The Darker Face of the Earth had its critically acclaimed world premiere at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon in the summer of 1996, supported by a major grant from the W. Alton Jones Foundation. A joint production by Crossroads Theatre of New Brunswick, New Jersey, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., underwritten by the Kennedy Centers Fund for New American Plays and the Geraldine Dodge Foundation, opened at Crossroads in October 1997 and went to the Kennedy Center for a four week run in the Eisenhower Theater in November 1997. In the fall of 1994 Dove's poem Lady Freedom Among Us, first read by her at the ceremony commemorating the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Capitol and celebrating the restoration of the Freedom Statue on the Capitol's dome in October 1993, was published by Janus Press in a limited edition to become the four-millionth acquisition of the University of Virginia Libraries. A multimedia version was made globally accessible by the University of Virginia on the Internet, one of the earliest such publications by a major writer.
Colette Dowling Author of 8 books on women's psychological issues with advanced training is psychotherapy and psychoanalysis and expertise in women's mental health.
Peter Duffy Peter Duffy author of The Bielski Brothers this his first book. In 1941, three young men -- brothers, sons of a miller -- witnessed their parents and two other siblings being led away to their eventual murders. It was a grim scene that would, of course, be repeated endlessly throughout the war. What makes this particular story of interest is how the survivors responded. Instead of running or capitulating or giving in to despair, these brothers -- Tuvia, Zus, and Asael Bielski -- did something else entirely. They fought back, waging a guerrilla war of wits and cunning against both the Nazis and the pro-Nazi sympathizers. Along the way they saved well over a thousand Jewish lives. Using their intimate knowledge of the dense forests surrounding the Belorussian towns of Novogrudek and Lida, the Bielskis evaded the Nazis and established a hidden base camp, then set about convincing other Jews to join their ranks. When the Nazis began systematically eliminating the local Jewish populations -- more than ten thousand were killed in the first year of the Nazi occupation alone -- the Bielskis intensified their efforts, often sending fighting men into the ghettos to escort Jews to safety. As more and more Jews arrived each day, a robust community began to emerge, a "Jerusalem in the woods." They slept in camouflaged dugouts built into the ground. Lovers met, were married, and conceived children. The community boasted a synagogue, a bathhouse, a theater, and cobblers so skilled that Russian officers would wait in line to have their boots reshod. But as its notoriety grew, so too did the Nazi efforts to capture the rugged brothers; and on several occasions they came so near to succeeding that the Bielskis had to abandon the camp and lead their massive entourage to newer, safer locations. And while some argued in favor of a smaller, more mobile unit, focused strictly on waging battle against the Germans, Tuvia Bielski was firm in his commitment to all Jews. "I'd rather save one old Jewish woman," he said, "than kill ten Nazis." In July 1944, after two and a half years in the woods, the Bielskis learned that the Germans, overrun by the Red Army, were retreating back toward Berlin. More than one thousand Bielski Jews emerged -- alive -- on that final, triumphant exit from the woods.
Michael Eric Dyson Hailed as one of the nations most inspiring African Americans, Michael Eric Dyson has been credited with revitalizing the role of the public intellectual with the fervor of an ordained Baptist minister. Infusing intellectual thought with popular culture, Dyson focuses on topics of interest to the public. He eloquently melds scholarly insight with the phenomena of contemporary culture, emphasizing their interconnectedness and force in shaping our society. His books provide some of the most significant commentary on modern social and intellectual thought, interwoven with a combination of cultural criticism, race theory, religion, philosophical reflection, and gender studies. Works such as Making Malcolm X; I May Not Get There with You; Hollar if You Hear Me; Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves and Demons of Marvin Gaye; Is Bill Cosby Right? Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost its Mind?; and the recent Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster deeply probe social themes and cultural politics. A popular University Professor of Sociology at Georgetown University, Dyson bridges gaps between generations, connecting civil rights identity to hip-hop culture while forging links between older and younger Americans, especially black Americans. As a cutting edge historian, he educates the general public on the significance of hip hop, not only in understanding black culture, but American cultural as well. With his powerful voice, Dyson reaches beyond race, addressing the universal commonality of American concern.
Dave Eggers Eggers 1999 memoir “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius” recounted the story of the deaths from cancer of both his parents within a five-week period and his own subsequent role as caretaker, at 21, of his 8-year-old brother. The work quickly became a bestseller and Eggers became a celebrity of sorts, getting such an abundance of media coverage that the media soon began covering the massive coverage. Eggers began his literary career as co-founder of a satirical publication called Might Magazine. He is the founder of McSweeney’s, a literary journal and Web site that features work by established and up-and-coming writers. He also founded and works as a teacher at 826 Valencia, a San Francisco writing laboratory for city youth. His most recent book is the self-published “You Shall Know Our Velocity.”
Daniel Ellsberg Daniel Ellsberg graduated from Harvard College 1952 with a B.A. summa cum Laude in economics, having written his honors thesis on Theories of Rational Choice Under Uncertainty: the Contributions of von Neumann and Morgenstern. After a year of study at King's College, Cambridge University on a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, and some months of graduate work at Harvard University, Ellsberg spent three years in the U.S. Marine Corps serving as rifle platoon leader, operations officer, and rifle company commander. From 1957-59 he was a Junior Fellow in the Society of Fellows, Harvard University. He earned his Ph.D. in Economics at Harvard in 1962 with his thesis, Risk, Ambiguity and Decision, published for the first time in 2001, by Garland Press. In 1959, he became a strategic analyst at the RAND Corporation, and consultant to the Department of Defense and the White House, specializing in problems of the command and control of nuclear weapons, nuclear war plans, and crisis decision-making. He joined the Defense Department in 1964 as Special Assistant to Assistant Secretary of Defense (International Security Affairs) John McNaughton, working on Vietnam. He transferred to the State Department in 1965 to serve two years at the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, evaluating pacification on the front lines. On return to the RAND Corporation in 1967, he worked on the Top Secret McNamara study of U.S. Decision-making in Vietnam, 1945-68, which later came to be known as the Pentagon Papers. In 1969, he photocopied the 7,000 page study and gave it to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; in 1971 he gave it to the New York Times, Washington Post and 17 other newspapers. His trial, on twelve felony counts posing a possible sentence of 115 years, was dismissed in 1973 on grounds of governmental misconduct against him, which led to the convictions of several White House aides and figured in the impeachment proceedings against President Nixon. Since the end of the Vietnam War he has been a lecturer, writer and activist on the dangers of the nuclear era and unlawful interventions. Ellsberg's book Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers has been nominated for a Los Angeles Times Book Award in the Best Biography Category. His story was recently seen in the critically acclaimed FX television movie The Pentagon Papers.
Phoebe Eng Activist and attorney Phoebe Eng is author of Warrior Lessons, a memoir-based account of race, leadership and empowerment in a rapidly changing world," said Karen Shih, advisor to students of Asian descent. "She has worked with a broad range of institutions, helping them understand the complexities and challenges of providing access and opportunity in a multicultural society." Former publisher of A Magazine, the national magazine for Asian-Americans, Eng attended the recent U.N. World Conference Against Racism in South Africa. Her views have been heard on NPR, PBS and in The New York Times and other national news forums
Louise Erdrich Author of four best-selling and award-winning novels, The Bingo Palace; Love Medicine; The Beet Queen; and Tracks, and two collections of poetry, Jacklight; and Baptism of Desire. Ms. Erdrich co-authored The Crown of Columbus with her late husband Michael Dorris.
Michael Eric Dyson Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, named by Essence magazine as one of the 40 most inspiring African-Americans and by Ebony magazine as one of the 100 most influential black Americans is one of the nations most renowned public intellectuals. The Philadelphia Weekly contends that Dyson is reshaping what it means to be a public intellectual by becoming the most visible black academic of his time. When one hears Dysons name, one thinks of the many hats he wears: prolific author, scholar, public intellectual, ordained minister, media commentator and talk radio show host. In his books, Dyson has taken on some of the toughest and most controversial issues of our day, including Martin Luther King, Jr.s radical legacy, in I May Not Get There With You: The True Martin Luther King, Jr. the virtues and crises of hip-hop culture in Holler If You Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur; racial conflict and black identity in Race Rules: Navigating the Color Line; and more recently the political and racial fallout from Hurricane Katrina in Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster.and Debating Race, a collection of his previously unpublished intellectual encounters--cordial and combative--with some of today's most influential thinkers and politicians. Dyson has been nominated for the prestigious NAACP Image Award three times and has won it twice, first in 2004 for his book, Why I Love Black Women, and in 2006 for his New York Times bestselling book, Is Bill Cosby Right? Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind? , which dissects class warfare in black America. Dysons New York Times bestselling Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves and Demons of Marvin Gaye, was optioned for a major motion picture. His newest book Know What I Mean? : Reflections on Hip Hop, returns to the subject of Hip Hop music and culture. While Dysonhas taught at some of the nations most prestigious universities including Brown, UNC at Chapel Hill, U. Penn and Columbia his influence has carried far beyond the academy into prisons and bookstores, political conventions and union halls, and church sanctuaries and lecture stages across the world. Dyson has also taken the media by storm through appearances on The Today Show, Nightline, OReilly Factor, The Tavis Smiley Show and Real Time with Bill Maher and he has cemented his star appeal on such shows as Rap City, Def Poetry Jam and The Colbert Report. Dyson is also the host of the syndicated radio show, The Michael Eric Dyson Show, which addresses social, cultural and political issues in a contemporary vein. Dysons powerful scholarship has won him legions of admirers and has made him what The Washington Post terms a superstar professor. His fearless and fiery oratory led the Chronicle of Higher Education to declare that with his rhetorical gifts he can rock classroom and chapel alike. Dysons eloquent writing inspired Vanity Fair magazine to describe him as one of the most graceful and lucid intellectuals writing on race and politics today. Dr. Dyson is presently University Professor at Georgetown University where he teaches Religion, English and African American Studies. His legendary rise from welfare father to Princeton Ph.D., from church pastor to college professor, from a factory worker who didnt start college until he was 21 to a figure who has become what writer Naomi Wolf terms the ideal public intellectual of our time may help explain why author Nathan McCall simply calls Dyson a street fighter in suit and tie.
Juliette Fairley Financial writer and former personal finance editor for Black Enterprise Magazine. Juliette Fairley is the author of Money Talks:: Black Finance Experts Talk To You About Money.
Joseph Farah Joseph Farah is the co-founder, editor and chief executive officer of WorldNetDaily.com, the world’s leading independent Internet news source. In addition, Farah writes a daily column for WND and a nationally syndicated weekly newspaper column for Creators Syndicate. He is also the founder and co-publisher of WND Books, a publishing venture that has produced several New York Times best sellers in the last five years. Joseph Farah made a name for himself with traditional daily newspapers prior to his founding of WorldNetDaily – running the Sacramento Union, directing the news operation of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner for six years and serving as editor in chief of a group of California dailies and weeklies. The former nationally syndicated daily talk-show host has written for such publications as the Wall Street Journal, Jerusalem Post, National Review, TV Guide, Reason, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Sun-Times and a host of other national, international and regional publications. He is the co-author, with U.S. Rep. Richard Pombo, of “This Land is Our Land” (1996), and in 1994 collaborated with Rush Limbaugh on the No. 1 New York Times best seller “See, I Told You So.” His newest book is “Taking America Back,” published in 2003 and in paperback in 2005. NBC television, New World Entertainment and other media giants have sought his expertise as a media consultant. Farah’s many journalism awards include honors for reporting to writing headlines to honesty and courage in journalism to editing and newspaper design. Farah speaks all over the world on topics ranging from the Middle East to the media to domestic policy issues.
Alina Fernandez Daughter of Fidel Castro As a little girl in Cuba, Alina Fernandez found nothing strange about the many visits Fidel Castro made to her home. During these visits, Castro would pay special attention to Alina, many times even bringing her gifts. At age ten, Alina's mother finally divulged the reason for Castro's attention: Fidel Castro was her father. Born in 1956, Alina was a child in the years just before and immediately following the Revolution of 1959. As the Revolution's events unfolded, Alina came to realize that, depending on his mood, Castro treated his illegitimate daughter with one of two extreme feelings--utter adoration or painful neglect. Through the years, however, Castro's influence as an authority figure in Alina's life never diminished. As she grew older, she recognized her position as one of Cuba's elite--but the political practices she witnessed under her father's regime and the neglect she experienced drove her to renounce that position and, ultimately, her relationship with her father as well. Alina Fernandez was finally forced to leave her homeland and to seek refuge in the United States. In 1998 St. Martin's Press published her story, Castro's Daughter: An Exile's Memoir of Cuba. In her lecture, Alina shares the extraordinary story of her experiences growing up in the shadow of Fidel Castro. Alina Fernandez is a former model and public relations director for a Cuban fashion company. She has not spoken with her father, Fidel Castro, in over a decade. After escaping to Spain she eventually moved to Miami where she currently hosts a daily radio program on Cuban and Cuban-American issues.
Timothy Ferris Science and technology expert, Timothy Ferris is the author of such best-sellers as, The Whole Shebang: A State of the Universe Report; Galaxies; Coming of Age in the Milky Way; and The Mind's Sky. He wrote and narrated "The Creation of the Universe", an award-winning 90-minute PBS special that has been called "the best science documentary ever made." He has been a commentator on the MSNBC television network and an essayist for "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" and NPR's "All Things Considered." He serves as a consultant to NASA on long-term space exploration policy.
Leslie Lee Francis Granddaugher of Pulitzer Prize wining poet, Robert Frost and author of The Frost Family’s Adventure in Poetry.
George Fraser George Fraser is the author of two books, including the critically acclaimed bestseller, Success Runs In Our Race;The Complete Guide to Effective Networking in the African American Community. He is also the creator and publisher of the award winning SuccessGuide Worldwide: The Networking Guide to Black Resources. A 13 th edition (250,000 copies) will be published next year. Many have called George a new voice for African Americans. He is considered by many to be one of the foremost authorities on networking and building effective relationships. George Fraser is a frequent contributor to scholarly journals on a wide range of topics to include networking, business ethics, valuing diversity and economic development. He was recently featured in the New York Timesbestseller; Masters of Networking along with Colin Powell. His 2nd book Race For Success; The Ten Best Business Opportunities for Blacks In America was published by the William Morrow Company, and selected as one of the ten best business books of the year by the Booklist. Mr. Fraser is leading a national initiative to build an African American Business Hall of Fame and Museum and a university-based Center for the Advancement of African American Entrepreneurship. Currently 14 renowned leaders sit on the Board of Directors. Four thousand people recently attended its first annual Induction Ceremony/Dinner held in June 2002 in Cleveland, Ohio. Robert Johnson of BET, Oprah Winfrey, Cathy Hughes of Radio One, Clarence Smith and Edward Lewis of Essence Magazine and Berry Gordy of Motown were inducted into the Business Hall of Fame in a nationally televised (The Word Network) program and ceremony. Mr. Fraser is the founder and executive producer of an annual PowerNetworking Conference, one of Black America’s largest gathering (17,000) of professionals, business owners and community leaders. The Conference features numerous workshops on networking and relationship skills building, top motivational speakers and a Business Opportunity Exposition. It is extensively covered by the national media to include; C-Span, The WordNetwork, New York Times, Ebony, Jet, and Black Enterprise Magazine. Mr. Fraser has served on numerous boards and has received many awards and citations for his community service, including the United Negro College Fund National Volunteer of the Year Award. Allstate Insurance recently presented to him on national TV its Architects of the Village Award. He had been appointed to state and city commissions by both the Governor and the Mayor of his home state and city of Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Fraser spent 17 years in management with Procter & Gamble, United Way and Ford Motor Company Today as a popular speaker and author, Mr. Fraser has appeared on more than 250 television and radio talk shows. His views are solicited by media as diverse as CNN and the Wall Street Journal. Last year he gave of 120 speeches to audiences averaging 500 people each. His inspiring talks on success principles, effective networking, wealth creation, business ethics and valuing diversity are as popular among corporate professionals as they are among college students. His words and ideas have been taped and televised. Over the last decade the prestigious publication Vital Speeches of the Day has selected five of Mr. Fraser’s speeches to be reprinted and distributed worldwide, a first for any professional speaker in America. UPSCALE magazine name him one of the top 50 power brokers in Black America. Black Enterprise Magazine called him Black America’s #1 networker and featured him on its cover. Personal growth “guru” Stephen Covey called Mr. Fraser a “masterful teacher”. TV host and journalist, Tony Brown called him a “visionary with the rare combination of leadership and management skills.” Mr. Fraser attended New York University and received his executive training at the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College
Arthur Frommer World famous travel consultant and author.
Ernest Gaines Gaines was born in Louisiana in 1933 but moved to California when he was 15 because he had no access to high school in the segregated South. He entered a public library for the first time when he was 16 and ultimately decided to become a writer. A graduate of San Francisco State College, he has been writer-in-residence at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette since 1983. In addition to A Lesson, his works include The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1971) and A Gathering of Old Men (1984), both of which were adapted for television.
Christopher Gardner Christopher Gardner is president and CEO of the Chicago-based brokerage firm Gardner Rich & Co., which he founded in 1987. Prior to launching his own firm, Mr. Gardner worked for several prestigious Wall Street firms. He landed his first job in the securities industry in 1981 with Dean Witter Reynolds, coming out of their training program. Later, he spent four years with Bear Stearns & Co., where he became a top earner. A self-made multi-millionaire, Gardner is intent on giving back to the communities where he conducts business because he has never forgotten his humble beginnings or the odds he has surmounted. Christopher Gardner's accomplishments are extraordinary on their own merit, but are all the more astonishing because of the unimaginable obstacles he encountered on the road to success. Always hard working and tenacious, a series of circumstances in the early 1980's left Gardner homeless in San Francisco and the sole guardian of his toddler son. Unwilling to give up Chris Jr. or his dream of financial independence, Gardner started at the very bottom of the financial industry ladder and pulled his way up, often spending his nights in a church shelter or a bathroom at a Bay Area Rapid Transit station in Oakland. The amazing story of Gardner's life will be soon be published as an autobiography, The Pursuit of Happyness, by Amistad/Harper Collins on May 23, 2006, and will also be the subject of a movie with the same title starring Will Smith as Gardner to be released by Columbia Pictures in December 2006. Born February 9, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Gardner never knew his father. He lived with his mother, Bettye Jean Gardner, and her family and, when necessary, in foster homes. Despite a life of hardship and emotional scarring, he always had supreme love and admiration for his mother, who was a trained schoolteacher. His mother taught him some of the greatest lessons of his life, which he follows to this day. When Gardner told her he wanted to be the great jazz trumpeter Miles Davis she said, "Son, there's only one Miles Davis and he got that job. So you have to do something else." He understood from that day forward that his job was to be Chris Gardner - whatever that entailed. Bettye Jean also taught him that in spite of where he came from, he could attain whatever goals he set for himself by saying, "If you want to, one day you could make a million dollars." Gardner believed this to be fact, and it allowed him to persevere through the years when and his son were struggling for survival and a better life. Straight out of high school, Gardner enlisted in the Navy, just like his uncles, his role models, had done previously. After the military, Gardner went to San Francisco and took a job as a medical supply salesman. Then he reached a turning point in his life. In a parking lot, he met a man driving a red Ferrari. "He was looking for a parking space. I said, 'You can have mine, but I gotta ask you two questions.' The two questions were: What do you do? And how do you do that? Turns out this guy was a stockbroker and he was making $80,000 a month." That pivotal encounter gave Gardner a clear career goal, but he still needed a way into the world of high finance. Without experience, connections, a degree, or pedigree, Gardner began knocking on doors, applying for training programs at brokerages, even though it meant he would have to live on next to nothing while he learned. When he was finally accepted into a program, he left his job in medical sales. But his plans collapsed when the man who offered him the training slot was fired, and Gardner had no job to go back to. Things got worse. He was put in jail for $1,200 in parking violations that he couldn't pay. Chris Jr.'s mother left and Gardner, despite his circumstances, fought to keep his son because, as he says, "I made up my mind as a young kid that when I had children, my children were gonna know who their father was." With a network of offices in New York, Chicago and San Francisco, GRC has grown by focusing on its commitment to provide quality service and excellent trade executions for clients. The firm executes trades for some of the nations largest institutions, public pension plans and unions. Under Mr. Gardner's directions, GRC has adopted a "give back to the community" program. The Company donates 10% or more of the company's earnings toward school and educational projects in the communities it serves. Chris Gardner's remarkable story of struggle, faith, entrepreneurialism, and fatherly devotion has catapulted him beyond the notoriety he has found on Wall Street. He has been featured on CBS' "Evening News with Dan Rather" and ABC's "20/20," as well as being the subject of profiles in many newspapers and national magazines.
Laurie Garrett Laurie Garrett, Pulitzer Prize winner and best-selling author will speak on The Collapse of Global Public Health. In March 2004, Laurie took the position of Senior Fellow for Global Health at the Council on Foreign Relations. She is an expert on global health with a particular focus on newly emerging and re-emerging diseases; public health and their effects on foreign policy and national security.
Bruce George Co-Founder of the critically acclaimed award winning Russell Simmonss Def Poetry Jam. Bruce is Co-Founder of Def Poetry Jam and visionary, executive producer, writer, poet and activist. He was born and raised in New York City. He has written poetry/prose & articles for over 37 years. His work has been published in major magazines, anthologies, and literary publications. He has written testimonials from the likes of Essence Magazine, Emerge Magazine, Class Magazine, Harlem River Press etc Bruce has won multiple poetry & talent contests. He has won several awards such as a Peabody Award for Russell Simmons Presents, Def Poetry (HBO), a Miky Award for Russell Simmons Presents, Def Poetry Jam (HBO), an Upscale Showcase Award, a Trail Blazer Award etc for his outstanding vision, production, writing and performance. Bruce is the Co-Founder of the critically acclaimed award winning Russell Simmonss Def Poetry Jam. Hes also the Founder/Managing Editor of The Bandana Republic, an Anthology of Poetry & Prose by Gang Members & Their Affiliates. Bruce is the Founder/Executive Producer of a spoken word documentary entitled: Bone Bristle, A Spoken Word Documentary which is in post-production. The film features critically acclaimed writers, poets & spoken word artists. As an activist Bruce has been and currently is associated with major grassroots organizations that fosters and uplifts people in struggle. Bruce has served on numerous panels (Hampton, Harvard, The New School, Fordham University, Medgar Evers, Schomburg Center For Research in Black Culture etc) and judged hundreds of poetry/spoken word competitions.
Robin Gerberis Robin Gerberis the author of several books including her new book, Barbie and Ruth: The Story of the World’s Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Created Her (Harper/Collins). She has also written Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way: Timeless Strategies from the First Lady of Courage (Penguin/Portfolio, 2002) and Katharine Graham: The Leadership Journey of an American Icon with a foreword by Jim Collins, author of Good to Great (Penguin/Portfolio, October, 2005). Her novel Eleanor vs. Ike (Harper/Avon, January, 2008) imagines Eleanor Roosevelt as a candidate for President. Robin's books are used in leadership development courses and corporate programs across the United States. She is also a lawyer and senior faculty for the Gallup Organization, and a senior fellow in Executive Education at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, College Park. Robin is an inspirational keynote speaker on leadership development, using moving stories from the lives of Eleanor Roosevelt, Katharine Graham and other great leaders to illustrate leadership lessons. Her clients include Bank of America, IBM, Marriott, Legg Mason, JP Morgan/Chase, Freddie Mac, Aetna Information Services, the AARP, Lee Hecht Harrison, Giant Food, The Culinary Institute, West Point, the U.S. Forest Service, the Council for Excellence in Government, The 3rd Quality Conference of the European Union, and many universities, colleges, girls’ schools, nonprofits and government agencies. Prior to becoming an author, Robin practiced law in Washington, D.C. and worked on Capitol Hill. She has studied and written about leadership development since 1975.
Elizabeth Gilbert Her editor calls her the Queen of Quirk. She has an awful lot of humor and charm, and shes one of those few writers who writes the way she talks. And talks the way she writes, with intelligence, wit and not just a shade of the performer behind her expressive and insightful presentations. Expansive and armed with a comics sense of timing, journalist, novelist and short-story writer Elizabeth Gilbert talks about her writing and her books. Her most recent is a memoir entitled, Eat, Pray, Love Viking, 2006, which chronicles the year she spent traveling around the world in search of personal restoration after a difficult divorce. Gilberts lecture themes often revolve around the subjects of travel and getting the story out there…on ranches, in bars, in scary foreign countries, in diners, in rodeos, in strip joints, on fishing boats, in factories and hospitals, she says. Gilbert prefers this kind of reallife arena, to spending a few years in a writing program comparing short stories with a few dozen other young writers trying to find their voices.” Gilberts first book, a collection of short-stories entitled Pilgrims (1998), was a New York Times Most Notable Book and won the Ploughshares prize, the “first fiction” awards from The Paris Review and The Southern Review and was a finalist for the PEN Hemingway Award. Several stories in the collection were staged at the Water Theater Company at the Tribeca Playhouse. Her first novel Stern Men (2000), a story about Maine lobster fishermen, the women who defy them and entrenched island conflicts, won the Kate Chopin Award in 2001 for creating a female character who goes “beyond the boundaries of cultural expectations to claim a life on her own terms” (Florence Shinkle, St. Louis Post-Dispatch). Hailing from an educated, ascetic rural Connecticut upbringing, Elizabeth Gilbert came to her writing career with fearless reporting skills, an abiding appreciation for working-class values with an attendant skepticism of politically correct liberalism. A clear vision of the irony and absurdity in it all informs an easy, at times wicked wit that shuns any ideological or political agendas. After graduating from New York University, she used money earned at a Philadelphia diner to travel, as she says, to create experiences to write about, gather landscapes and voices. She went West to work in diners and bars for the same reason. Her work for Spin Magazine caught the eye of the editors at Gentlemens Quarterly, which proved to be fertile ground for Gilbert, resulting in a run of colorful profiles and stories that eventually turned into books and movies. Her first article for GQ, The Muse of the Coyote Ugly Saloon, chronicled her experience as a waitress at the New York City bar of the same name, and was the basis for the 2000 motion picture Coyote Ugly. A profile of Hank Williams III in GQ, won the National Magazine Award and was anthologized in Best American Writing 2001. I think my gift, far beyond whatever gifts that I have as a writer, my gift as a human is that I can make friends with people very quickly, and not in an insincere way, she tells interviewer Frank Bures at Powells Books. Everything I learned about being a journalist I learned by being a bartender. The most exquisite lesson of all is that people will tell you anything. Want to. Theres no question you can’t ask if your intention is not hostile. And its not like entrapment; it’s more like a gorgeous revelation. People want to tell the story that they have. Nominated for the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award for her nonfiction account of the back to basics woodsman, Eustace Conway, in The Last American Man (2002), Gilbert effectively draws on a long standing intrigue with a luxury free, pioneer lifestyle. Taking from intellectualism and pop culture, from seriousness and ribald humor, Elizabeth Gilbert strikes an engagingly subtle, thoughtful and comic balance. A Pushcart Prize winner and National Magazine Award nominated journalist, she works as writer at-large for GQ and makes her home in New Jersey. Gilberts journalism has been published in Harpers Bazaar, Spin and The New York Times Magazine. Her stories have appeared in Esquire, Story, The Paris Review, Ploughshares and The Mississippi Review.
Marcia Ann Gillespie Marcia Ann Gillespie has been a trailblazer in the publishing world for more than two decades. As former Editor in Chief of Essence, she transformed the then-fledgling publication into one of the fastest-growing women's magazines in the United States. Time magazine named her "One of the Fifty Faces for America's Future." She was voted the March of Dimes' "Outstanding Woman in Publishing" for her efforts in inspiring all humankind to combat hatred and violence. She has written extensively on issues of gender and race. Under Gillespie's leadership, Ms. magazine has attracted increasing numbers of younger women to the magazine's fold. Marcia Ann Gillespie is a trailblazer in the magazine industry, a leader in the women's movement, a champion of gender of racial justice. A provocative writer and thinker, hers has been a consistent eloquent voice affirming the human potential for good, challenging inequality, pushing herself and others to hope, dare and strive for a better world. She has been a driving force behind two of this nation's most important women's magazines, as the editor in chief of Essence from 1971-1980 and most recently as the editor in chief of Ms. from 1993-2001. Named the Editor in Chief of Essence at the age of 26, Gillespie quickly proved her mettle by rapidly transforming the then fledgling publication into one of the fastest growing women's magazines in the United States. During her tenure (1971-1980), Essence became a trusted source of inspiration, information and affirmation for millions of African American women and won a National Magazine Award the industry's most prestigious honor. A vice-president of Essence Communications, Inc. and a member of the board of directors, Gillespie was named "One of the Fifty Faces for America's Future" by Time magazine. Gillespie's association with Ms. magazine dates back to 1980 when she became a contributing editor. She then went on to become a featured columnist and the executive editor of Ms. before being named the top editor in 1993. At Ms. her mission was "moving the discussion of feminism forward" and making the magazine a "welcome table" for a range of voices and views. Under her leadership the magazine reached an ever more diverse readership, attracting increasing numbers of younger women to the fold. In addition to her role as editor in chief, Gillespie was named the President of Liberty Media for Women, a limited liability corporation comprised of women investors that purchased the magazine in November 1998 and successfully relaunched the publication in March 1999. To further secure the publication's future, Gillespie negotiated the magazine's transfer to the Feminist Majority Foundation in December 2000 and officially turned the reins over in February 2001. Gillespie's extensive knowledge about the national and international women's movements, issues of racial and gender justice, the media and business, and her keen interest in history and observations about current events and the changes and challenges confronting the American society, and her deep faith in our ability to rise informs her life and her work. A rousing, eloquent and in-demand public speaker, who brings both wit and wisdom to her talks, Gillespie regularly appears on university and college campuses and as a keynoter at conferences and events in the United States and abroad. In addition to her numerous public appearances, she maintains a thriving consultancy advising corporate and other clients on issues ranging from diversity to communications. An award winning writer, Gillespie has also received a number of awards from professional and civic organizations including the Matrix award from New York Women in Communication, the Mary MacLeod Bethune award from the National Council of Negro Women. Awarded a Doctor of Letters by her alma mater, Lake Forest University, she is also a recipient of the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism, from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Gillespie also serves as a member of the board of directors of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, the Violence Policy Center and the Global Fund for Women.
Dorothy Butler Gilliam Highly respected columnist for The Washington Post, Dorothy Gilliam was the only black woman journalist covering the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960's. She was the president of the 2400 member National Association of Black Journalists and has served as chair of the Institute for Journalism Education, a national organization which promotes opportunities for minority students in journalism. A frequent panelist on the political talk show, "To The Contrary," Ms. Gilliam appears nationwide on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS).
Nikki Giovanni Yolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni, Jr., born in Knoxville, Tennessee, is a world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. Over the past thirty years, Nikki’s outspokenness, in her writing and in person, has brought the eyes of the world upon her. One of the most widely read American poets; she prides herself on being "a Black American, a daughter, a mother, a professor of English." Giovanni remains as determined and committed as ever to the fight for civil rights and equality. Always insisting on presenting the truth as she sees it, she has maintained a prominent place as a strong voice of the Black community. Her focus is on the individual, specifically, on the power one has to make a difference in oneself, and thus, in the lives of others. Nikki Giovanni has written more than two-dozen books, including volumes of poetry, illustrated children’s books, and three collections of essays. Her book Racism 101 includes bold, controversial essays about the situation of Americans on all sides of various race issues. She has received 21 honorary doctorates and a host of other awards, including "Woman of the Year" awards from three different magazines as well as Governors’ Awards in the Arts from both Tennessee and Virginia. Her three most recent volumes of poetry, Love Poems, Blues: For All the Changes and Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea, were winners of the NAACP Image Award, in 1998, 2000, and 2003. Since 1987, she has taught writing and literature at Virginia Tech, where she is a University Distinguished Professor. As a devoted and passionate writer, teacher, and speaker, she inspires not only her students, but also readers and audiences nationwide. The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection, a spoken-word CD, was a finalist for the 2003 Grammy Award in the category of spoken word.
Malcolm Gladwell Malcolm Gladwell has an incomparable gift for generating value by interpreting groundbreaking research in psychology, sociology and neurology and applying it to business. In 2005, Time Magazine named Malcolm one of the 100 Most Influential People. He is the author of two New York Times #1 bestsellers With his first book Malcolm embedded the concept of The Tipping Point in our everyday vocabulary and gave organizations new tools for understanding how and why change happens, and how to create positive epidemics of ideas and behavior. In Blink he analyzes intuition—the judgments we make unconsciously and instinctively—and he explores how we can master this important aspect of successful decision-making. He is currently a staff writer for the New Yorker magazine. His editor describes his work as a new genre of story, an idea-driven narrative that’s focused on the everyday and combines research with material that's more personal, social and historical. He was previously a reporter for the Washington Post. Malcolm is an extraordinary speaker: always on target, aware of the context and the concerns of the audience, informative and practical, poised, eloquent and delightfully warm and funny. Magically, he entertains and shakes up your perspective at the same time. The Books Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking In the Blink of an eye, the unconscious mind decides lots of (often very important) things for us without our even knowing what we know or how we know it. In his groundbreaking book Blink, Malcolm describes how we make these decisions—both the good ones and the bad—why some people are so much better at it than others, and how we can improve our skill at interpreting these details correctly to become better decision makers—in our homes, in our offices, and in everyday life. Blink examines the smallest components of our experience, the content and origin of those instantaneous impressions and conclusions that bubble up whenever we meet a new person, or confront a complex situation, or have to make a decision under conditions of stress. If we paid more attention to these fleeting moments, it would change how we do a lot of things. If you combined all these little changes together, you’d end up with a different and happier world. Malcolm’s books are intellectual adventure stories. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make A Big Difference The Tipping Point is a book about change, in particular, a book that presents a new way of understanding why change happens as quickly and as unexpectedly as it so often does. It's that ideas and behavior and messages and products sometimes behave just like outbreaks of infectious disease. They are social epidemics. The Tipping Point is an examination of the social epidemics that surround us. In The Tipping Point, Malcolm describes how trends work and he helps companies apply this knowledge to their own business strategies. Using the principles of epidemiology—the study of epidemics—to understand the movement of ideas, he explains how trends start and spread and he offers tools for igniting, steering and/or sustaining the trends—“positive epidemics”—that matter to his audiences. Credentials Staff writer for The New Yorker Former science and medicine writer for The Washington Post Winner, National Magazine Award “Gladwell and his ideas have reached a tipping point of their own.” ~ Fast Company
Nesse Godin Nesse Godin is a survivor of the Shauliai, Lithuania Ghetto, the Stutthof Concentration Camp, four labor camps and a death march. She has dedicated her adult life to teaching and sharing memories of the holocaust. Nesse has the ability to translate the Holocaust into a personal glimpse of this enormous and horrifying drama. She has appeared before a variety of audiences including the Naval Academy,West Point Military Academy, the department of Defense, the Department of Energy, numerous Schools, Churches, Synagogues, Civic groups and Teacher's Conferences. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is fortunate to have Nesse Godin as a member of the Speaker' bureau. Nesse is Co-President of the Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Friends of Greater Washington. She is also on the Board of Directors and Founding Member of several Holocaust Survivor groups. Nesse served on the Board of Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. Is a board of the Anti-Defamation League, The Jewish community Council and many other worthy Organizations. She participated as a speaker for the Capitol Children's Museum of Washington, D.C. Numerous awards and honors have been given to Nesse including the "Myrtle Wreath" by the Hadassah Council and the Chaim Solomon Freedom Medal by B'nai B'rith Argo Lodge. She has also received the Woman of Valor Award by three different organizations- B'nai B'rith Women, Naamat USA, and Amit Women Birah Chapter.
Jeffrey Goldberg Journalist and author, Jeffrey Goldberg is the Middle East editor of the New Yorker. He is currently writing a non-fiction book about the Middle East. He previously was a writer for The New York Times magazine.
Marita Golden In a professional writing career that spans more than thirty years, Marita Golden has distinguished herself as a novelist, essayist, teacher of writing and literary institution builder.Her fiction includes the novels Long Distance Life, (a best-seller, cited as a "Best Book of the Year" by The Washington Post), A Woman’s Place, And Do Remember Me, and The Edge of Heaven. In the genre of nonfiction, Marita Golden has edited two anthologies, Wild Women Don’t Wear No Blues: Black Women Writers on Love, Men and Sex; and with writer Susan Shreve, Skin Deep: Black and White Women on Race. As a memoirist and essayist, Golden has authored Migrations of the Heart, Saving Our Sons: Raising Black Children in a Turbulent World, and A Miracle Everyday: Triumph and Transformation in the Lives of Single Mothers.
Mary Gordon Best-selling author of such well known books as The Other Side and Final Payments.
Dr. Gwendolyn Grant Well known psychologist, educator, sex therapist and for the last fourteen years, advice columnist for Essence magazine, Dr. Gwendolyn Goldsby Grant serves as regular consultant for several Fortune 500 companies and has conducted countless workshops and lectures on male-female relationships. She has appeared nationally on "Oprah," "Sally Jesse Raphael," "Geraldo," "Rolanda," "The NewHour with Jim Lehrer and Black Entertainment Television. She is the author of The Best Kind of Loving: A Black Woman's Guide to Finding Intimacy.
John Gray Best selling author of numerous best selling books including, Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus; Venus On a Date; and Mars And Venus Starting Over. Dr. Gray is an internationally regarded expert in the fields of communication, relationships and personal growth. His unique focus is assisting men and women in understanding, respecting and appreciating their differences.
Bob Greene Syndicated newspaper columnist and best-selling author.
Vartan Gregorian Prominent historian and former President of the New York Public Library.
Greg Gutfeld Greg Gutfeld journalist, magazine editor and blogger. He currently is the host of Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld on the Fox News Channel. After graduating, he interned at The American Spectator, as an assistant to R. Emmett Tyrrell. He then got his first full-time job as a staff writer at Prevention magazine. In 1995, he became a staff writer at Men's Health. He was promoted to editor-in-chief of Men's Health in 1999. In 2000, he was replaced by David Zinczenko, and became editor-in-chief of Stuff. At Stuff he increased the circulation from 750,000 to 1.2 million. In 2003 he became head of "brand development" at Dennis Publishing. Since February 5, 2007 he has been host of the Fox News late-night program Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld. He has been a contributor to the website The Huffington Post since its launch, and currently also blogs at his own site, "The Daily Gut". Frequent targets of Gutfeld's sarcasm include his Huffington Post colleagues Deepak Chopra, Cenk Uygur and Arianna Huffington. He has authored two books, including "The Scorecard" for Henry Holt, and is currently working on a book about England for Simon and Schuster. He also writes a monthly column called "From the Gut" in The American Spectator.
Henry H. Parker One of America's leading authorities in the field of teaching Standard English by means of contrastive analysis with Ebonics. Professor Parker has taught Standard English via Ebonics from the pre-school to the college level and is a frequent contributor to television, radio and newspaper on Ebonics issues. He is the author of a definitive text on the subject entitled, Teaching Minorities To Play The Corporate Language Game. Womanist View..
Jon Haggins Motivational speaker who inspires people to get up and go, that anything is possible. My background includes fashion, travel, interior and food. I have been featured in and have written for numerous publications. I have also been a spokesperson for Procter and Gamble's Ultra Detergents. The Museum of the City of New York is presently exhibiting a retrospective of my fashion designs. And the Schomburg Library has acquired my fashion archive of photographs and editorials. I am the producer and host of GlobeTrotter Jon Haggins TV; a half-hour weekly travel show that's available in 2 million Time Warner subscriber homes in New York City and streamed over the Internet. In addition, I have contributed travel segments to NPR Radio. NPR has a listening audience of 25 million. GlobeTrotter Jon Haggins TV is a fun, informative and entertaining program that features destinations, foodies and guests from around the world. The main goal is to expand our audience horizon beyond their couch and allow them to discover many dreamy far away places where they can reach for the stars. I have written The African American Travel Guide, which is an informative book, that offers advise on where to get a passport, where to exchange money, security precautions, bartering in the markets and what to pack etc. I also share narratives of my travel experiences. In addition to my book, I have contributed short stories to Eric Copage's -Soul Food Book. I was an invited speaker at the Smithsonian Museum in DC and have appeared on numerous radio and TV shows such as: CNN-Daybreak, Joan Hamburg-WOR Radio, Sunday Classics with Hal Jackson WBLS Radio, Sean Cort-Breakfast Cort and the Bob Law show on WWRL Radio, Geraldo, Regis & Kathie Lee, Saturday Morning Tribune, Midday Live, Evening Magazine and The McCreary Report, just to name a few. And let me not forget that I was a voice for FOX-TV's public service announcement, "It's Ten PM. Do you know where your children are?" My fashions have graced seven Cosmopolitan Magazine covers and eighty-five inside pages. They have also appeared in Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, Essence, New York Magazine, Town and Country, New York Times etc. Celebrities such as Diana Ross, Helen Gurley Brown, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Debbie Allen, Felicia Rashad, Racquel Welch, Diahann Carroll, Lynn Redgrave have worn my fashions. Cornel University honored me with a month long exhibition of my designs in the Johnson Museum. I have also designed costumes for several Off-Broadway shows and several Soap Operas and TV shows, such as: The Debbie Allen Special, As the World turns, One Life to Live, Love boat, Star Search and Good Day-New York. And special projects for Clairol, Matrix, Estee Lauder, Revlon, Seagram, Procter & Gamble and Chesebrough Ponds.
Shirley Taylor Haizlip Shirley Taylor Haizlip's best selling book The Sweeter the Juice: A Family Memoir in Black & White,is a provocative memoir that goes to the heart of our American identity. While searching for her mother's family, Blacks who passed for whites, she confronts the tensions of race and skin color.
Hillel Halkin Author of the best selling book, Across the Sabbath River: In Search of a Lost Tribe of Israel and a regular contributor to Commentary and The New Republic..
Jane Hamilton Jane Hamilton is the author of The Book of Ruth, winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award for First Fiction, A Map of the World, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and named one of the top ten books of the year by Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly, the Miami Herald, and People magazine; Disobedience; and The Short History of a Prince. She lives in Rochester, Wisconsin.
Mark Victor Hansen A motivational speaker who holds a PHD in human behavior, Mark Victor Hansen is co-author of such best selling books as Chicken Soup For The Soul: 101 Stories To Open The Heart And Rekindle The Spirit and A Second Helping of Chicken Soup For The Soul.
Husain Haqqani Specialization: Muslim Political Movements, International Journalism, South Central Asia, South-East Asia. Ambassador Haqqani has a wide range of experience as a journalist, diplomat, and advisor to three Pakistani Prime Ministers. He came to the U.S. in 2002 as a Visiting Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC and an adjunct professor at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University. Born in Karachi, Pakistan, Ambassador Haqqani acquired traditional Islamic learning as well as a modern education in International Relations. His journalism career started with work as East Asian correspondent for Arabia -- The Islamic World Review during the turbulent years following the Iranian revolution. During this period he wrote extensively on Muslims in China and East Asia and Islamic political movements. Later, as Pakistan and Afghanistan correspondent for the Far EAstern Economic Review, he covered the war in Afghanistan and acquired a deep understanding of militant Islamist Jihadi groups. Ambassador Haqqani also has a distinguished career in government. He served as an advisor to Pakistani Prime Ministers Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, Nawaz Sharif, and Benazir Bhutto. From 1992 to 1993 he was Pakistan's ambassador to Sri Lanka. He has contributed to numerous international publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, Foreign Policy, and The Financial Times. He regularly comments on Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Islamic politics and extremism on BBC, C-Span, CNN, NBC, Fox News, and ABC. He has also written and spoken extensively on U.S. relations with the Muslim world. Recent publications include: America's New Alliance with Pakistan: Avoiding the Traps of the Past (Policy Brief); "The Gospel of Jihad" (Foreign Policy); "Islam's Medieval Outposts" (Foreign Policy); "The American Mongols" (Foreign Policy); "Islam's Weakened Moderates" (Foreign Policy); "Political Islam Beyond the Middle East: Pakistan and Afghanistan" (in Political Islam: Challenges for U.S. Policy). He has also contributed chapters to several books. His book, Pakistan Between Mosque and Military, was published early in 2005.
Julia Hare Co-director of “The Black Think Tank” in San Francisco, Julia Hare is an educator, author and lecturer. Dr. Hare is the co-author of The Endangered Black Family; Bringing the Black Boy to Manhood; Crisis in Black Sexual Politics; and the journal, Black Male-Female Relationships. Topics: Male-Female Relationships; Domestic Violence (Managing Stress in the Black Family); The Successful Black Woman; The Endangered Black Male; Alcohol, Drugs and the Black Family; The Black Child and Cultural Learning Styles.
Hill Harper Despite his many accolades and awards, or maybe because of them, Hill Harper made a commitment to work in service of our youth. To pass along the lessons he learned and provide a foundation for young brothers and sisters to use as a launching pad to success. Hill knew early on that education is the key to unlock potential and open doors. He pursued his education with a passion and determination that resulted in him graduating Magna Cum Laude from Brown University. But not satisfied with that success, he went on to earn graduate degrees in Law and Public Administration from Harvard University.After achieving his goals in higher education, Hill began to pursue his career in acting with the same dedication and discipline he exhibited in the classroom. His hard work paid off as he is now seen in the hit CBS drama, CSI:NY. His appearance on the show has earned him two NAACP Image Awards. Prior to his current series Hill appeared in the CBS series' City of Angels and The Handler and he made numerous guest starring appearances in top shows such as Soul Food, The Sopranos, ER, NYPD Blue, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Of course, Hill is also an accomplished and acclaimed film actor he recently starred in the HBO movie, Lackawanna Blues and received critical acclaim for his performance in the independent film, The Visit. Again, Hill's film credits are numerous and include appearances in In Too Deep, Beloved, He Got Game, Get On The Bus, Zooman, and One Red Rose [which he co-wrote for Showtime.]He has been awarded an additional three NAACP Image awards for his literary accomplishments Outstanding Literary Work: Youth/Teens (2007, 2008) and Outstanding Literary Work: Debut Author (2007). Hill has authored his first book for adults: The Conversation: How Black Men and Women Can Build Loving, Trusting Relationships; it has also been recognized as a New York Times Bestseller. Also Letters to a Young Sister: DeFINE Your Destiny, published in 2008 and "The Conversation", published in 2009.
Joan Hecht Imagine youre a young boy maybe as young as three or four separated from your family by civil war, traversing deserts and mountains with little food or water, no medical care, and no protection from wild animals. Imagine watching hundreds of boys perish around you from hunger, disease, or attacks by enemy soldiers and wild animals. To most of us, it is unimaginable, but this was reality for The Lost Boys of Sudan, thousands of young boys who were separated from their families and forced to walk approximately 1,000 miles to reach safe refuge from war and certain death. For the first time, The Journey of the Lost Boys offers readers a chronological timeline of the epic journey taken by these children, beginning in their rural villages of Southern Sudan and ending with their arrival as young men to the United States. Narrated through the voice of Joan Hecht, one of their American mentors, whom they lovingly call mom or Mama Joan; The Journey of the Lost Boys is a compelling story of courage, faith and the sheer determination to survive by a group of young orphaned boys. Because of Ms. Hechts personal relationship with them, she is able to portray their story in a way that most famous reporters and authors cannot. Each page, says Ms. Hecht, is written from the depths of my heart and filled with my love and admiration for these young men whom many call the Lost Boys of Sudan, but whom I proudly call my sons. In addition to Ms. Hechts extensive research of the political and historical events surrounding this long lasting civil war, are the heart rending personal stories of the boys themselves. It is a story like no other story Ive ever heard, says Ms Hecht. I only hope that I have given it the respect and recognition it deserves.
John Hennessy The founder of MIPS Computer Systems Inc., is currently serving as the 10th President of Stanford University. He earned his Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Villanova University, and his Master's degree and Ph.D. in computer science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Hennessy became a Stanford faculty member in 1977. In 1984, he used his sabbatical year to found MIPS Computer Systems Inc. to commercialize his research in RISC processors. In 1987, he became the Willard and Inez Kerr Bell Endowed Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Hennessy served as director of Stanford's Computer System Laboratory (1989-1993), a research center run by Stanford's Electrical Engineering and Computer Science departments. He was chair of the Department of Computer Science (1994-1996) and Dean of the School of Engineering (1996-1999). Hennessy and David A. Patterson have written two well-known books about computer architecture, Computer Organization and Design: the Hardware/Software Interface (2 editions; latest is ISBN 1558604286) and Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach (3 editions, latest is ISBN 1558603298). They have been widely used as textbooks for graduate and undergraduate courses since 1990.
Carl Hiaasen Carl Hiaasen, a New York Times best-selling author, Miami Herald columnist and three-time Pulitzer Prize nominee, will present “Funny, Real Stories from the Sunshine State”. Hiaasen is the author of the best-selling novels, “Skinny Dip,” “Basket Case,” “Sick Puppy,” “Lucky You,” “Stormy Weather,” “Strip Tease,” “Native Tongue,” “Skin Tight,” “Double Whammy,” “Tourist Season,” and the Newbery Award-winning “HOOT” for young readers.
Maria Hinojosa Maria Hinojosa Award Winning Journalist & Author Program Title: An Evening with Maria Hinojosa Maria Hinojosa, an award-winning journalist and author, is senior correspondent for the Emmy-winning PBS newsmagazine NOW; managing editor & anchor of National Public Radio's Latino USA, and former CNN correspondent. Her style is decidedly earthy and real, bringing issues to light through the stories of unsung heroes. And her unique perspective from the front lines of the real life issues in America today makes audiences both laugh and cry while she tells the stories of being a mom and working journalist in today's turbulent world. Hinojosa has garnered many awards and honors, including the Ruben Salazar Award from the National Council of La Raza, an award that recognizes a journalist's outstanding body of work. She has been named one of the "25 Most Influential Working Mothers in America" by Working Mother magazine, and three times over the past decade Hispanic Business magazine named her one of the 100 most influential Latinos in the United States. Her personal experiences as a Mexican-American career woman, wife and mother living in New York were published in 1999 in her critically acclaimed memoir, Raising Raul: An Adventure Raising Myself and My Son. This was her second foray into the book world-in 1995 she published Crews-Gang Members Talk with Maria Hinojosa, a book based on her award-winning NPR report.
Mark Hitchcock Author and knows The events wracking the Middle East today are confusing to even the most avid news buff. Now all the answers to your questions are offered in just one resource. Divided into five main sections, Iran: The Coming Crisis contains the most up-to-date, thorough information available and is complete with maps, charts, and timelines for visual assistance. Iran’s past, present, and future are exposed-the country’s quest for nuclear weapons and support of Palestinian terror groups, its ability to “play the oil card,” and Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s apocalyptic beliefs that motivate his actions. You’ll discover the truth about today’s events, how they relate to Bible prophecy, and what the Bible clearly describes is yet to come. It’s a crisis unlike any the world has ever faced. 214 pages, paper.
Linda Hogan Native American poet, novelist and essayist, Linda Hogan is the author of Mean Spirit; Seeing Through the Sun; and The Book of Medicines.
Khaled Hosseini Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1965. He is the oldest of five children. and his mother was a teacher of Farsi and History at a large girls high school in Kabul. In 1976, Khaled’s family was relocated to Paris, France, where his father was assigned a diplomatic post in the Afghan embassy. The assignment would return the Hosseini family in 1980, but by then Afghanistan had already witnessed a bloody communist coup and the Soviet invasion. Khaled’s family, instead, asked for and was granted political asylum in the U.S. He moved to San Jose, CA, with his family in 1980. He attended Santa Clara University and graduated from UC San Diego School of Medicine. He has been in practice as an internist since 1996. He is married, has two children (a boy and a girl, Haris and Farah). The Kite Runner is his first novel.
Mike Huckabee Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee is the host of the number one rated weekend hit "HUCKABEE" on the Fox News Channel, and is heard three times daily across the nation on the "Huckabee Report" on the ABC Radio Network, the fast growing new program on the ABC Radio Network in years. He is the author of 6 books, the most recent being "Do the Right Thing," which spent its first 7 weeks of release in the top ten of the New York Times Bestseller list. After his quest for the Republican nomination for President in 2008, in which he finished second to John McCain, he formed HuckPac to assist Republicans running for office nationwide and has amassed a volunteer army of thousands of activists in all 50 states. From 1996-2007, Huckabee served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas and was recognized as a national leader, having been honored by several renowned publications and organizations for his numerous accomplishments. Governing Magazine named him as one of its 'Public Officials of the Year' for 2005, Time Magazine honored him as one of the five best governors in America, and later in the same year, Huckabee received the American Association of Retired Person's Impact Award. In 2007, he was presented with the Music for Life Award by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) for his commitment to music education. He served as the Chairman of the prestigious National Governors Association as well as the Education Commission of the States and the Interstate Oil and Gas Commission. Huckabee became governor in July 1996 when his predecessor resigned. He was one of the youngest governors in the country at the time. Huckabee was elected to a full four-year term as governor in 1998, attracting the largest percentage of the vote ever received by a Republican gubernatorial nominee in Arkansas, and was re-elected to another four-year term in November 2002. Huckabee first was elected lieutenant governor in a 1993 special election and was elected to a full four-year term in 1994. He was only the fourth Republican to be elected to statewide office since Reconstruction. A significant part of his early adult life was spent as a pastor and denominational leader. He became the youngest president ever of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, the largest denomination in Arkansas. Huckabee led rapidly growing congregations in Pine Bluff and Texarkana. He said those experiences gave him a deep sense of the problems faced by individuals and families. Huckabee's efforts to improve his own health have received national attention. Diagnosed with Type II diabetes in 2003, he lost 110 pounds. Barely two years later, he had completed four marathons: The 2005 and 2006 Little Rock Marathons, the Marine Corps Marathon and the ING New York City Marathon. As a result of his accomplishments, The Road Runners Club of America named him its 'Southern Region Runner of the Year' and USA Track & Field has named him their 'Athlete of the Week' for the country. Continuing to call for a national emphasis on living a healthy lifestyle, Huckabee completed his fourth book, "Quit Digging Your Grave With A Knife and Fork." This 12-stop program is a no-nonsense approach to managing one's health through lifestyle change rather than a simple diet and exercise plan. Huckabee, 53, is an avid musician and is bass player in his rock-n-roll band, Capitol Offense, which has opened for artists such as Willie Nelson and the Charlie Daniels Band, and has played the House of Blues in New Orleans, the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver, CO and for two presidential inauguration balls. He is featured each week in the musical segment of his Fox show with the Fox house band, "The Little Rockers." His hobbies include hunting, fishing, running, and music. He was named one of the 25 most influential people for conservation by Outdoor Life magazine, and has was named as Man of the Year by the American Sportfishing Association in 1997. The former governor and his wife, Janet, live in North Little Rock. They have three grown children: John Mark, David and Sarah.
Arianna Huffington Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, a nationally syndicated columnist, and author of eleven books."Arianna Huffington is also co-host of "Left, Right & Center," public radio's popular political roundtable program. In May 2005, Arianna Huffington launched The Huffington Post, a news and blog site that has quickly become one of the most widely-read, linked to, and frequently-cited media brands on the Internet. In 2006, Arianna Huffington was named to the Time 100, Time Magazine's list of the world’s 100 most influential people. Originally from Greece, she moved to England when she was 16 and graduated from Cambridge University with an M.A. in economics. At 21, she became president of the famed debating society, the Cambridge Union.
Immaculee Ilibagiza Immaculee Ilibagiza is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide and author of Left to Tell and Led by Faith. Immaculee is a living example of faith put into action. Immaculees life was transformed dramatically during the 1994 Rwandan genocide when she and seven other women spent 91 days hiding, huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastors house. She emerged to find that nearly her entire family had been brutally murdered. Immaculee found solace and peace in prayer and began to pray from the time she opened her eyes in the morning to the time she closed her eyes at night. Through prayer, she eventually found it possible, and in fact imperative, to forgive her tormentors and her familys murderers. This is a powerful presentation of faith and forgiveness.
J. Ivy In the beginning there was the word, the foundation of all forms of art. And when it comes to the art of Poetry or new age Spoken Word, J. Ivy has truly served as a poetic pioneer. Not only was the Chicago bred poet one of the first to grace the stage of the Award Winning HBO Russell Simmons Def Poetry Series , but he was asked to return to the show for two encore performances, where he received standing ovations on each of his appearances. From there , J. Ivy has gone on to receive a Grammy for his participation on Kanye's West College Dropout album, where he followed Hip Hop legend Jay Z and the ingenious Mr. West, unleashing one of the most memorable and heart felt verses of our time on the classic song Never Let Me Down. But the poetic journey doesn't end there. J. Ivy has managed to allow his craft to drive him to many creative avenues. Whether it has been on camera work for networks such as ABC, NBC, VHI, B.E.T., FOX, MTV, and HBO , voiceovers for the sports world on shows like HBO's Costas Now, HBO Boxing, or MTVs Who's Got Game. His on-camera opening tease for 30million viewers during the "Fed Ex Orange Bowl," the NBA Finals, or the introduction of NFL superstar Mike Vick for "Monday Night Football." Whether it was thru photo shoots that were taken for national print ads for Mecca and LRG , concerts that were performed along side artists such Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bo Diddley , Patti Labelle, Dougie Fresh, Chuck D, El Debarge, Roy Ayers, The Last Poets, Bob Dylan, Erykah Badu, Carl Thomas, Jill Scott, Mos Def, Kanye West, John Legend and Tarrey Torae , who he has recently formed a music group with called J. Torae, which was introduced on the Emmy Award Winning Drama Series, ER . Or guest appearances on national albums for artist such as Kanye West, Miri Ben-Ari, Lil Mo , and John Legend , who J. Ivy nick-named, J . has truly served as a voice for the times taking poetry to places it hasn't quite gone before.
Jackie Jacket Jackie Kallen Author, Manager & Inspiration for the Film Against the Ropes Program: Give Life Your Best Shot: Jackie Kallen's Knock Out Strategies for Success What would it be like to have Meg Ryan portray you in a movie based on your life? How did a suburban wife and mother break through to become one of the most successful players ever in a male-dominated industry? What does it take to bounce back from heart problems, both life-threatening and the proverbial "broken heart?" Jackie Kallen, the first and most successful female boxing manager and inspiration for the Meg Ryan film Against the Ropes is the one woman who has experienced and survived it all. At the podium, she reveals her secrets to overcoming adversity in all forms, including sexism, discrimination and life-threatening illness, with a certified fight plan for dealing with all of life's hard knocks. Jackie Kallen had a colorful career before she ever met a boxer. An entertainment journalist who interviewed everyone from the Rolling Stones to Elvis and Sinatra, she had a life-changing moment when she interviewed six-time world champ Thomas Hearns. After falling in love with the sport of boxing, Jackie Kallen rose from being Hearns' and his crew's publicist to managing four champions and was ultimately nominated twice as Manager of the Year. She has also served as commissioner of the Female Boxers Association and has a wall full of awards and honors. Her life story inspired the Paramount film Against the Ropes starring Meg Ryan, and she was Associate Producer of the film and made a cameo appearance. She is also the author of the inspiring book Hit Me With Your Best Shot: A Fight Plan for Dealing With All of Life's Hard Knocks. Most recently, Jackie Kallen was the “Den Mother” on the first season of The Contender on NBC with Sylvester Stallone and Sugar Ray Leonard. Her rise to the top has not been obstacle-free… along the way, Jackie Kallen has survived a brush with breast cancer, a heart stent implant, and the break up of her thirty year marriage. Today, along with managing several promising male and female fighters, Jackie Kallen has been named Youth Sports Coordinator for the LA County Sheriff Department. She targets inner city areas, such as South Central Los Angeles, where local kids are “at-risk” and sets up boxing gyms as a healthy alternative to gang life and other dangers. She is also very involved with local charities, particularly women's shelters. Jackie Kallen lives in Los Angeles.
Simcha Jacobovici Simcha Jacobovicis numerous awards include a Gold Medal from the International Documentary Festival of Nyon, a certificate of Special Merit from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles, a Genie Award, three U.S. Cable Ace Awards, two Gemini Awards, an Alfred I. Dupont-Columbia University Award, a British Broadcast Award and two U.S. Emmy Awards for "Outstanding Investigative Journalism". In 2007, he won the Edward R. Murrow Award from the Overseas Press Club of America. Recent films include Impact of Terror (CNN), Sex Slaves (CBC, C4 and PBS Frontline), and The Exodus Decoded (History Channel), which he co-produced with James Cameron. The Lost Tomb of Jesus, also co-produced with James Cameron, continues to garner worldwide attention. His first book The Jesus Family Tomb (Harper Collins 2007), co-written with Dr. Charles Pellegrino, is a companion book to the documentary film. It is an international Best Seller. An Israeli-born Canadian, Mr. Jacobovici has a B.A. in Philosophy from McGill University and a M.A. in International Relations from the University of Toronto.
A.J. Jacobs Jacobs is the editor at large at Esquire magazine. He has written for The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, New York magazine and Dental Economics magazine, one of the top five magazines about the financial side of toothcare. In 2004, Simon & Schuster plublished the Know-It-All. It subsequently spent eight weeks on the New York Times paperback bestseller list. It was praised by Time magazine, Newsweek, Vanity Fair, USA Today, Janet Maslin in the New York Times and AJ’s uncle Henry on Amazon.com. Jacobs has appeared on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America and the second-to-last episode of the John McEnroe Show on MSNBC, which also featured Dionne Warwick wearing a fannypack. He is a periodic commentator on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday, where he discusses important facts, such as the fact that oppossums have 13 nipples. On October 9, his new book The Year of Living Biblically will be released. It has already garnered positive reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews. The book optioned by Paramount Pictures and Plan B productions. The script has been written by a talented redhead named Jay Reiss (one of the writers of the Broadway show The Putnam County Spelling Bee). The director is a British fellow named Julian Farino is attached to direct it. Jacobs grew up in New York City. His father is a lawyer who holds the world record for the most footnotes in a law review article (4,824). His wife works for a highbrow scavenger hunt called Watson Adventures. He lives in New York. He wonders if he fooled anyone with this third-person thing, or if everyone knows that he wrote this bio himself.
Jennifer Jako Jennifer Jako is a young HIV-positive filmmaker whose documentary, "True Life: It Could Be You," empowers HIV-positive youth who voice their confusion, grief and hope while educating others to avoid getting infected. The film, which accompanies her talk, premiered on MTV and has received numerous honors including a 1999 Ribbon of Hope Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Diagnosed with HIV in 1991 at age 18, Jako has taken her powerful message to thousands nationwide. Her personal story of infection and the making of the film are told with intelligence and an in-you-face sense of humor.
Dan Jenkins Sportswriter and best-selling author of Semi-Tough.
Juan Roberto Job Motivational speaker, multicultural consultant and author of the best selling book, Just Because I'm Latin doesn't mean I Mambo: A Success Guide For Hispanic Americans. Juan Roberto Job is highly regarded for his work in multicultural settings and is an expert on worksite diversity, ethnic recruiting and cross cultural business protocol.
Donna Richardson Joyner Richardson Joyner is today's vibrant trailblazing pioneer for health and fitness, who has enjoyed enormous success in the workout video world. Widely known for her series of twenty five award-winning fitness videos, most notably the wildly popular "Sweating In The Spirit," and "Buns Of Steel," Richardson Joyner (wife of popular syndicated radio personality, the "Fly Jock," Tom Joyner), is a lively, gorgeous advocate for health, vitality and fitness. She's the ultimate, fit example of inner beauty combined with outer beauty and she's ushering in a new paradigm of fitness in America. A mover and a shaper with infectious spirit and energy, the Silver Springs, MD native created and produced her videos to encourage a healthy, active lifestyle among Americans. Her "Sweating In The Spirit" video, which combines spirituality with health, is the #1 gospel exercise video in the country, featuring live performances by gospel greats Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams and Shirley Murdock. "This is the music that gets your soul stirring," Richardson Joyner says, "you are giving praise to God and taking care of your temple at the same time."
Dean Karnazes Dean Karnazes was proclaimed, "The fittest man in the world" by Men's Fitness magazine. An internationally recognized endurance athlete and bestselling author, Dean Karnazes has pushed his body and mind to inconceivable limits. Among his many accomplishments, he has run 350 continuous miles, foregoing sleep for three nights. He's run across Death Valley in 120 degree temperatures, and he's run a marathon to the South Pole in negative 40 degrees. On ten different occasions, he's run a 200-mile relay race solo, racing alongside teams of twelve. Dean Karnazes has swum across the San Francisco Bay, scaled Half Dome in Yosemite, mountain-biked for 24-hours straight, surfed the gigantic waves off the coast of Hawaii, and is an accomplished windsurfer. Dean Karnazes has won the Vermont Trail 100 Mile Endurance Run, holds eleven Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run Silver Buckle's, has raced and competed across the globe, and has won the world’s toughest footrace, the Badwater Ultramarathon, running 135 miles across Death Valley in the middle of summer. His most recent endeavor was running 50 marathons, in all 50 US states, in 50 consecutive days, finishing with the NYC Marathon, which he ran in three hours flat. Dean Karnazes and his incredible adventures have been featured on 60 Minutes, The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS News, CNN, ESPN, The Howard Stern Show, NPR's Morning Edition, the BBC, and many others. He has appeared on the cover of Runner's World and Outside, and been featured in TIME, Newsweek, People, GQ, The New York Times, USA TODAY, The Washington Post, Men's Journal, Forbes, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, and the London Telegraph, to mention a few. He is a monthly columnist for Men's Health, the largest Men's publication in the world. His first book, Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, is a National Bestseller, and was the #7 bestselling sports book worldwide in 2005. Ultramarathon Man is currently in print in eleven languages and available in audio format. Always wanting to do more, to give more, to help others in need, Dean Karnazes has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity through his running and sports career. He has participated in the Leukemia Society of America's "Team-In-Training" and "Man of the Year" programs, has raised money for the Special Olympics, YouthAIDS and childhood organ donation programs, and has contributed his time and energy to numerous environmental organizations. Beyond being a celebrated endurance athlete, philanthropist, and bestselling author, Dean Karnazes is an accomplished businessman with a notable professional career working for several Fortune 500 companies and startups alike. He is uniquely able to demonstrate how the lessons learned from athletics can be applied to business, and he is able to convey with authenticity the many insights he has gleaned along the way as an athlete and business professional. Dean Karnazes is a sought after speaker who has captivated audiences across the country with his stories of persistence and perseverance. His dynamic, engaging and inspirational presentations focus on going beyond perceived limitations to be the best that you can be. He talks about unlocking an inner strength to achieve extraordinary results. His real-life examples explore the topics of: dealing with adversity, overcoming obstacles, setting and reaching lofty goals, the importance of teamwork, even in solo endeavors, and excelling in a competitive, and often confusing, world. In his presentations, he examines and discusses the essential ingredients necessary for high-achievement, and developing the ability to prevail against staggering odds. Dean Karnazes is believable, because his achievements and accomplishments are real, and he delivers his message with the insight and candor that only one who has lived through such experiences can. His tales of endurance and perseverance are often comical, sometimes tear-jerking, and always entertaining. His roster of clients include: Nike, Roche Pharmaceuticals, The Gap, Accenture, Genentech, The North Face, L'Oreal Cosmetics, Stanford University, CNET, JP Morgan Chase, and a host of others.
Doris Kearns Doris Kearns first came to the attention of President Lyndon Johnson when she co-wrote a very critical article on Johnson for the New Republic magazine. Several months later, when they met in person at the White House, Johnson asked her to work with him in the White House. He soon asked her to help write his memoirs. During and after Johnson's Presidency, Kearns visited Johnson many times, and, three years after his death, published her first book, Lyndon Johnson & the American Dream. She drew on the friendship and conversations with Johnson, supplemented by careful research and critical analysis, to present a picture of his accomplishments, failures and motivations. She married Richard Goodwin in 1975. Her husband, an advisor to John and Robert Kennedy as well as a writer, helped her to gain access to people and papers for her story on the Kennedy family, begun in 1977 and finished ten years later. This book, too, was acclaimed critically, and was made into a television movie. In 1995 Doris Kearns Goodwin was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for her biography of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, No Ordinary Time. She then turned to writing a memoir of her own, about growing up as a Brooklyn Dodgers fan, Wait Till Next Year. She is a regular political commentator for television and radio.
Sam Keen Men’s rights activist and author of Fire in the Belly.
Garrison Keillor Well known historian and best-selling author of Preparing for the Twenty-First Century.
Barbara Kellerman Barbara Kellerman is the James MacGregor Burns Lecturer in Public Leadership at Harvard Universitys John F. Kennedy School of Government. She was the Founding Executive Director of the Kennedy Schools Center for Public Leadership, from 2000 to 2003; and from 2003 to 2006 she served as the Centers Research Director. Kellerman has held professorships at Fordham, Tufts, Fairleigh Dickinson, George Washington, and Uppsala Universities. She also served as Dean of Graduate Studies and Research at Fairleigh Dickinson, and as Director of the Center for the Advanced Study of Leadership at the Academy of Leadership at the University of Maryland. Kellerman received her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, and her M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. (1975, in Political Science) degrees from Yale University. She was awarded a Danforth Fellowship and three Fulbright fellowships. At Uppsala (1996-97), she held the Fulbright Chair in American Studies. Kellerman was cofounder of the International Leadership Association (ILA), and is author and editor of many books including Leadership: Multidisciplinary Perspectives; The Political Presidency: Practice of Leadership; and Reinventing Leadership: Making the Connection Between Politics and Business. She has appeared often on media outlets such as CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, NPR, Reuters and BBC, and has contributed articles and reviews to the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, and the Harvard Business Review. Her most recent books are Bad Leadership: What It Is, How It Happens, Why It Matters (2004); a co-edited (with Deborah Rhode) volume, Women & Leadership: State of Play and Strategies for Change (2007); and Followership: How Followers are Creating Change and Changing Leaders (2008). Kellerman speaks to audiences around the world, including in recent years in Berlin, London, Moscow, Rome, Sao Paolo, and Shanghai. She holds an Honorary Degree from Ripon College, and is currently ranked by Leadership Excellence as 6th on the list of the 100 best minds on leadership.
Dr. Molefi Kete Asante Dr. Molefi Kete Asante is Professor, Department of African American Studies at Temple University. Considered by his peers to be one of the most distinguished contemporary scholars, Asante has published 61 books, among the most recent are Encyclopedia of Black Studies, (2004), co-edited with Ama Mazama, Race, Rhetoric, and Identity: The Architecton of Soul, Erasing Racism: The Survival of the American Nation, (2003), Ancient Egyptian Philosophers (2003), Scattered to the Wind, Custom and Culture of Egypt, and 100 Greatest African Americans. The second edition of his high school text, African American History: Journey of Liberation, 2nd Edition, (2001), is used widely throughout North America. He has published more scholarly books than any contemporary African author and has recently been recognized as one of the ten most widely cited African Americans. In addition, Black Issues in Higher Education recognized him as one of the most influential leaders in the last 15 years. Asante completed his M.A. at Pepperdine and received his Ph.D. from UCLA at the age of 26 and was appointed a full professor at the age of 30 at the State University of New York at Buffalo. At Temple University he created the first Ph.D. Program in African American Studies in 1987. He has directed more than 125 Ph.D. dissertations. He has written more than 300 articles for journals and magazines and is the founder of the theory of Afrocentricity. Asante was born in Valdosta, Ga., one of sixteen children. He is a poet, dramatist, and a painter. His work on African culture and philosophy has been cited by journals such as the Journal of Black Studies, Journal of Communication, American Scholar, Daedalus, Western Journal of Black Studies, and Africaological Perspectives. The Utne Reader called him one of the “100 Leading Thinkers” in America and Asante was recommended in a survey as one of the 25 influential African male leaders of the last two hundred years. In 2001, Transition Magazine said “Asante may be the most important professor in Black America.” He has appeared on Nightline, Nighttalk, BET, Macnell Lehrer News Hour, Today Show, the Tony Brown Show, Night Watch, Like It Is and 60 Minutes. In 2002 he received the distinguished Douglas Ehninger Award for Rhetorical Scholarship from the National Communication Association. The African Union cited him as one of the twelve top scholars of African descent when it invited him to give one of the keynote addresses at the Conference of Intellectuals of Africa and the Diaspora in Dakar in 2004. He was inducted into the Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent at the Gwendolyn Brooks Center at Chicago State University in 2004. Dr. Asante is the founding editor of the Journal of Black Studies (1969) and was the President of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee chapter at UCLA in the 1960’s. In 1995 he was made a traditional king, Nana Okru Asante Peasah, Kyldomhene of Tafo, Akyem, Ghana. Dr. Asante has been or is presently a consultant for a dozen school districts. An activist scholar, he believes it is not enough to know, one must act to humanize the world.
Rami Khouri Rami George Khouri is a Palestinian-Jordanian and US citizen whose family resides in Beirut, Amman, and Nazareth. He is the Director of the Issam Fares Institute of Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut as well as editor-at-large of the Beirut-based Daily Star newspaper, published throughout the Middle East with the International Herald Tribune. He is an internationally syndicated political columnist and author. Rami was a visiting scholar at Stanford University in October 2006, and in November 2006, he was the co-recipient of the Pax Christi International Peace Award for his efforts to bring peace and reconciliation to the Middle East.
Stephen King Best-selling author of such books as The Shining; The Stand; and Christine.
Barbara Kingsolver Kingsolver's short fiction and poetry began to be published during the mid-1980's, along with the articles she wrote regularly for regional and national periodicals. She wrote her first novel, The Bean Trees, entirely at night, in the abundant free time made available by chronic insomnia during pregnancy. Completed just before the birth of her first child, in March 1987, the novel was published by HarperCollins the following year with a modest first printing. Widespread critical acclaim and word-of-mouth support have kept the book continuously in print since then. The Bean Trees has now been adopted into the core curriculum of high school and college literature classes across the U.S., and has been translated into more than a dozen languages. She has written eleven more books since then, including the novels Animal Dreams , Pigs in Heaven, The Poisonwood Bible, and Prodigal Summer ; a collection of short stories (Homeland ); poetry (Another America ); an oral history (Holding the Line ); two essay collections (High Tide in Tucson, Small Wonder ); a prose-poetry text accompanying the photography of Annie Griffiths Belt (Last Stand ); and most recently, her first full-length narrative non-fiction, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. She has contributed to dozens of literary anthologies, and her reviews and articles have appeared in most major U.S. newspapers and magazines. Her books have earned major literary awards at home and abroad, and in 2000 she received the National Humanities Medal, our nation's highest honor for service through the arts. In 1997 Barbara established the Bellwether Prize, awarded in even-numbered years to a first novel that exemplifies outstanding literary quality and a commitment to literature as a tool for social change.
Maxine Hong Kingston Maxine Hong Kingston is a highly acclaimed writer of both fiction and nonfiction and one of the first Asian Americans to make it to the top of the literary world in America. Her first book, a memoir published in 1976 called The Women Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts, won the National Book Critic's Circle Award and made her a literary celebrity. Kingston latest publication is an anthology of stories and poems by 80 veterans titled Veterans of War, Veterans of Peace, which she edited. The anthology won the Northern California Book Critics Award. China Men, a sequel to The Women Warrior, was published in 1980 and received the National Book Award and was runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize. In 1989 Kingston published her first novel, Tripmaster Monkey: His Fake Book which won the PEN Fiction Award. Kingston has also written Hawaii One Summer and helped edit the book Literature of California. Her recent works include To be the Poet, and The Fifth Book of Peace, which was nominated for The Dublin Literary Award. Kingston graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1962 and returned a year later for a teaching certificate. In the early 1980s, she received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. She has been honored with the American Academy and Institute Award in Literature, California Governor's Award in the Arts, Hawaii Award for Literature, California Arts Commission Award and the Anisfield Wolf Book Award. Kingston was recognized as a "Living Treasure of Hawaii" in 1980. Kingston's writing is often cited for its melodiousness and poetry - its exploration of myth, legend, history and autobiography combines to create a genre all to its own. Fearlessly creative and relentlessly brilliant, she shares worlds where imagination and reality collide, and truth is revealed. Kingston was awarded the National Humanities Medal from President Clinton. She currently teaches at her alma mater, University of California at Berkeley.
Naomi Klein Naomi Klein is an award-winning journalist, syndicated columnist and author of the New York Times and international bestseller, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. Published worldwide in September 2007, The Shock Doctrine is being translated into 20 languages to date. The six minute companion film, created by Alfonso Cuaron, director of Children of Men, was an Official Selection of the 2007 Venice Biennale and Toronto International Film Festivals and was a viral phenomenon, downloaded over a million times. Her first book No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies was also an international bestseller, translated into over 28 languages with more than a million copies in print. A collection of her work, Fences and Windows: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Globalization Debate was published in 2002. Klein writes a regular column for The Nation and The Guardian that is syndicated internationally by The New York Times Syndicate. In 2004, her reporting from Iraq for Harper's Magazine won the James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism. Also in 2004, she co-produced The Take with director Avi Lewis, a feature documentary about Argentina's occupied factories. The film was an Official Selection of the Venice Biennale and won the Best Documentary Jury Prize at the American Film Institute's Film Festival in Los Angeles. She is a former Miliband Fellow at the London School of Economics and holds an honorary Doctor of Civil Laws from the University of King's College, Nova
Naomi Klein Naomi Klein is an award-winning journalist, syndicated columnist and author of the New York Times and #1 international bestseller, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. Published worldwide in September 2007, The Shock Doctrine is being translated in 27 languages. It was a finalist for several prizes including the 2007 LA Times Book Award, New York Public Library Bernstein Award for Journalism, and the National Business Book Award (Canada). In 2008 it won the Canadian Booksellers Association’s Libris Award for Non-Fiction Book of the Year and is longlisted for the inaugural 2009 Warwick Prize for Writing (UK). The six minute companion film, created by Alfonso Cuaron, director of Children of Men, was an Official Selection of the 2007 Venice Biennale and Toronto International Film Festivals and was a viral phenomenon, downloaded over a million times. Her first book No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies was also an international bestseller, translated into over 28 languages with more than a million copies in print. A collection of her work, Fences and Windows: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Globalization Debate was published in 2002. Naomi Klein writes a regular column for The Nation and The Guardian that is syndicated internationally by The New York Times Syndicate. In 2004, her reporting from Iraq for Harper’s Magazine won the James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism. Also in 2004, she co-produced The Take with director Avi Lewis, a feature documentary about Argentina’s occupied factories. The film was an Official Selection of the Venice Biennale and won the Best Documentary Jury Prize at the American Film Institute’s Film Festival in Los Angeles.
Rikki Klieman Television anchor, legal analyst, trial attorney, actor and best-selling author, Rikki Klieman has earned a sterling reputation as one of the nation’s most celebrated lawyers and legal authorities. A dynamic and versatile communicator, Klieman has found success in multiple fields, including television journalism, the courtroom, academia and public speaking. An Anchor at the Courtroom Television Network since 1994 and a Legal Analyst for CBS’s Early Show, Rikki relocated to from New York to California to join her husband, Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton. She was a Legal Analyst for NBC’s Today Show and covered the Michael Jackson trial for the E! Network. She continues to inspire the lives of others with her autobiography, Fairy Tales Can Come True - How a Driven Woman Changed Her Destiny, released in May 2003 which reached the L.A. Times Best Seller List. She remains Of Counsel to the Boston, Massachusetts law firm of Klieman, Lyons, Schindler & Gross, specializing in criminal trial and appellate practice as well as civil litigation. She received her J.D. from Boston University School of Law in 1975. Prior to her legal career, she was a theater major at Northwestern University and became a professional actress. Following law school, she served as a law clerk for the Honorable Walter Jay Skinner of the United States District Court of Massachusetts, and as a prosecutor with the Middlesex and Norfolk County District Attorneys’ offices. Before creating her own practice, she was a partner at Friedman & Atherton, a commercial law firm in Boston. In 1983, she was named one of the five most outstanding women trial lawyers in the country by Time magazine. She is often the subject of magazine and newspaper articles and she was profiled by CNN. She has been interviewed on numerous radio and television programs on various aspects of criminal and civil law and procedure including, among others, “60 Minutes, The McLaughlin Group, 20/20 and a Nightline Special Report on rape hosted by Peter Jennings. Ms. Klieman was a member of the Adjunct Faculty at Columbia Law School, teaching a course on Trial Strategies in Major Current Cases from 1996 to 2003. She was a Professor at Boston University School of Law where she taught trial practice for many years. She also lectures across the country on aspects of the legal system and has taught trial advocacy at Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College, the National Criminal Defense College, University of Virginia Trial Advocacy Institute, Western Trial Advocacy Institute, Northwestern University's Short Course for Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Intensive Trial Advocacy Program at Harvard. She has published articles on criminal defense practice and contributed to a book, Women Trial Lawyers, published by Prentice Hall as well as a book on drug law. She writes the bi-annual supplement for Representing Witnesses Before Federal Grand Juries. She recently was the co-editor of a 2006 book on cross-examination called Take the Witness. In addition, she writes a column about legal issues for the popular LA Confidential Magazine.
Chuck Klosterman CHUCK KLOSTERMAN More than anyone else in his generation, Chuck Klosterman captures what it feels like to live in—and express ourselves through—our Pop-obsessed, media-saturated culture. One of the most talked-about writers today, he shows us why Pop is a conversation anyone can join in on, and why it's worth talking about in the first place. "Writing about pop culture doesn't get any better than this, or any funnier." That's Stephen King talking about Chuck Klosterman's brilliant debut, Fargo Rock City. Though ostensibly about Heavy Metal, the book uses the genre as a framework to discuss larger topics, such as the effects of popular music on shaping a young person's identity. This strategy—to discuss culture at large and reveal greater truths by focusing on seemingly insignificant, often discounted subject matter—has made Klosterman (pronounced Close-ter-man) one of the most influential and controversial journalists of our time. In Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs, he draws in all corners of the Pop culture universe and, with deceptively simple and often hilarious writing, he shows us how Pop intermingles and ultimately becomes inextricably linked with our memories and our lives. He asks what our cultural choices—the songs we love, the movies we pay to see, the television we can't stop watching—say about us, as individuals and as a society. The Onion calls Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs, a New York Times bestseller, "one of the brightest pieces of pop analysis to appear this century." Klosterman has written two other bestsellers. In fact, he is in that top rank of writers who have had two titles simultaneously on the hardcover and paperback lists. In Killing Yourself to Live, he takes a road-trip across America, in the spirit of Hunter S. Thompson and Jack Kerouac. His latest book, Chuck Klosterman 4: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas, is a collection of his best interviews and most infamous magazine columns. He pens a popular column for Esquire, "Chuck Klosterman's America," and is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. Klosterman lives in New York, and is currently working on his first novel.
Wendy Kopp In her senior thesis as an undergraduate student at Princeton University, Wendy Kopp outlined a plan to recruit outstanding recent college graduates to teach for two years in Americas neediest urban and rural schools. Upon graduation, she founded Teach for America, a national corps that would have an important impact on the nation's education system, putting a dent in the lingering problem of educational inequality. She has spent the past 18 years developing the corps into a prestigious, highly regarded program that attracts some of the nation's brightest young men and women. Today, 5,000 corps members reach approximately 440,000 disadvantaged students across the country. They join more than 12,000 Teach for America alumni who are assuming significant leadership roles in education and social reform. These alumni are running some of the most acclaimed schools in low-income areas, advising governors and senators on education policy, and marshalling the resources of companies and law firms toward education reform. Wendy holds honorary doctorate degrees from Mount Holyoke College, Rhodes College, Pace University, Mercy College, Smith College, Princeton University, Connecticut College, and Drew University. She is the author of One Day, All Children: The Unlikely Triumph of Teach for America and What I Learned Along the Way, and is the youngest person and the first woman to receive Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson Award, the highest honor the school confers on its undergraduate alumni. Wendy has won several awards, including the Jefferson Award for Public Service (1991), The Kilby Young Innovator Award (1991), Aetnas Voice Conscience Award (1994), and The Citizen Activist Award from the Gleitsman Foundation (1994). In 1990, Glamour Magazine named Wendy one of their Women of the Year. In 1994, Time Magazine named Wendy among the 40 Most Promising Leaders Under 40. Wendy was named one of America's Best Leaders by U.S. News and World Report in 2006.
Jon Krakauer JON KRAKAUER is the author of Eiger Dreams, Into the Wild , and Into Thin Air , and is editor of the Modern Library Exploration series. Born in 1954, Jon Krakauer grew up in Corvallis, Oregon, where his father introduced him to mountaineering as an 8-year-old. After graduating from Hampshire College in 1976, Krakauer divided his time between Colorado, Alaska, and the Pacific Northwest, earning his living primarily as a carpenter and commercial salmon fisherman, spending most of his free moments in the mountains. In 1977 he traveled alone to the remote Stikine Icecap in Southeast Alaska, went three weeks without encountering another person, and climbed a new route on a graceful, intimidating peak called the Devils Thumb. In 1992 he climbed the West Face of Cerro Torre in the Patagonian Andes (a mile-high spike of granite sheathed in a carapace of frozen rime, Cerro Torre was once considered the most difficult mountain on earth.) In May 1996 Krakauer reached the top of Mt. Everest, but during the descent a storm engulfed the peak, taking the lives of four of the five teammates who climbed to the summit with him. An analysis of the calamity that he wrote for Outside magazine received a National Magazine Award. The unsparingly honest book he subsequently wrote about Everest, INTO THIN AIR, became a #1 New York Times bestseller and has been translated into 24 languages. It was also honored as the "Book of the Year" by TIME magazine, one of the "Best Books of the Year" by the New York Times Book Review, a finalist for a 1997 National Book Critics Circle Award, and one of three finalists for the 1998 Pulitzer Prize in General Non-Fiction. For the past two decades Krakauer's writing has been published in the likes of Outside, GEO, Architectural Digest, Rolling Stone, TIME, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and National Geographic. An article he wrote for Smithsonian about vulcanology received the 1997 Walter Sullivan Award for Excellence in Science Journalism from the American Geophysical Union. His 1996 book, INTO THE WILD-about an idealistic young man named Chris McCandless who perished in the Alaskan bush-spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list. This followed the publication of two books by Krakauer in 1990: EIGER DREAMS, a collection of his mountaineering essays, and ICELAND: LAND OF THE SAGAS, a book of his photographs. In 1998 Krakauer established the Everest '96 Memorial Fund at the Boulder Community Foundation, endowing it with royalties from INTO THIN AIR. Created as a tribute to his companions lost on Everest, the fund provides humanitarian aid to the indigenous peoples of the Himalaya and supports organizations working to preserve the natural environment throughout the world. Krakauer also serves on the boards of the American Himalayan Foundation and the Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation. In 1999 Krakauer received an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters-a prestigious award intended "to honor writers of exceptional accomplishment." According to the Academy's citation, "Krakauer combines the tenacity and courage of the finest tradition of investigative journalism with the stylish subtlety and profound insight of the born writer. His account of an ascent of Mount Everest has led to a general reevaluation of climbing and of the commercialization of what was once a romantic, solitary sport; while his account of the life and death of Christopher McCandless, who died of starvation after challenging the Alaskan wilderness, delves even more deeply and disturbingly into the fascination of nature and the devastating effects of its lure on a young and curious mind." Krakauer's latest book, which he has spent the last four years researching and writing, is UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN: A STORY OF VIOLENT FAITH, published by Doubleday in July 2003. As a child in Oregon, many of the author's playmates, teachers, and athletic coaches were Latter-day Saints. Although he envied the unfluctuating certainty of the faith professed so enthusiastically by these Mormon friends and acquaintances, he was often baffled by it, and has sought to comprehend the formidable power of such belief ever since. The upshot of this lifelong quest is UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN, in which Krakauer examines the nature of religious passion through the lens of Mormon Fundamentalism.
Dr. David Kranzler Dr. David Kranzler, a noted Holocaust historian and retired professor at the City University of New York is the author of nine books and numerous articles on rescue and rescue attempts during the Holocaust. His most recent, book is entitled, The Man Who Stopped the Trains to Auschwwitz: George Mantello, El Salvador and Switzerland's Finest Hour (Syracuse U. Press), was awarded the prestigious Israeli EGIT Prize for the best manuscript on the Holocaust. The foreword is by Senator Joseph I. Lieberman. His next work is entitled, Holocaust Hero: the Untold Story of Solomon Schonfeld, the British Rabbi Who Saved Thousands of Jews During the Holocaust.
Nicholas D. Kristof Nicholas D. Kristof, a columnist for The New York Times since November 2001, writes op ed columns that appear twice a week. He is temporarily on leave to write a book with his wife about women in the developing world. Previously, he was associate managing editor of The Times, responsible for the Sunday Times. Kristof graduated from Harvard College, Phi Beta Kappa, and then won a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford, where he studied law and graduated with first class honors. He later studied Arabic in Cairo and Chinese in Taipei. After working in France, he caught the travel bug and began backpacking around Africa and Asia, writing articles to cover his expenses. Kristof has lived on four continents, reported on six, and traveled to 140 countries, plus all 50 states, every Chinese province and every main Japanese island. Hes also one of the very few Americans to be at least a two time visitor to every member of the Axis of Evil. During his travels, he has had unpleasant experiences with malaria, wars, an Indonesian mob carrying heads on pikes, and an African airplane crash. After joining The New York Times in 1984, initially covering economics, he served as a correspondent in Los Angeles and as bureau chief in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Tokyo. In 2000, he covered the presidential campaign and in particular Governor Bush, and he is the author of the chapter on Bush in the reference book The Presidents. In 1990 Kristof and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, then also a Times journalist, won a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of Chinas Tiananmen Square democracy movement. They were the first married couple to win a Pulitzer for journalism. Kristof won a second Pulitzer in 2006, for commentary. He has also won other prizes including the George Polk Award, the Overseas Press Club award, the Michael Kelly award, the Online News Association award, and the American Society of Newspaper Editors award. Kristof and WuDunn are authors of China Wakes: The Struggle for the Soul of a Rising Power and Thunder from the East: Portrait of a Rising Asia.
Tim Kurkjian Tim Kurkjian is an analyst on ESPN's Baseball Tonight. Kurkjian regularly appears on the show analyzing stats and situations. He is also a contributor to ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com. Kurkjian has an extensive background in covering baseball. He was a senior writer for Sports Illustrated from 1989-1997 as well as a reporter for CNN-SI from 1996-1997. He authored his first book, America's Game, in 2000 and released his second book, "Is This a Great Game, or What?: From A-Rod's Heart to Zim's Head--My 25 Years in Baseball" on May 1, 2007
Dan Kurzman Award winning author of fourteen books on contemporary history. Dan Kurzman's book most recent book is Soldier of Peace: The Life of Yitzhak Rabin.
Joyce Ladner Internationally known scholar, sociologist, educator and the first woman to serve as president of Howard University, the institution preeminent among African American colleges and universities.
Mona Lake Jones Poet and educator Mona Lake Jones (known to many as Grandhoney.) Jones first poem was published in Essence magazine in 1990 and that led her to write The Color of Culture, now in its seventh printing, and two sequels, The Color of Culture II and The Color of Culture III. She also authored Unleashing the Power of a Sister. Her 1992 poem, "A Roomful of Sisters" was commissioned by 100 Black Women of Boston, a national civic group, and exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The poem inspired a painting by Paul Goodnight, a number of conferences and a yearly New York meeting called ARFOS. Jones has served as a poet curator and a poet laureate for the City of Seattle and King County. She is a full-time poet and motivational speaker, spending much of her time on the road, speaking at colleges, conventions and to civic groups about issues of culture and diversity. Jones has appeared on programs with Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, Susan Taylor, Maxine Waters, Shirley Chisholm, Myrlie Evers-Williams and Randall Robinson. Jones also composed the lyrics for Vanessa Williams' musical recording of "Open Your Eyes, You Can Fly." Jones has received numerous awards, including the Blackbird Literary Award and the Langston Hughes Award.
Frances Moore Lappe Frances Moore Lappe is the author or coauthor of sixteen books. Her 1971 three million copy bestseller Diet for a Small Planet continues to awaken readers to the human made causes of hunger and the power of our everyday choices to create the world we want. Together, Lappe and her daughter Anna Lappe lead the Cambridge based Small Planet Institute, a collaborative network for research and popular education to bring democracy to life. With her daughter, she is also cofounder of the Small Planet Fund, channeling resources to democratic social movements worldwide. In September of 2007, the Institutes publishing arm released Lappes newest book, Getting a Grip: Clarity, Creativity, & Courage in a World Gone Mad. In 1975, with Joseph Collins, Lappe launched the California based Institute for Food and Development Policy (Food First). Its publications continue to shape the international debate on the root causes of hunger and poverty. The Institute was described by The New York Times as one of the nation’s most respected food think tanks. In 1990, Lappe cofounded the Center for Living Democracy, a tenyear initiative to help accelerate the spread of democratic innovations. Lappé served as founding editor of the Centers American News Service, which placed solutions-oriented news stories in almost 300 newspapers nationwide. In 2006, Lappe released Democracys Edge: Choosing to Save our Country by Bringing Democracy to Life (WileyJossey-Bass). The book, which seeks to ignite debate about the very meaning of democracy, is now being used in many college and university courses. In 2000-2001 Lappe was a visiting scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and during October, 2007 she was a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Suffolk University in Boston, MA. Lappes articles and opinion pieces have appeared in publications as diverse as the New York Times, O Magazine and Christian Century. Her television and radio appearances have included a PBS special with Bill Moyers, the Today Show, CBS Radio, and National Public Radio. Lappé is a sought after public speaker and has received seventeen honorary doctorates from distinguished institutions. In 1987 in Sweden, Lappe became the fourth American to receive the Right Livelihood Award, sometimes called the Alternative Nobel, for her vision and work healing our planet and uplifting humanity. Frances most recent honor was an award for Lifetime Service to Increase Planetary Awareness” granted to her and to biologist E.O. Wilson, at the AltWheels Alternative Transportation Festival, 2006.
Kathryn Leary Noted entrepreneur and businesswoman, Kathryn Leary, was featured on the cover of the of Black Enterprise magazine as "The New Face of American Business". Kathryn is President & CEO of The Leary Group Inc., with 30 years of experience in marketing, advertising and cross-cultural communications. Ms. Leary is a consumate professional, a global visionary, and a thought leader for the new millenium.
Richard Lederer America’s wittiest verbalist, nationally syndicated language columnist and author of such books as, Anguished English the most widely sold language/humor book in publishing history.
Christopher Lehmann-Haupt Senior Book Reviewer for The New York Times. Christopher Lehmann-Haupt has written over 3,000 book reviews and articles, on every subject from trout fishing to Persian archaeology. He is the author of Me and DiMaggio: A Baseball Fan Goes in Search of His Gods; and A Crooked Man. A charming and engaging speaker, Mr. Lehmann-Haupt talks about books, literacy and “How to Read 5,000 Books a Year.
Julius Lester A prominent historian, writer and a veteran of the civil rights movement. The author of many books including How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have? and Falling Pieces of a Broken Sky. Julius Lester is a professor of Judaic and Near Eastern Studies and an adjunct professor inthe English and History Departments.
Elizabeth Levy Celebrated author of over 70 books for children with more than five million books in print. She is best known for her humorous mysteries including the Something Queer..., The Pea Brain and Brian Brain and Invisible, Inc. series and the Sam and Robert monster books. Her most recent books are The Drowned, a stunning tale of the supernatural, and a picture book, Cleo and the Coyote.
Rush Limbaugh A conservative, he discusses politics and current events on his show, The Rush Limbaugh Show using a style that bounces "between earnest lecturer and political vaudvillian". His show was first nationally syndicated in August 1988, and as of 2005 (according to Arbitron ratings surveys) its audience was estimated at 13.5 million listeners per week, making it the largest radio talk show audience in the United States. Such high ratings have been a consistent hallmark of his show. The Rush Limbaugh Show has been largely credited for the large shift in AM broadcasting to a news-talk format after an audience decline in the 1970s. Limbaugh was the 1992, 1995, 2000, and 2005 recipient of the Marconi Radio Award for Syndicated Radio Personality of the Year, given by the National Association of Broadcasters, joining the syndicated Bob & Tom Show as the only other four-time winner of a Marconi award. He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2002, industry publication Talkers magazine ranked him as the greatest radio talk show host of all time. Although Limbaugh's audience is not monolithic, he does attract the highest percentage (56%) of hard news consumers relative to all other television and radio programs in the United States.
James Lipton James Lipton is widely known as the creator, executive-producer, writer and host of Inside the Actors Studio, which is seen in 80 million American homes on Bravo, and around the world in 125 countries. From 1994 to the present, more than 200 actors, directors and writers have joined him in creating what many consider the definitive craft archive of our time. The television series, which has been recognized with twelve Emmy nominations in twelve years, is in fact a course in a master's degree program, the renowned Actors Studio Drama School of Pace University, which was created thirteen years ago by Mr. Lipton as a vice-president of the Actors Studio, in collaboration with his Studio colleagues, and which, with Mr. Lipton as its founding dean, became the largest graduate drama school in America. Just as each of his distinguished guests brings to Inside the Actors Studio a lifetime of experience to be shared with the school's students, Mr. Lipton brings to the series and the school his experience as actor, director and producer in theater, film and television, choreographer, playwright, lyricist, screenwriter, author of both fiction and non-fiction, and academician. More than ten years of his life were spent in the classroom as a student of three of the acknowledged masters of the theatrical arts, Stella Adler, Harold Clurman and Robert Lewis. He was trained in modern dance and ballet by Hanya Holm and Alwin Nikolais, and in ballet by Ella Daganova and Benjamin Harkarvy. His voice teachers were Eva Gauthier and Arthur Lessac. His acting career began on Broadway in “The Autumn Garden” by Lillian Hellman, and extended to a wide variety of roles in film and television.
Aimee Liu Asian American author of such books as Solitaire; and Face, Aimee Liu writes and speaks about such topics as Chinese American intermarriage and biracial identity.
Dr. James Loewen James Loewen's gripping retelling of American history as it should, and could, be taught, Lies My Teacher Told Me, has sold more than 800,000 copies and continues to inspire K-16 teachers to get students to challenge, rather than memorize, their textbooks. Jim Loewen taught race relations for twenty years at the University of Vermont. Previously he taught at predominantly black Tougaloo College in Mississippi. He now lives in Washington, D.C., continuing his research on how Americans remember their past. Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong came out in 1999. The Gustavus Myers Foundation named his new book, Sundown Towns, a "Distinguished Book of 2005." His other books include Mississippi: Conflict and Change (co authored), which won the Lillian Smith Award for Best Southern Nonfiction but was rejected for public school text use by the State of Mississippi, leading to the path breaking First Amendment lawsuit, Loewen et al. v. Turnipseed, et al. He also wrote The Mississippi Chinese: Between Black and White, Social Science in the Courtroom, and The Truth About Columbus. He has been an expert witness in more than 50 civil rights, voting rights, and employment cases. His awards include the First Annual Spivack Award of the American Sociological Association for "sociological research applied to the field of intergroup relations," the American Book Award (for Lies My Teacher Told Me), and the Oliver Cromwell Cox Award for Distinguished Anti-Racist Scholarship. He is also Distinguished Lecturer for the Organization of American Historians.
Jennifer Louden Best selling author, speaker and life-coach, Jennifer Louden delivers an entertaining talk on unleashing one's creativity and living a life that feels right. Her books include: The Woman's Comfort Book, The Couple's Comfort Book, The Woman's Retreat Book and The Comfort Queen's Guide to Life.
Haki Madhubuti Well known poet, editor of the Third World Press and director of the Institute of Postive Education. Haki Madhubuti has published widely in magazines, quarterlies and newspapers and is a popular lecturer in the area of African American culture.
Norman Mailer Pulitzer prize winning author.
Julianne Malveaux Recognized for her provocative, progressive and insightful observations, Dr. Julianne Malveaux, an economist, author and commentator, is the President and CEO of Last Word Productions, Inc, a multimedia production company. Described by Dr. Cornel West as the most iconoclastic public intellectual in the country, Dr. Malveauxs contributions to the public dialogue on issues such as race, culture, gender, and their economic impacts, are helping to shape public opinion in 21st century America. As a writer and syndicated columnist, her work appears regularly in USA Today, Black Issues in Higher Education, Ms. magazine, Essence magazine, and the Progressive. Her weekly columns appear in numerous newspapers across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Charlotte Observer, the New Orleans Tribune, the Detroit Free Press, and the San Francisco Examiner. Well-known for appearances on national network programs, Dr. Malveaux is a charismatic and popular guest on a variety of shows. She appears regularly on CNN, BET, as well as on Howard Universitys Television show, Evening Exchange. She has appeared on PBSs To The Contrary, ABCs Politically Incorrect, Fox News Channels OReilly Factor and stations such as C-SPAN, MSNBC and CNBC. She has also hosted talk radio programs in Washington, San Francisco, and New York. In addition to her columns and media appearances, Dr. Malveaux is an accomplished author and editor. Her academic work is included in numerous papers, studies, and publications. She is the editor of Voices of Vision: African American Women on the Issues (1996); the co-editor of Slipping Through the Cracks: The Status of Black Women (1986), and recently co-edited The Paradox of Loyalty: An African American Response to the War on Terrorism (2002). She is the author of two column anthologies: Sex, Lies, and Stereotypes: Perspectives of a Mad Economist (1994), Wall Street, Main Street, and the Side Street: A Mad Economist Takes a Stroll (1999). She is most recently the co-author of Unfinished Business: A Democrat and A Republican Take On the 10 Most Important Issues Women Face (2002). A committed activist and civic leader, Dr. Malveaux serves on the boards of the Economic Policy Institute, Women Building for the Future - Future PAC, and The Recreation Wish List Committee of Washington, DC. Dr. Malveaux received her BA and MA degrees in economics from Boston College, and earned a Ph.D in economics from MIT. A native San Franciscan, she currently resides in Washington, DC.
Nelson Mandela Human Rights leader and former President of South Africa.
Mar Mar Mar Mar is internationally known as an expert in the area of negotiating training. Her wealth of knowledge and experience in the art of negotiating led her to become the only Latina that teaches negotiation worldwide. As an author, columnist and a public speaker, both passion and energy are the driving force behind all aspects in her life. In October 2004, she received the Latina Entrepreneur of Year 2004 award from the Latin Business Association (LBA) and in July, 2005, she received the Entrepreneurial award from the National Latina Business Women's Association - OC.
John Mariani Food and travel correspondent for Esquire magazine and author of several of the most highly regarded books in America. His first book The Dictionary of American Food and Drink was chosen "best reference book on food" and a "classic" of American food studies. His book, America Eats Out won the International Association of Cooking Professionals Award for Best Food Reference Book. In 1985 Cook's Magazine voted Mariani into its "Who's Who in American Cooking" and he is a winner of the prestigious Barbi-Colombini Journalism Award for outstanding wine writing.
Paule Marshall Well known author, Paule Marshall is best known for such books as, Sisters; Praisesong for the Widow; Brown Girl, Brownstones; and Daughters.
Roland Martin Roland S. Martin is a nationally Award-Winning Journalist and CNN Contributor A nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate, Mr. Martin is the author of Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith, and Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America. Mr. Martin is a commentator for TV One Cable Network also host of "The Roland S. Martin Show" on WVON-AM/1690 in Chicago. He can be heard daily from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. He is also a CNN Contributor, appearing on a variety of shows, including Paula Zahn Now, Anderson Cooper 360, Lou Dobbs Tonight, and many others. In August 2007, he joined Essence Magazine as a special correspondent, writing a bi-monthly column and a daily blog on Essence.com. An insightful and provocative analyst, Mr. Martin has appeared numerous times on MSNBC, FOX News, Court TV, BET Nightly News, BBC News, National Public Radio, The Word Network, America's Black Forum, American Urban Radio Networks, the Tom Joyner Morning Show, and NPR's News and Notes. He is the former executive editor/general manager of the Chicago Defender, the nation's largest Black daily newspaper. He is the former founding news editor for Savoy Magazine under the team of New York-based Vanguarde Media, and the former founding editor of BlackAmericaWeb.com, owned by nationally syndicated radio show host Tom Joyner and Radio One. He previously served as owner/publisher of Dallas-Fort Worth Heritage, a Christian monthly newspaper. He also has worked as managing editor of the Houston Defender and the Dallas Weekly, which he led to a number of local, state and national journalism awards. Mr. Martin has worked as morning drive reporter for KRLD/1080 AM; news director and morning anchor at KKDA-AM in Dallas; city hall reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram; and county government and neighbors reporter for the Austin American-Statesman. He has won more than 20 professional awards for journalistic excellence, including a regional Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio Television News Directors; several first place awards from the Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Communicators; two citations from the National Associated Press-Managing Editors Conference; the top sports reporting award in 1997 from the National Association of Black Journalists; and honors from the Houston Press Club. Mr. Martin is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and the American Society of Newspaper Editors. He is a 1987 graduate of Jack Yates High School-Magnet School of Communications, and a 1991 graduate of Texas A&M University, where he earned a bachelor's of science degree in journalism. Martin is studying to receive his master's degree in Christian Communications at Louisiana Baptist University.
Hans Massaquoi Retired managing editor of Ebony magazine and author of Destined to Witness, his autobiography, in which he tells what it was like to grow up black in Nazi Germany.
David McCullough Historian and author David McCullough is known to millions of television viewers as the host of two award-winning PBS series, "Smithsonian World" and "The American Experience." He is author of four widely-acclaimed works of history and biography: The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, the story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, The Path Between The Seas, an epic chronicle of the creation of the Panama Canal, and Mornings on Horseback, the life of young Theodore Roosevelt. Mr. McCullough's biography of Harry Truman was a bestseller; and his new hit, John Adams, has sold more than 1.2 million copies.
David McCullough McCullough, author of the bestseller 1776, is twice winner of the National Book Award and twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize. He has been called a "master of the art of narrative history," and his books have been praised for their exceptional narrative sweep, their scholarship and insight into American life, and for their literary distinction. 1776, his latest work, has been called "brilliant," "lucid," "gripping," "a masterwork," "a classic," and has been a continuing national triumph from the time of publication last June when it debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list. McCullough's previous work, John Adams, remains one of the most critically acclaimed and widely read American biographies of all time (to date, more than two million copies have been sold. McCullough's other books include The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, The Path Between the Seas, Mornings on Horseback, Brave Companions and Truman. As may be said of few writers, none of his books has ever been out of print. McCullough is also twice winner of the prestigious Francis Parkman Prize. He has been honored with the National Book Foundation Distinguished Contribution to American Letters Award, the National Humanities Medal and the New York Public Library's Literary Lion Award, and has received 38 honorary degrees. In a crowded, productive career, he has been an editor, essayist, teacher, lecturer, and familiar presence on public television -- as host of "Smithsonian World," "The American Experience," and narrator of numerous documentaries including The Civil War. His is also the narrator's voice in Seabiscuit. A gifted speaker, McCullough has lectured in all parts of the country and abroad, as well as at the White House. He is also one of the few private citizens to speak before a joint session of Congress
Rosalyn McMillan Best selling novelist of such books as Knowing, One Better; and Blue Collar Blues. Rosalyn McMillan has become one of our most popular authors chronicling the contemporary African American experience. Ebony magazine named Rosalyn McMillan as one of "The 55 Most Beautiful People of the Year 2000."
Ben Mezrich Whether describing the thrills of insanely high stakes poker or exposing the seamy underbelly of boxing promotion, Ben Mezrich has established himself as the premiere chronicler of the lives of the young, the brilliant, the impossibly rich and the borderline crazy. On the lecture stage he brings to vivid life the clandestine worlds that have figured in his blockbuster books and made him one of the hottest commodities in publishing and entertainment today. Recently named People magazines Sexiest Author, Ben has penned ten books with a combined printing of more than one million copies in nine languages. They include the wildly popular bestsellers Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions (currently the MGM feature film 21 starring Kevin Spacey); Ugly Americans: The True Story of the Ivy League Cowboys Who Raided the Asian Markets for Millions; and Busting Vegas: The MIT Whiz Kid Who Brought the Casinos to Their Knees. Ben also co-hosts GSNs World Series of Blackjack, contributes regularly to Stuff magazine, and advises casino owners on ways to avoid getting fleeced by the card sharks whose exploits he has made the stuff of legend. Ben Mezrich recently released his newest book Rigged- a startling rags-to-riches story of an Italian-American kid from the streets of Brooklyn who claws his way into the wild, frenetic world of the oil exchange. Rigged is the explicit, exclusive, true story behind the headlines that dominate the world stage.
Richard Miniter Richard Miniter is the author of two New York Times bestselling books, Losing bin Laden and Shadow War, and is an internationally recognized expert on terrorism. He has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The Christian Science Monitor, as well as leading magazines including The Atlantic Monthly, The New Republic and Reader's Digest. His published work has been featured in policy and political magazines including The American Enterprise, National Review, Reason, and Policy Review, among others. In addition, his articles have appeared in newspapers throughout Europe, Asia and Australia. After graduating from Vassar College in 1990, Miniter worked for the American Spectator, became a policy analyst at the Competitive Enterprise Institute and was a senior writer at Insight, a magazine published by the Washington Times. Miniter made two forays into public broadcasting. He was associate producer of the PBS series Technopolitics, a weekly program covering the politics of science, technology and the environment from 1991 to 1993. In June 1996, he was executive producer of Enterprising Women, a national weekly public radio series devoted to women executives and entrepreneurs. The series, distributed by the National Public Radio Satellite System, was hailed as "inspirational" by CNN and described as "the radio equivalent of the female Forbes magazine" by the New York Post. It was hosted by Christy Brown. Despite a loyal audience estimated at five million and carriage in eight of the top ten markets, the series ended in June 1997 due to sponsorship difficulties. From 1996 to 2000, Miniter reported for newspapers and magazines on assignment from Western Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, Southern Africa and Southeast Asia. He traveled with rebels into war zones in Uganda, Sudan and Burma and along smugglers' routes in Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. Hired by renowned Wall Street Journal editor Robert Bartley in 2000, Miniter was sent to Brussels as an editorial page writer at The Wall Street Journal Europe and editor of its weekly "Business Europe" column. He also wrote a weekly column, "The Visible Hand," for The Wall Street Journal's OpinionJournal.com. This column was cited by Forbes, Slate, and others. Shortly after the September 11 attacks, Miniter left the Journal to join the investigative reporting team of the Sunday Times (of London), Britain's largest quality paper. Miniter co-wrote a four-part series, "The Road to Ground Zero." The series won first prize by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Miniter's latest book is entitled Disinformation: 22 Media Myths That Undermine the War on Terror. Based on exclusive interviews and official documents, the book challenges many widely-held notions: that Bin Laden was trained or financed by the CIA in the 1980s, that Halliburton profiteered in Iraq, that profiling Arabs at airports would stop terrorism, and that the U.S.-Mexico border is an open door for Al Qaeda.
William Least Heat Moon Best-selling author of Blue Highways.
Thomas Moore Theologian and best-selling author of such books as Care of the Soul; and Soul Mates.
Michael Moore Michael Moore, director of the controversial films "Bowling for Columbine" and "Fahrenheit 9/11" and New York Times best-selling author of "Dude, Where's My Country?"
Leonard Moore Moore has become and outspoken critic of the response to the storm and the slow rebuilding of New Orleans. Moore recently received the prestigious Whitney M. Young Leadership Award at the Urban Leadership Development Conference this year in Atlanta. During his keynote address Moore addressed the “unhealthy balance of putting athletics over academics” in the African-American community. Moore has worked extensively with African-American student athletes at LSU. The Whitney M. Young Center for Urban Leadership is a nonprofit educational institute of the National Urban League. Moore is a frequent commentator and contributor to national and international media outlets, including the Associated Press, “Christian Science Monitor,” “The Chronicle of Higher Education,” National Public Radio, British Broadcasting Corporation, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and “TIME” magazine. In addition, Moore has made several guest appearances on nationally televised programs such as ESPN’s Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith and 60 Minutes to discuss his upcoming book “An Oreo in Chocolate City,” which focuses on the aftermath of Katrina and Nagin.
Cherrie Moraga Noted Hispanic novelist, poet and playwright.
Joan Morgan Joan Morgan is an award-winning journalist and author and a provocative cultural critic.Journalist and executive editor for Essence magazine A self-confessed hip-hop junkie, she began her professional writing career freelancing for The Village Voice before having her work published by Vibe, Madison, Interview, MS, More, Spin, and numerous others. Formerly the Executive Editor of Essence, she is the author of When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost, a fresh, witty, and irreverent novel that marks the literary debut of one of the most original, perceptive, and engaging young social commentators in America today. Her work appears in numerous college texts, as well as books on feminism, music and African-American culture.
Toni Morrison Morrison is one of the most prominent authors in world literature. Her eight major novels (The Bluest Eye, Sula, Song of Solomon, Tar Baby, Beloved, Jazz, Paradise and Love) have received extensive critical acclaim. She won the National Book Critics Award in 1978 for Song of Solomon and the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Beloved. In 1993, Morrison was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Since 1989, Morrison has been Robert F. Goheen Professor in the Council of the Humanities at Princeton University. She holds degrees from Howard University and Cornell University, and has also taught at Yale University, Bard College and Rutgers University. Morrison has been awarded honorary degrees from numerous institutions, including Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Oberlin College and Columbia University. Morrison, who was a senior editor at Random House for twenty years, co-authored the children's books Who's Got Game? The Lion or the Mouse?, Who's Got Game? The Ant or the Grasshopper?, The Book of Mean People and The Big Box. Her books of essays include Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination; the edited collection Race-ing Justice, En-Gendering Power: Essays on Anita Hill, Clarence Thomas, and the construction of Social Reality; and the co-edited collection Birth of a Nation'hood: Gaze, Script, and Spectacle in the O.J. Simpson Case. Additional awards she has received include the 2000 National Humanities Medal; the 2000 Library of Congress Bicentennial Living Legend award; the 1996 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters; the 1994 Condorcet Medal, Paris; the 1989 Modern Language Association of America Commonwealth Award in Literature; the 1988 Anisfield Wolf Book Award in Race Relations; and the 1978 Distinguished Writer Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Morrison is a founding member of the Academie Universelle Des Culture, a trustee of the New York Public Library, a member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She served on the National Council of the Arts for six years, and is a member of the Africa Watch and Helsinki Watch Committees on Human Rights.
Minister Ava Muhammad Minister for the Nation of Islam, criminal lawyer and author of such books as Queen of the Planet Earth; The Rebirth; and Rise of the Original Woman.
Randall Munroe Randall Munroe is a self-described pen/pencil operator and programmer best known for creating the webcomic xkcd. A native of Easton, Pennsylvania, Munroe grew up in Chesterfield, Virginia and graduated from Christopher Newport University in 2006 with a degree in physics. Munroe worked as a contractor for NASA before and after graduation, but his contract was not renewed in 2006, and he began to write xkcd full-time, supported by the sale of related merchandise.
Inga M. Muscio Inga M. Muscio is the author of "Cunt: A Declaration of Independence"and "Autobiography of a Blue-Eyed Devil: My Life and Times in a Racist, Imperialist Society." She is presently working on a new book about sex and violence, which will be published sometime in 2009. Inga is a dynamic public speaker, and spends a lot of time visiting colleges and conferences.
Jill Nelson Author of the provocative serio-comic memoir, Volunteer Slavery: My Authentic Negro Experience, a funny, sassy and sad book about a contemporary woman trying to reconcile the worlds of work and self. An award winning journalist for The Washington Post, Jill Nelson is a contributor to Ms. magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Her new book is entitled, Straight No Chaser.
William Noonan For twenty-five years, William Noonan and John F. Kennedy, Jr., were best friends. Sharing an adolescence in Hyannisport, Massachusetts, the two frequented beach bonfires and the Monday night yacht-club dances, took road trips, shared albums, sneaked cigarettes on the widow’s walk of John’s house, and scored beer together. And as they grew older, John and Billy never lost the connection they forged in the Kennedy compound as two young boys who had both tragically lost their fathers. A humble and touching memoir, Forever Young uncovers the private John F. Kennedy, Jr., from the matchless vantage point of a longtime childhood friend. Forever Young is packed with never-revealed details of John and Carolyn Bessette’s courtship and wedding, the launch of George, John’s unusually close relationship with his mother Jackie, and the heartbreaking aftermath of the plane crash off Martha’s Vineyard that killed John, Carolyn, and Carolyn’s sister. Noonan also shares the more ribald episodes, including John’s many famous conquests, skirmishes with paparazzi, and his stint as People’s “Sexiest Man Alive.” The definitive story of the son of Camelot, Forever Young is a touching and revelatory tribute to a friendship between two men—and a life cut devastatingly short.
Oliver North Combat-Decorated Marine, Best-Selling Author, Former U.S. Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Oliver L. North is a combat decorated marine, a #1 best-selling author, the founder of a small business, an inventor with three U.S. patents, a syndicated columnist, and host of "War Stories" on Fox News Channel; yet he claims his most important accomplishment as being "the husband of one and the father of four." North was born in San Antonio, Texas, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and served 22 years as a U.S. Marine. His awards for service in combat include the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor, and two Purple Hearts for wounds in combat. Assigned to the national security council staff in the Reagan administration, Colonel North was the United States Government's Counter-Terrorism Coordinator from 1983-1986, was involved in planning the rescue of 804 medical students on the island of Grenada, and played a major role in the daring capture of the hijackers of the cruise ship Achille Lauro. After helping plan the U.S. raid on Muammar Qaddafi's terrorist bases in Libya, North was targeted for assassination by Abu Nidal, the infamous terrorist found dead in Baghdad in August, 2002. His award-winning combat coverage, while embedded with U.S. Marine and Army units for Fox News during Operation Iraqi Freedom, won international acclaim. He is the Author of: Under Fire, One More Mission, War Stories-Operation Iraqi Freedom; and three novels: Mission Compromised, The Jericho Sanction and The Assassins. All of his books are New York Times' best-sellers. North is also the founder of Freedom Alliance, a foundation which provides scholarships for the sons and daughters of service members killed in action.
Bruce Northam Author and travel writer, Bruce Northam is the author of Globetrotter Dogma: 100 canons for escaping the rat race and exploring the world; The Frugal Globetrotter; and In Search of Adventures: A Wild Travel Anthology. Bruce speaks on world travel, sharing inspirational stories and valuable insight into accessible adventure - with a twist. His multimedia presentations - held at universities and conferences nationwide - celebrate the spirit and soul of circling the globe five times, freestyle. Bruce is the writer at large for Blue Magazine, guest writer for National Geographic Traveler, Details, the Utne Reader, Irish America, the travel columnist for the Improper Hamptonian as well as a guest speaker on NPR's The Savvy Traveler.
Sherwin Nuland Nuland is probably best known for his 1994 book, How We Die, which won the coveted National Book Award and was on the New York Times bestseller list for 34 weeks. It sold more than a half million copies worldwide and was translated into 17 languages. His latest book, Lost in America: A Journey with My Father, was published in January, and his upcoming book, The Doctor's Plague: Germs, Childbed Fever and the Strange Story of Ignac Semmelweis, is scheduled for publication in September.
Bill Nye Bill Nye, scientist, engineer, comedian, author and inventor, is a man with a mission: to help foster a scientifically literate society, to help people everywhere understand and appreciate the science that makes our world work. Making science entertaining and accessible is something Bill has been doing most of his life. "My family is funny," he says, "I mean funny in the sense that we make people laugh, not just funny looking." Bill discovered that he had a talent for tutoring in high school, and while growing up in Washington, DC. He spent afternoons and summers demystifying math for his fellow students. When he wasn't hitting the books, Bill was hitting the road on his bicycle. He spent hours taking it apart to "see how it worked." Bill's fascination with how things work led him to Cornell University and a degree in Mechanical Engineering. After graduation, he headed for Seattle and work as an engineer at Boeing. "There's a hydraulic resonance suppressor tube on the 747 horizontal stabilizer drive system that I like to think of as my tube," he says. "I've always loved airplanes and flight. The space program was very important to me as a kid. I have a photo from the Apollo 11 mission with the caption, 'Aldrin's visor reflects Armstrong...' Oh yeah, and they're on the Moon!" exclaims Bill. It was in Seattle that Bill began to combine his love of science with his flair for comedy, when he won the Steve Martin look-alike contest and developed dual careers as an engineer by day and a stand-up comic by night. Eventually, he quit his day engineering day job and made the transition to a mid-morning-to-late-at-night job as a comedy writer and performer on Seattle's home-grown ensemble comedy show "Almost Live." This is where "Bill Nye the Science Guy®" was born. The show appeared before Saturday Night Live and later on Comedy Central, originating at KING-TV, Seattle's NBC affiliate. With fellow KING-TV alumni Jim McKenna and Erren Gottlieb, Bill made a number of award winning shows, including the show he became so well known for, "Bill Nye the Science Guy." The Science Guy show ran on weekends at first and then later on PBS five nights a week and in syndication on weekends. In some markets, you could see the Science Guy seven days a week. While working on the Science Guy show, Bill won seven national Emmy Awards for writing, performing, and producing. The show won 28 Emmys in five years. In between creating the shows, he wrote four kids' books about science. His fifth book, "Bill Nye's Great Big Book of Tiny Germs" was published in spring 2005. Bill Nye is the host of two current television series. "The 100 Greatest Discoveries" airs on the Science Channel. "The Eyes of Nye" is shown on PBS stations across the country. Bill was asked to speak at his former professor Carl Sagan's memorial service and has since moved from being a regular member of the Planetary Society to becoming a member of the Board of Directors.
Tim OBrien Author and journalist, he won national acclaim for his book, If I Die In A Combat Zone: Box Me Up and Ship Me Home, and In The Lake of the Woods.
Tillie Olsen Best-selling author of such books as Tell Me A Riddle and Silences.
Yoko Ono Yoko Ono a Japanese-American artist and musician. She gained international fame because of her marriage to English musician John Lennon.
Gary Orfield Gary Orfield, director of the Harvard Project on School Desegregation and codirector of the Harvard Civil rights Project. Orfield, a professor education and social policy at Harvard, is known for his interest in civil rights, education policy, urban policy and minority opportunity. He writes frequently about standardized testing, changing patterns of school desegregation and the impact of diversity on the educational experiences of law students. His books include: Raising Standards or Raising Barriers: Inequality and High-Stakes in Public Education; and Chilling Admissions: the Affirmative Action Crisis and the Search for Alternatives.
Simon Ortiz Simon J. Ortiz was born May 27, 1941 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He attended Fort Lewis College and the University of New Mexico for undergraduate studies. He received his M.F.A. as an International Writing Fellow at the University of Iowas Writer's School in 1969. His books of poetry include: Telling and Showing Her: The Earth, The Land (Just Buffalo Literary Center, 1995); After and Before the Lightning (1994); Woven Stone (1992); From Sand Creek: Rising In This Heart Which Is Our America (1981), for which he received a Pushcart Prize; A Good Journey (1977); Going for the Rain (1976); and Naked in the Wind (1971). He has also published children's book, memoirs, non-fiction, and short stories, and served as editor of various books and anthologies. Ortiz is a recipient of the Lila Wallace Readers Digest Writers Award, the New Mexico Humanities Council Humanitarian Award, the National Endowment for the Arts Discovery Award, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, and was an Honored Poet at the 1981 White House Salute to Poetry. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Returning the Gift Festival of Native Writers. Ortiz lives in the Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico, where he was lieutenant governor and a consulting editor of the Pueblo of Acoma Press. He has taught writing and Native American literature at various institutions, and currently teaches at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Mehmet Oz Dr. Oz is vice-chair and professor of surgery at Columbia University. He directs the Cardiovascular Institute and Complementary Medicine Program at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. His research interests include heart replacement surgery, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, complementary medicine and healthcare policy. He has authored over 400 original publications, book chapters and medical books and has received several patents.
Edward P. Jones Edward P. Jones, the New York Times bestselling author, has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, and the Lannan Literary Award for The Known World; he also received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2004. His first collection of short stories, Lost in the City, won the PEN/Hemingway Award and was short-listed for the National Book Award. He has taught fiction writing at a range of universities, including Princeton.
Clarence Page Clarence Page, the 1989 Pulitzer Prize winner for Commentary, has been a columnist and a member of the newspaper's editorial board since July 1984. His column is syndicated nationally by Tribune Media Services and he does twice-weekly commentary on WGN-TV, Chicago. He has been based in Washington, D.C. since May 1991. Page is an occasional guest panelist on "The McLaughlin Group," a regular contributor of essays to the MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour and a host of documentaries on the Public Broadcasting System. He is a regular panelist on Black Entertainment Television's (BET) weekly "Lead Story" news panel program and a biweekly commentator for National Public Radio's (NPR) "Weekend Sunday." Page was a reporter and assistant city editor for the Chicago Tribune from 1969 to 1980. He joined WBBM-TV in August 1980 as director of the Community Affairs Department. He was a reporter and planning editor at the station from August 1982 to July 1984. Page's awards include a 1980 Illinois UPI award for community service for an investigative series titled "The Black Tax" and the Edward Scott Beck Award for overseas reporting of a 1976 series on the changing politics of Southern Africa. Page also participated in a 1972 Chicago Tribune Task Force series on vote fraud which won the Pulitzer Prize. He has received awards from the Illinois and Wisconsin chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union for his columns on civil liberties and constitutional rights. He was inducted into the Chicago Journalism Hal of Fame in 1992. As a freelance writer, he has published articles in Chicago Magazine, the Chicago Reader, Washington Monthly, New Republic, Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, and Emerge. His new book, Showing My Color: Impolite Essays on Race and Identity, has been published by HarperCollins. A 1965 graduate of Middletown High School, Middletown Ohio, he began his journalism career as a freelance writer and photographer for the Middletown Journal and Cincinnati Enquirer at the age of 17. Page received his Bachelor of Science in journalism degree from Ohio University in 1969. He has received honorary degrees from Columbia College in Chicago and Lake Forest (Illinois) College.
Parker Palmer Parker Palmer is known for his work in education, spirituality and social change in institutions including schools, community organizations, primary, secondary and higher education, and business and corporations. He is author of numerous books, including A Hidden Wholeness (2004), Let Your Life Speak: Listening to the Voice of Vocation (2000), and The Active Life: A Spirituality of Work, Creativity and Caring (1990). Palmer's writing has earned numerous awards and citations and has been translated into several languages. His work has been cited in the major voices in the media, including the New York Times, National Public Radio and The Chronicle of Higher Education. He travels extensively as a speaker, facilitator and workshop and retreat leader. A native of Chicago and graduate of Carleton College and the University of California at Berkeley, where he received a doctorate in sociology, Palmer serves as a senior associate of the American Association of Higher Education, a senior advisor to the Fetzer Institute and the founder of Courage to Teach, for k-12 teachers nationwide
Thomas Patterson Thomas E. Patterson is Bradlee Professor of Government and the Press. His most recent book, The Vanishing Voter, looks at the causes and consequences of declining electoral participation. His book on the media's political role,Out of Order, received the American Political Science Association's Graber Award as the best book of the decade in political communication. An earlier book,The Unseeing Eye, was named by the American Association for Public Opinion Research as one of the 50 most influential books on public opinion in the past half century. He also is author of Mass Media Election and two general American government texts: The American Democracy and We the People. His articles have appeared in Political Communication, Journal of Communication, and other academic journals, as well as in the popular press. His research has been funded by the Ford, Markle, Smith-Richardson, Pew, and National Science foundations. Patterson received his PhD from the University of Minnesota in 1971.
M. Scott Peck, MD Renowned psychiatrist and best-selling author of The Road Less Traveled.
Harvey Pekar Harvey Pekar Creator of the Comic Book Series American Splendor American Splendor - A Day in the Life of Harvey Pekar Before there was reality television and Jerry Seinfeld, there was Harvey Pekar. And Harvey Pekar knows that ordinary life is pretty complex stuff. For over 30 years, his autobiographical comic book series “American Splendor” has elevated day-to-day existence into art. Now the HBO Films/Fine Line Feature film about his life, American Splendor, has won the Sundance International Film Festival Grand Jury Prize, Cannes International Film Festival Fipresci Award, and the National Society of Film Critic's Best Picture Award and brings Pekar to the masses, solidifying his place as a counter-culture hero. At the podium, he is mundane yet poetic, honest and profound and shares his unique views in a not-to-be-missed multi-media presentation. The inauspicious ascent of Pekar began in the halls of the VA Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, where he worked full-time as a file clerk from 1966 to 2001. In his spare time, beginning in 1972, Pekar has written and self-published the comic book series “American Splendor,” while his friends—icons in their own right including R Crumb, Frank Stack and Joe Stacco—illustrate his self-professed “rants.” “American Splendor’s” first-person account of Pekar’s down-trodden life ranges from the sublime—like chatting with co-workers, going to the market and taking road trips—to the profound, including adopting a daughter and his 1990 brush with cancer. From a stint as a David Letterman recurring guest to a prolific career as a jazz music and book critic, Pekar’s storied existence is always interesting—even when it’s just about eating a piece of fresh-baked bread. Now, don’t just read about Harvey Pekar in “American Splendor”—get up close and personal with the man, the myth and the master of the mundane when he lectures at your venue.
Tyler Perry Tyler Perry became America's most successful young playwright and the writer, producer and co-star of the box office hit Diary of a Mad Black Woman. But it was a long hard road. In 1992 Perry wrote letters to himself in an effort to deal with his childhood pain. These would provide the basis for the musical I Know I've Been Changed about adult survivors of child abuse. Tyler Perry saved $12,000 and moved to Atlanta in 1992, where he tried to stage the play. Initially, however, I Know I've Been Changed was a flop. Hardly anyone came to the shows and over the next 6 years, Tyler Perry found himself homeless on several occasions, and doing dozens of different jobs to support his determination that the play would succeed. He had come to the point of giving up on the show, when in 1998, the turning point came. I Know I've Been Changed opened at the House of Blues and sold out eight times over before moving to the Fox Theater where it sold out 9,000 seats for two shows. Since then Tyler Perry has been on a roll. His next production, Woman Thou Art Loosed based on the book by Bishop T.D. Jakes grossed over $5 million in five months. Further productions including I Can Do Bad All By Myself, Behind Closed Doors, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Madea's Family Reunion, Madea's Class Reunion, Meet the Browns, and Madea Goes to Jail have meant that the once broke Perry has now earned tens of millions of dollars.
Mary Pipher Pipher is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Lincoln, Neb. The Middle of Everywhere, published in 2002, is her latest book, and it describes the plight of refugees settling in Lincoln as well as Pipher's interaction with them as a teacher, cultural broker and therapist. Greensboro is also a haven for refugees from many countries, and the all-city read will include discussions by many groups of people in the community. Pipher is the author of four other books, Hunger Pains: The Modern Woman's Tragic Quest for Thinness, The Shelter of Each Other: Rebuilding Our Families, Reviving Ophelia and Another Country: The Emotional Terrain of Our Elders. Reviving Ophelia, first published in 1994, broke new ground in helping parents understand the pressures teenage girls face in today's American culture. It reached No. 1 on The New York Times best seller list in 1995. Pipher earned her bachelor's degree in cultural anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley in 1969 and her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Nebraska in 1977. Her work combines her training in both the fields of psychology and anthropology. Her special area of interest is how American culture affects the mental health of its women. The recipient of several awards and honors, Pipher was awarded the distinguished Presidential Award from the American Psychological Association in 1998. She is a commentator for Nebraska Public Radio, a popular speaker and workshop leader. She has been a guest on NBC's Today program and National Public Radio's Fresh Air program.
Belva Plain Best-selling novelist of such well known books as Random Winds; Blessings; Eden Burning and Evergreen.
Def Poetry The acclaimed late-night series RUSSELL SIMMONS PRESENTS DEF POETRY COMES TO YOUR SCHOOL. The audacious, uncensored late-night series Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry returns to HBO with a fifth season. This year the seminal spoken word series presents seasoned and up-and-coming poets performing their work onstage before a live audience, interspersed with a big-ticket lineup of celebrities also trying their hand at poetry.Praised by the New York Times as an "exuberant, daringly fresh series that breaks poetry out of the neat little boxes it's so often put it," Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry features a spectrum of voices.
Letty Cottin Pogrebin Social critic, feminist, author and a founding editor of Ms. Magazine.
Kevin Powell Kevin Powell is widely considered one of Americas most important voices in these early years of the 21st century. Legendary feminist icon Gloria Steinem proclaimed that "as a charismatic speaker, leader, and a very good writer, Kevin Powell has the courage...to be fully human, and this will bring the deepest revolution of all." Famed scholar and social critic Dr. Michael Eric Dyson has called Powell "a mighty wind of fresh air." Kevin Powell is an activist, poet, journalist, essayist, editor, cultural curator, hiphop historian, songwriter, music producer, public speaker, political consultant and fundraiser, and businessman. A product of extreme poverty, welfare, fatherlessness, and a single mother-led household, he is a native of Jersey City, New Jersey and was educated at New Jerseys Rutgers University. Kevin Powell is a longtime resident of Brooklyn, New York, and it is from his base in New York City that Powell has published six books, including his current title, Whos Gonna Take The Weight? Manhood, Race, and Power in America, which is an Essence magazine bestseller. His next project, Someday Will All Be Free, will hit in 2006 and will feature essays on the 2004 presidential election, September 11th, and Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Coast tragedy. Powell is also at work on his childhood memoir, homeboy alone, slated for 2008. Additionally, Powell is compiling his second volume of poetry, My Own Private Ghetto, and The Kevin Powell Reader, which will highlight the first twenty years of his literary career. Indeed, he has written numerous essays, articles, and reviews over the past two decades for publications such as Newsweek, The Washington Post, Essence, Code, Rolling Stone, The Amsterdam News, and Vibe, where he was a founding staff member and served as a senior writer. It was at Vibe that Powell interviewed and profiled a number of hiphop icons including, most famously, the late Tupac Shakur on several occasions.
Joe Queenan Author and humorist, Joe Queenan has written such books as, If You're Talking To Me, Your Career Must Be in Trouble; and Red Lobster, White Trash, and The Blue Lagoon: Joe Queenan's America.
Arnold Rampersad Historian and author of Arthur Ashe's memoirs, Days of Grace, Arnold Rampersad is the author of The Art and Imagination of W.E.B. DuBois, Jackie Robinson, A Biography and The Life of Langston Hughes for which he won a National Book Award and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist.
Ishmael Reed Well known novelist, essayist and poet, Ishmael Reed is one of today's pre-eminent African American literary figures.
Sonya Renee Sonya Renee is easily the most distinguished, accomplished and recognizable female in the world of Slam Poetry, and rightly so. After a meteoric rise to poetry superstardom in 2004, Sonya has redefined the role and impact of women in slam since her whirlwind arrival on the scene, consistently ranking at the top of every major national and international poetry slam every year since then. Sonya's success can be attributed to her commitment to writing poetry that stays true to her roots as a social activist and women's rights advocate. The socially conscious wordsmith became the National Poetry Slam Champion only 4 months into her slam career in '04, and followed this amazing achievement with back to back top 8 finishes at the Individual World Poetry Slam Championship, a 2nd place finish at the International Poetry Slam Championship in 2005, and a 1st place finish at the Four Continents European National Slam Championship in 2006. Sonya put her socially conscious words into action by performing in front of over 1 million spectators in Washington D.C. alongside Hillary Clinton at a historic 2004 March for Women's Rights Rally. The First Lady of Slam has also seen commercial success with appearances on HBO's Def Poetry Jam, and the hit reality series "Monique's Fat Chance" on the Oxygen Network.
Barbara Reynolds Award-winning journalist, nationally syndicated columnist, television news commentator and an ordained minister. She is the author of two books, Jesse Jackson: America's David; and And Still We Rise, a book which includes interviews with fifty Black American role models.
Mark Ribowsky Prolific author and freelance writer Mark Ribowsky has written 12 books and many articles for Playboy, Penthouse, TV Guide, People, etc. He has written about music, sports, and pop culture subjects, and 18 years ago he looked into the bizarre life of legendary music producer Phil Spector. Now Spector is on trial for murder and the details of his life are more poignant and revealing than ever into the mind and motivations of a madman/genius.
Adrienne Rich Award winning author, feminist and poet.
Ignacio Rivera Ignacio Rivera is a Queer, gender shifting, Trans- Entity, Black Boricua, lecturer, activist, filmmaker and performance artist. Ignacio has shared their poetry, spoken word and storytelling for over 10 years. Ignacio has been performing their one-person shows, Dancer and Lagrimas de Cocodrilo/Crocodile Tears internationally. As a lecturer/ trainer, Ignacio has spoken on such topics of racism, sexism, homo/transphobia, transgender issues, trans 101, sexual liberation, anti oppression, anti-violence, multi-issue organizing and more. Ignacio also consultants with various LGBT and non violence organizations in New York City. As a filmmaker, Ignacio debuted their first experimental short, Crossing in August of 2007. Crossing is an experimental adult short about crossing the realm of normality and kink. It is a narrative short that explores opinions on negotiation, communication and kink. Ignacio will be sharing their new short, They. It will be viewed at Mix New York City Queer Experimental Film Festival, in October 2008. They, is an experimental short, using archival footage, about one persons journey through their fluid and loose gender expression. Ignacio is one of the founding board member of Queers for Economic Justice, a progressive non-profit organization committed to promoting economic justice in a context of sexual and gender liberation.
Bari-Ellen Roberts One of America's most courageous African-Americans who has been hailed as a "modern day Rosa Parks," Bari-Ellen Roberts, a former executive with Texaco, made national headlines when she sued the giant oil company for racial discrimination. After a long court battle Texaco agreed to pay Bari-Ellen and fourteen hundred other African-Americans one hundred and seventy six million dollars, which made it the largest discrimination settlement in the United States corporate history. The author of Roberts vs. Texaco: The True Story of Race in Corporate America.
Tara Roberts Hip, young and happening, Tara Roberts is a young African American woman whose personal mission as Lifestyle Editor of Essence magazine is to include the voices, stories and ideas of Black women under 30. Tara's article "Am I The Last Virgin?" was so controversial and generated so much reader feedback that she has compiled and edited a new book entitled,Am I The Last Virgin?: African American Reflections on Sex and Love.
Kevin Roberts Kevin Roberts is THE FOOD DUDE on San Diego's own 103.7 FREE FM, Friends of Fox and ESPN's Cold Pizza. Listen to his streamlined radio show every Saturday from 3:00 - 4:00 PM. www.1037freefm.com Current spokesman for Frank's RedHot sauce, Chef/Writer Kevin Roberts has been cooking as long as he’s been able to reach the counter. He perfected his craft as a cook for television and extreme sporting events. After fruitlessly searching the market for cookbooks geared to young adults, Kevin decided to come to the aid of all his hungry peers in search of real food (not wrapped in greasy paper). The result, Munchies, is the beginning of a series designed to boost the confidence of the cuisine impaired. Kevin proves that it’s not only cool to cook, but fun too, giving readers food freedom with recipes that are cheap, simple, tasty and healthy.
Sharon Robinson The daughter of Jackie Robinson, Sharon Robinson is the author of the book, Stealing Home: An Intimate Family Portrait by the Daughter of Jackie Robinson. She is director of educational programming for Major League Baseball where she supervises a program that focuses on urban and women's issues.
Dr. Refugio Rochin Dr. Refugio Rochin: International Speaker, author, scholar, administrator, social scientist, and Leader in Education. Dr. Refugio Rochin, a celebrated trailblazer in the world of Latino culture, joins fellow Hispanic professional speakers in the Latino Speakers Bureau, to increase awareness of the role and contributions of Latinos to the history and culture of the United States. Dr. Refugio Rochin is currently the Executive Director of SACNAS, the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Latinos and Native Americans in Science. He has been designated as one of "America's Top 100 Influential Hispanics," by Hispanic Business, Inc., and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Northeastern University, Boston in 2000. He is often quoted by the press on Latino issues and in 2002, was featured in the Latin American Times as Hispanic of the Week. Frequently described by his audiences as dynamic, personable and imaginative, Dr. Rochin has been a trailblazer in U.S. Latino studies and cultural affairs, with a career that clearly speaks of leadership in research and policy issues affecting Latinos. He was the first Director of the Smithsonian Center for Latino Initiatives, among many other career achievements. He oversaw a variety of projects at the Smithsonian designed to increase awareness of the role and contributions of Latinos to the history and culture of the United States. Dr. Rochin is well known for his publications and lectures on Latino contributions to U.S. history, economic development, culture, arts, music and science. Dr. Refugio Rochin’s conferences will include: “U.S. Chicanos and Latinos in U.S. Society: A Historical Perspective”, “The Economics of Chicanos & Latinos in the U.S.”, “The Role and Contribution of Latinos to U.S. Culture”, “U.S. Latinos in the Arts & Culture”, “Latinos in Science: Opportunities & Challenges for the Future” and the much awaited conference that deals with the topic of his new book, "Latino Patriots in Defense of America: From the American Revolution to Afghanistan and Iraq."
Luis Rodriguez Luis J. Rodriguez has emerged as one of the leading Chicano writers in the country with ten nationally published books in memoir, fiction, nonfiction, children’s literature, and poetry. Luis’ poetry has won a Poetry Center Book Award, a PEN Josephine Miles Literary Award, and “Foreword” magazine’s Silver Book Award, among others. His two children’s books have won a Patterson Young Adult Book Award, two “Skipping Stones” Honor Award, and a Parent’s Choice Book Award, among others. A novel, Music of the Mill, was published in the spring of 2005 by Rayo/HarperCollins; a poetry collection, My Nature is Hunger: New & Selected Poems, 1989-2004, came out in the fall of 2005 from Curbstone Press/Rattle Edition. Luis is best known for the 1993 memoir of gang life, Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A. An international best seller—with more than 20 printings, around 250,000 copies sold—the memoir also garnered a Carl Sandburg Literary Award, a Chicago Sun-Times Book Award, and was designated a New York Times Notable Book. Written as a cautionary tale for Luis’ then 15-year-old son Ramiro—who had joined a Chicago gang—the memoir is popular among youth and teachers. Despite this, the American Library Association in 1999 called Always Running one of the 100 most censored books in the United States. Efforts to remove his books from public school libraries and reading lists have occurred in Illinois, Michigan, Texas, and more recently in California, where the battles were quite heated. Yet for all the controversy, Luis has gained the respect of the literary community. In addition to the above honors, he has received a Sundance Institute Art Writers Fellowship, a Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Writers’ Award, a Lannan Fellowship for Poetry, an Hispanic Heritage Award for Literature, a National Association for Poetry Therapy Public Service Award, a California Arts Council Fellowship, an Illinois Author of the Year Award, several Illinois Arts Council fellowships, the 2001Premio Fronterizo, and “Unsung Heroes of Compassion” Award, presented by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Luis is also known for helping start a number of prominent organizations—such as Chicago’s Guild Complex, one of the largest literary arts organizations in the Midwest, and the publishing house of Tia Chucha Press. He is also one of the founders of Youth Struggling for Survival, a Chicago-based not-for-profit community group working with gang and nongang youth. He helped start Rock A Mole (rhymes with guacamole) Productions, which produces music/arts festivals, CDs, and film in Los Angeles. And he is a cofounder of Tia Chucha’s Café & Centro Cultural—a bookstore, coffee shop, performance space, art gallery, and workshop center that opened in December 2001 in the Northeast San Fernando Valley. On top of this, Luis has spent some twenty five years conducting workshops, readings, and talks in prisons, juvenile facilities, homeless shelters, migrant camps, universities, public and private schools, conferences, Native American reservations, and men’s retreats throughout the United States. He has also traveled to Canada, Europe, Mexico, Central America, and Puerto Rico doing similar work among disaffected populations. In addition, he’s editor of the new Chicano online magazine, Xispas.com. Luis has been part of the Mosaic Multicultural Foundation’s Men’s Conferences since 1994 with Mosaic founder Michael Meade, healer Orland Bishop, West African teacher-elder Malidoma Somé and American Buddhist Jack Kornfield. At these conferences, the complex but vital issues of race, class, gender, and personal rage are addressed with dialogue, ritual, story, poetry, and art involving men of all walks of life, including those in urban street gangs. He also created a CD of original music and his poems called “My Name’s Not Rodriguez” for Dos Manos Records, released in the summer of 2002. Luis’ work has also been widely anthologized, including in Letters of a Nation: A Collection of Extraordinary American Letters (1997 Broadway Books/Kodansha American), and most recently in the Outlaw Bible of American Poetry (1999 Thunder’s Mouth Press) and Bum Rush the Page: A Def Poetry Jam (2001 Three Rivers Press). His poems and articles have appeared in college and high school textbooks throughout the United States and Europe. He has done radio productions and writing for LA’s KPFK-FM, California Public Radio as well as Chicago’s WMAQ-AM’s All-News radio and WBEZ-FM. And his writings have appeared over the last twenty-five years in The Nation, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, U.S. News & World Report, LA Weekly, Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine, American Poetry Review, San Jose Mercury, Grand Street, Utne Reader, Prison Life, Progressive Magazine, Rock & Rap Confidential, among others. In 2005, he was asked to become a contributing writer to the LA Time’s “West” magazine.
Richard Rodriguez Rodriguez is an important American essayist, known for writing about the intersection of personal life with some of the difficult cultural issues facing America today. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed books Hunger of Memory (an autobiographical memoir read in many high schools and colleges), Days of Obligation: An Argument with My Mexican Father and Brown: The Last Discovery of America. As a journalist, Rodriguez worked with the Pacific News Service in San Francisco and was a contributing editor with Harper’s Magazine and the Sunday “Opinion” section of the Los Angeles Times. In 1993, Rodriguez was given the Frankel Medal (now renamed “The National Humanities Medal”), the highest honor the federal government gives to recognize work done in the humanities. In 1997, his televised essays on American life, featured on PBS’ “The News Hour with Jim Lehrer,” were honored with a George Peabody Award.
Nancy Taylor Rosenberg Best selling mystery novelist.
Joel C. Rosenberg Joel C. Rosenberg is the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Jihad, The Last Days and The Ezekiel Option, with more than one million copies in print. As a communications strategist, he has worked with some of the world’s most influential leaders in business, politics and media, including Steve Forbes, Rush Limbaugh, and former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As a novelist, he has been interviewed on more than 300 radio and TV programs, including ABC’s “Nightline,” CNN Headline News, Fox News Channel, The History Channel, MSNBC, the “Rush Limbaugh Show,” and the “Sean Hannity Show.” He has been profiled by the New York Times, Washington Times, and The Jerusalem Post, and was the subject of two cover stories in WORLD magazine. He has addressed audiences all over the world, including Russia, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, and Belgium. He has spoken at the White House, The Heritage Foundation, AOL, and the International Spy Museum, as well as at dozens of conferences, universities, churches, synagogues, political events, bookseller conventions, and charitable fund-raisers. The first page of his first novel – The Last Jihad – puts you inside the cockpit of a hijacked jet, coming in on a kamikaze attack into an American city, which leads to a war with Saddam Hussein over weapons of mass destruction. Yet it was written before 9/11, and long before the actual war with Iraq. When published, The Last Jihad spent eleven weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, reaching as high as #7. It raced up the USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists, hit #4 on the Wall Street Journal list and hit #1 on Amazon.com. His second thriller – The Last Days – opens with the death of Yasser Arafat and a U.S. diplomatic convoy ambushed in Gaza. Two weeks before The Last Days was published in hardcover, a U.S. diplomatic convoy was ambushed in Gaza. Thirteen months later, Yasser Arafat died. The Last Days spent four weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, hit #5 on the Denver Post list, and #8 on the Dallas Morning News list. Both books have been optioned by a Hollywood producer. The Ezekiel Option centers on Russian dictator in Russia who forms a military alliance with the leaders of Iran who are feverishly pursuing nuclear weapons and threatening to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. On the very day it was published in June 2005, Iran elected a new leader who vowed to accelerate the country's nuclear program and later vowed to "wipe Israel off the map." Six months after it was published, Moscow signed a $1 billion arms deal with Tehran. The Ezekiel Option spent four weeks on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list and four months on the Christian Bookseller Association bestseller list. An evangelical Christian from an Orthodox Jewish background, Joel’s grandparents escaped Russian persecution of the Jews in the early part of the 20th century. He graduated from Syracuse University in 1989, and studied at Tel Aviv University. He is married, has four sons, and lives near Washington, D.C., where he and his wife are members of McLean Bible Church. WORLD magazine says The Last Days is “dramatic...good entertainment ...a New York Times bestseller with the gospel tucked inside.” The New York Times calls Rosenberg “a Washington success story.” Rush Limbaugh says The Last Jihad is “amazing…I could not put this book down…You have to read this.” Sean Hannity calls The Last Days “riveting to the point you can’t put it down - a heart-pounding, edge of your seat roller coaster ride.” The Jerusalem Post calls The Last Days “a fast-paced thriller, packed with the authentic details and behind-the-scenes tidbits that only a Washington insider such as Rosenberg could know…. screams ‘possible’ from every page.” U.S. News & World Report says Rosenberg’s novels are so close to reality he seems like a “modern Nostradamus.” CNN Headline News says “J.K. Rowling may be the writer of the moment for the young and the young at heart. But for many adults Joel Rosenberg is the ‘it author’ right now. Inside and outside the beltway in Washington, people are snatching up copies of his almost life-like terrorist suspense novels.”
Roger Rosenblatt Roger Rosenblatt is a journalist, author, playwright and teacher. His essays for The NewsHour have won a Peabody and an Emmy award. His essays for Time magazine have won two George Polk Awards, awards from the American Bar Association, the Overseas Press Club, and others.Roger's journalism career began in 1975 as literary editor of The New Republic. He has also been a columnist and editor-at-large for Life magazine, the editor of U.S. News & World Report, a columnist and editorial board member of The Washington Post and editor-at-large of Time, Inc. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, The New Republic, Esquire and elsewhere.A Fulbright scholar with five honorary doctorates, Roger has a Ph.D. from Harvard, where he taught writing and modern literature from 1968-73 and was, at age 29, the youngest House Master in Harvard's history. He is the author of ten books, including a collection of his writings, "The Man in the Water," "Coming Apart: A Memoir of the Harvard Wars of 1969," and the national bestseller, "Rules for Aging." His Children of War (1983) won the Robert F. Kennedy Book Prize and has been published in seven languages. Roger is married, has three children and lives in New York City.
Matthue Roth Matthue Roth is a novelist and performance poet who lives in California. He has filmed for HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and Rock the Vote, performed with Deepak Chopra and Carlos Santana, and completed three national tours with his own brand of poetry that isn’t quite hip-hop and isn’t quite storytelling, and manages to be funny and sweet and brutal and brutally honest. He has performed at high schools and universities nationwide, including Yale, Harvard, and Brown. His first novel, Never Mind the Goldbergs, will be released in softcover by Scholastic in April 2006, and his second, Yom Kippur a Go-Go, was released by Cleis Press in November 2005. He has also appeared in the National Queer Arts Festival, and in the short film The Waves, by Yael Braha, which was featured in the 2004 Cannes International Film Festival. He’s written and self-published several poetry chapbooks, including Yom Kippur A Go-Go and A Child’s Garden of Gender. He also is a staffwriter for Bitch, Bust, Zero, and the San Francisco Bay Guardian. Matthue has also been featured in the book Quirkyalone and the film Can’t Touch This: Young Orthodox Jews and Sexuality.
J.K. Rowling Joanne Rowling a English fiction writer who writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling. Rowling is the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series, which has gained worldwide attention, won multiple awards, and sold over 325 million copies worldwide.
don Miguel Ruiz Best selling author of The Four Agreement, currently on The New York Times best selling list, don Miguel Ruiz was born into a family of healers. Nagual (spiritual leader) don Miguel was raised in rural Mexicao by a curandera (faith healer) mother and nagual grandfather. The family anticipated he would embrace their centuries old legacy of healing and teaching. Instead, distracted by modern life, don Miguel chose to attend medical school and later teach and practice as a surgeon. A near death experience brought his wake-up call. Don Miguel's survival allowed him the opportunity to begin freeing himself from his limited belief system. He devoted himself to the mastery of the ancestral wisdom. Don Miguels fascinating lectures include Toltec (strong, spiritual influence from the Mexican pre-Hispanic indigenous world) wisdom on human relationships as well as techniques for integrating this awareness into daily life.
Chris Russo Chris "Mad Dog" Russo brings his feisty, hard-hitting brand of sports talk to WFAN weekday afternoons from 1:00 to 6:30 PM. The Mike and the Mad Dog show debuted on the FAN in September of 1989 creating the two man talk team that is now the industry standard. Their show has been at or near the top of the ratings book ever since. Beyond the numbers, the Mike and the Mad Dog show is known far and wide in the world of sports. Athletes and coaches not only appear as guests, they are listeners at well. Chris earned the nickname “Mad Dog” for his outspoken views and rapid fire delivery. Chris' resume includes jobs with WKIS in Orlando and WMCA in New York where he served as the morning sports anchor and weekend sports talk host. He teamed up with former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason to host In the Huddle, a nationally syndicated radio show previewing each week’s pro football line-up. Chris is the author of two books, with his most recent entitled The Ulitmate Top-Ten Rankings of The Best in Sports
William Safire William Safire Pulitzer Prize-Winning Political Columnist, Author William Safire, winner of the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary, joined The New York Times in April 1973 as a political columnist. He now writes a Sunday column, “On Language,” which has appeared in The New York Times Magazine since 1979. This column on grammar and usage has led to the publication of 14 books and makes him the most widely read writer on the English language. Before joining The Times, Mr. Safire was a senior White House speechwriter for President Nixon. He had previously been a radio and television producer, a U.S. Army correspondent, and began his career as a reporter for a profiles column in The New York Herald Tribune. From 1955 to 1960, Mr. Safire was a public relations executive in New York City. He was responsible for bringing Mr. Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev together in the 1959 Moscow “kitchen” debate to publicize his client’s kitchen. In 1968, he left to join the campaign of Richard Nixon. He is the author of four novels, including “Freedom,” a novel of Lincoln and the Civil War. His dictionary, “The New Language of Politics,” has helped 2 generations of politicians and voters understand one another. His anthology of great speeches, “Lend Me Your Ears,” is the best seller in that field.
Carol Saline Carol Saline is a journalist, broadcaster and author. She has written three books: Dr. Snow: How the FBI Nailed an Ivy League Coke King, Straight Talk, and A Guide to Good Health . In addition she has co-authored three other books with photographer Sharon J. Wohlmuth. Their most popular, Sisters , spent 63 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list and sold over one million copies. It was followed by Mothers & Daughters , which immediately soared to #1 on every national best-seller list including The Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and The Wall Street Journal . A third bestseller, Best Friends , completed this influential relationship trilogy. Their latest collaboration is The 10 th Anniversary Edition of Sisters. Published in the fall of 2004, this beautiful new coffee table book adds recent photos and essays on 13 of the original sisters, examining their relationship a decade later. Since 1974, Carol Saline has worked as a senior writer at Philadelphia Magazine where she specializes in health, profiles, and investigative reporting. Her articles have appeared in many national magazines, including Reader's Digest, Family Circle, More, Redbook, and Cosmo Girl . As a broadcaster, Ms. Saline most recently hosted The Fretz Kitchen , a daily cooking program on CN8, a cable network with four million viewers. For three years she had a daily talk radio show and, for nearly a decade, appeared as a regular panelist on the popular Sunday public affairs program, Inside Story . Her national television appearances include The Oprah Winfrey Show, Donahue, Larry King Live, American Journal, CBS Good Morning, The Weekend Today Show and Good Morning America . In addition, Ms. Saline is an active speaker and moderator who presents lectures and workshops nationwide. Ms. Saline's ability to report compellingly on a variety of important subjects is reflected in several dozen journalism and humanitarian awards. She has been a two-time winner of the prestigious National Magazine Award, considered the Pulitzer of magazine writers. Other national awards include three Clarions for print feature writing from Women in Communications, the Charles Stuart Mott and The International Reading Association Awards for educational writing, and The Health Journalism Award from the American Society of Chiropractors. The National Press Club and Big Brothers/Big Sisters have also honored her work. In Philadelphia, she's been singled out three times for writing excellence by Sigma Delta Chi, and won four "Sarahs" from Women in Communications, which cited her as a "Super Communicator." For her commitment to social causes, Ms. Saline has been honored five times as a "Woman of Achievement," including 1996 by The Montgomery County Woman's Center, 1995 by Melitta Benz, 1987 by Women in Transition, and 1984 by The Delaware County Domestic Abuse Project. In 1990, she was given the Myrtle Wreath Award by Camden County Hadassah. She is listed in Who's Who in America . At present, Carol Saline serves on the boards of The National Osteoporosis Foundation, The Center for Literacy, and The Philadelphia Theater Company. Her roster of community activities includes several years as a volunteer telephone counselor for Contact 609, a mentor with Philadelphia Futures, and board membership with Jewish Family Service of South Jersey, Planned Parenthood of Camden County, The Mayor's Commission on Literacy, and Philadelphia CASA.
Bill Sammon SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT FOR THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Six-foot-seven inch Bill Sammon—nicknamed “Superstretch” by President Bush—enjoys more access to the commander-in-chief than any other journalist. Sammon has spent hours with Bush in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One—even in the President’s sprawling Texas ranch. As Senior White House Correspondent for the Washington Examiner, Sammon travels with Bush wherever he goes and was with him on September 11, when his presidency was utterly transformed by the terrorist attacks. Sammon, who is also a political analyst for Fox News Channel, has turned this extraordinary access into a series of New York Times bestselling books chronicling the historic Bush presidency—”Strategery: How George W. Bush is Defeating Terrorists, Outwitting Democrats and Confounding the Mainstream Media,” “Misunderestimated: The President Battles Terrorism, John Kerry and the Bush Haters,” “Fighting Back: The War on Terrorism from Inside the Bush White House,” and “At Any Cost: How Al Gore Tried to Steal the Election.” Bill has also served as Senior White House correspondent for the Washington Times.
Sonia Sanchez Leading Black poet and playwright, Sonia Sanchez's topics include Revolutionary Black Poetry; Black Art and Culture in America; The Black Women in the Liberation Struggle; and Poetry Readings. She is featured in the book and exhibit "Dream a World, Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America."
Roberto Santiago Hispanic anthropologist and author.
Esmeralda Santiago Author and filmmaker Esmeralda Santiago writes about the struggles of Puerto Rican women caught between Hispanic and Anglo-American cultures. She is the author of a memoir When I was Puerto Rican and a Almost a Woman. Her first novel America's Dream was an alternate selection of the Literary Guild.
Esmeralda Santiago ESMERALDA SANTIAGO was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She came to the United States at thirteen, the eldest in a family that would eventually include eleven children. Ms. Santiago attended New York City’s Performing Arts High School, where she majored in drama and dance. After eight years of part-time study at community colleges, she transferred to Harvard University with a full scholarship. She graduated magna cum laude in 1976. In 1977, she and her husband, Frank Cantor, founded CANTOMEDIA, a film and media production company, which has won numerous awards for excellence in documentary filmmaking. Her writing career evolved from her work as a producer/writer of documentary and educational films. Her essays and opinion pieces have run in newspapers like the New York Times and the Boston Globe, in magazines like House & Garden, Metropolitan Home, and Sports Illustrated, and as guest commentary on NPR’s All Things Considered and Morning Edition. Upon publication of her first book, the memoir When I was Puerto Rican, Ms. Santiago was hailed as “…a welcome new voice, full of passion and authority,” by the Washington Post Book World. Her first novel, América's Dream, was published in six languages, and was an Alternate Selection of the Literary Guild. “Thrilling and page turning, the fabulous story of América Gonzalez…is laid out masterfully,” according to the Chicago Tribune. Her second memoir, Almost a Woman, received numerous “Best of Year” mentions, in addition to an Alex Award from the American Library Association. Her adaptation of the memoir into a film for PBS Masterpiece Theatre, was greeted with critical and audience acclaim and was awarded a George Foster Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting. Her third memoir, The Turkish Lover, has received enthusiastic reviews as “an earthy, heartfelt tale of liberation, desperation, and the crippling grip of love.” (Booklist) It was selected a BookSense recommendation for September 2004 and appeared on several “Best of 2004” lists. With Joie Davidow, Ms. Santiago is co-editor of the anthologies, Las Christmas: Favorite Latino Authors Share Their Holiday Memories and Las Mamis: Favorite Latino Authors Remember their Mothers both published by Knopf. She is also the author of the illustrated children’s book, A Doll for Navidades. In addition to her literary endeavors, Ms. Santiago is an active volunteer. She is a spokesperson on behalf of public libraries. She has designed and developed community-based programs for adolescents, and was one of the founders of a shelter for battered women and their children. She serves on the boards of organizations devoted to the arts and to literature, and speaks vehemently about the need to encourage and support the artistic development of young people. Her community activism was cited when she received a Girl Scouts of America National Woman of Distinction Award in March 2002 along with Alma Powell and Elizabeth Dole. Ms. Santiago has earned a Master of Fine Arts in Fiction Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and Honorary Doctor of Letters from Trinity University, from Pace University and from Metropolitan College. The mother of two adult children, she lives in Westchester County, New York, with her husband, filmmaker Frank Cantor. She’s currently at work on a novel.
Bienvenidos Santos Popular Hispanic author whose latest book is Memory's Fictions.
Joseph Sebarenzi Joseph Sebarenzi, former head of the Rwanda Parliament, he has endured tragedy most of us cannot fathom. He lost both his parents, seven siblings, and numerous other relatives in the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Yet, years later, as a senior government official in a position to exact revenge, he instead pushed for peace and reconciliation. "Revenge is like adding guilt to victim hood." says Sebarenzi. "It solves nothing. At some point, we have to ignore the past and envision the future." Sebarenzi grew up in Rwanda, and as a child saw glimpses of the tribal violence which years later would engulf his country. In 1994, when Hutu extremists slaughtered more than 800,000 Tutsis, Sebarenzi and his immediate family were safely out of the country, but many of Sebarenzi's extended family were not so lucky. Returning to Rwanda, Sebarenzi rose through the ranks of Parliament, eventually becoming Speaker, third in power only to the country's president. As the leader of parliament, Sebarenzi worked to improve good governance, speaking out for the independence of the legislature and against corruption in the government. Forced to resign, and Informed of a plot to assassinate him, he fled Rwanda and found exile in the United States. He still champions a broad process of restorative justice in Rwanda as the country struggles with the ongoing effects of mass genocide and retaliatory killing among its Hutu and Tutsi people. Sebarenzi teaches conflict resolution at the School for International Training, lectures on his experiences, consults, and works toward his PhD. Sebarenzi has also been an executive for national and international nonprofit organizations and a regular speaker on BBC and Voice of America. He plans to return to Rwanda eventually, and hopes his home country will soon be a safe place for people of all races, creeds and heritages. For his college lectures, Sebarenzi tells his dramatic and historic story, and imparts a message of peace and forgiveness. This unforgettable and emotional program is perfect for International Studies departments, Genocide Programs, African Studies, Multi-Cultural Programs, Peace Groups, Progressive Groups, Christian organizations and keynote lectures. Whatever your group, Joseph Sebarenzi is a man of peace and grace whose message will not soon be forgotten.
Pepe Serna Pepe travels around the country, inspiring audiences with humor, common sense and focus to change their paradigms. Veteran actor and Master Teacher Pepe Serna has appeared in more than 100 feature motion pictures and 300 television shows. He has also lent his vocal talents to the FOX hit series “The PJ’s”, playing the part of Sanchez, the only Hispanic cast member of the zany inner city characters created by Eddie Murphy. Recently, Serna starred in the controversial “Kingpin” on the NBC network. Serna is best known for his performances in Scarface with Al Pacino; The Rookie with Clint Eastwood, American Me with Edward James Olmos, Silverado with Kevin Costner; and the widely recognized Science Fiction classic Buckaroo Banzi and played Jennifer Lopez’s father in two CBS series, “Second Chances” and “Hotel Malibu” just before her ascent to super stardom. He was the associate producer for the widely acclaimed independent film “Luminarias” and is also an accomplished painter, whose art reflects the vibrant and tropical colors of Mexico. He has been honored by the Screen Actors Guild Heritage Achievement Award; the League of United Latin American Citizens and is on the Wall of Honor of his alma mater Del Mar Jr. College in Corpus Christi, Texas. He is the recipient of the prestigious Estrella Award for Arts and Culture from the Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Golden Eagle Award from Nosotros in Los Angeles. His programs include the keynote “You’ve Gotta Vote for it to Count”, the inspirational “My Personal Journey: Melting in in Mexifornia”, his One Man Performance: “El Ruco Chuco Cholo Pachuco” (which is tailored to the event's needs) and the acclaimed Improvisational Workshops: “Jumpstart your Creativity” and “You’re Not Afraid to Say That”. His newest program is the workshop for kids or youth, “Improv: Self-Esteem, Writing and Public Speaking.” See him this December in the role of "Juan Diego" in the acclaimed Latino Theater Company presentation of "La Virgen de Guadalupe: Dios Inantzin" at Our Lady of Angels Cathedral in downtown Los Angeles.
Lady Sala Shabazz Author of The Best of the Little Known Black History Facts, Lady Sala Shabazz is the founder and curator of the Black Inventors Museum, a mobile display of inventions by African-American inventors from the early 1800's to the present day. The museum promotes positive images and self-esteem in both children and adults, and teaches people of all nationalities of the contributions that African-Americans have given the world.
Ilyasah Shabazz Ilyasah Shabazz (pronounced ILL-YAH-SAH SHA-BOZZ) leads a life dedicated to four passions: 1) the continued growth and understanding of her Family Legacy; 2) Education; 3) Government, and 4) the enrichment and balance that Entertainment provides for a full life. Following in the footsteps of her parents, Ilyasah Shabazz is working to convey a message of self-empowerment to future generations. She is currently leading a team of individuals to resurrect the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Education Center at The Audubon, the place of her father’s assassination in 1965. Inspired by her father’s Legacy to appreciate her rich heritage and nurtured by her mother’s unending perseverance and strength, Ilyasah is indeed a compassionate humanitarian. In the field of Education, Ilyasah was led to the post of Assistant Coordinator for the Office of Academic Affairs - City University of New York, where she organized training programs to encourage higher education for inner-city at-risk youth. Her most prized project includes an interactive youth publication entitled, "The Way We Feel." Ilyasah has both tutored and mentored at various academic and lock-up facilities. She holds a Masters of Science degree in Education & Human Resource Development and a Bachelors of Science in Biology. In the area of Government, Ilyasah served on the Executive Youth Board for the City of Mount Vernon, New York and is presently the Director of Cultural Affairs. She further served as an official member of the United States Delegation that accompanied President Bill Clinton on the historic tour of South Africa. Ilyasah has also retraced her father’s footsteps to the Pyramids and Sphinx of Ghizeh in Egypt and explored religious and historical sites in Jordan. Extensive travels to Africa, the "Middle East", Europe, the Caribbean and throughout the United States, inform Ilyasah’s unique brand of teaching about world history and culture. With a diverse career in the Entertainment Industry, Ms. Shabazz believes that entertainment fosters a more balanced and harmonious lifestyle, and can also serve as a powerful tool to reach and teach the young people of the world. She has served as Vice President for SME Entertainment, Director of Operations for KEDAR Entertainment, Coordinator of Promotions & Marketing for Pendulum Records (a Time Warner Division), and Assistant Music Agent for the William Morris Agency. She has had small Acting Roles on ABC Soaps’ All My Children and One Life to Live, and has appeared in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever. Shabazz also worked for 40 Acres + a Mule Film Works (a Spike Lee company) during the filming of X as an assistant technical advisor and Production Assistant.
Wendy Shalit Wendy Shalit was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and received her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Williams College in 1997. Her essays have appeared in Commentary, Slate, the Wall Street Journal and other publications. Her first book, A Return to Modesty: Discovering the Lost Virtue, was published by the Free Press in 1999 and is currently in its 7th printing. Girls Gone Mild is her second book. She is the founder of ModestyZone.net and the group blog ModestlyYours.net, online forums for women who don't have a voice in the mainstream media.
Ntozake Shange Ntozake Shange is a African American playwright, performance artist, and writer who is best-known for her Obie Award winning play for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf. She also wrote Betsey Brown, a novel about an African American girl who runs away from home. Among her honors and awards are fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund, and a Pushcart Prize.
Leslie Shields An uplifting and motivational speaker and an expert on career advancement and diversity in the workplace, Leslie Shields is the author of Work, Sister, Work: Why Black Women Can't Get Ahead and What They Can Do About It. She lectures on such topics as Career Planning, The Glass/Concrete Ceilings, Surviving and Thriving in the Workplace, Winning at Work, Workplace Diversity, Sexual Harrassment Prevention and Managing Change.
Marci Shimoff Marci Shimoff Author of Chicken Soup for the Soul Program Topics: Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul; Happy for No Reason; The Heart of the Secret; Living with Esteem: Becoming a Peak Performer Marci Shimoff is the woman's face of the biggest self-help book phenomenon in history, Chicken Soup for the Soul. Her six bestselling titles in the series have met with stunning success, selling more than 13 million copies worldwide in 33 languages. They have been on the New York Times bestseller list for a total of 108 weeks (#1 for 12 weeks) and have also topped the USA Today and Publishers Weekly lists. Marci is one of the bestselling female nonfiction authors of all time. Her upcoming book, Happy for No Reason, is being published by Simon and Schuster in December 2007. A celebrated transformational leader and one of the nation's leading motivational experts, Marci has inspired millions of people around the world sharing her breakthrough methods for personal fulfillment and professional success. President and co-founder of the Esteem Group, she delivers keynote addresses and seminars on self-esteem, self-empowerment and peak performance to corporations, professional and non-profit organizations, and women's associations. Highly sought after, she is a powerful keynoter who consistently receives rave reviews and standing ovations. She has been a top-rated trainer for numerous Fortune 500 companies, including AT&T, General Motors, Sears, Amoco, Western Union, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. A savvy and engaging media personality, Marci has been on more than 500 national and regional television and radio shows. She is prominently featured in the new, full-length movie phenomenon, The Secret. She has been interviewed for over 100 newspaper articles nationwide and her writing has appeared in national women's magazines, including Ladies Home Journal and Woman's World. As an acclaimed authority on success and happiness, Marci is often approached by media for her insights and advice. Marci earned her MBA from UCLA and holds an advanced certificate as a stress management consultant. She is a founding member and on the board of directors of the Transformational Leadership Council, a group of 100 top leaders serving over ten million people in the self-development market.
David Simon David Simon is a Baltimore-based author, journalist and writer-producer of television specializing in criminal justice and urban issues. Born in Washington, he came north to Baltimore after graduating from the University of Maryland to work as a police reporter at the Baltimore Sun. In 1988, after four years on the crime beat, he took a leave of absence from the newspaper to write "Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets." Published in 1991, the Edgar-award winning account of a year inside the Baltimore Police Department Homicide Unit became the basis for NBCs HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET, which was broadcast from 1993 to 1999. Simon worked as a writer, and later as a producer on the award-winning drama. In 1993, Simon took a second leave from the Baltimore Sun to research and write, "The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood." Published in 1997 and co-authored with Edward Burns, the true account of life in a West Baltimore community dominated by an open-air drug market was named a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times. Simon then co-wrote and produced THE CORNER as a six-hour miniseries for HBO. That production, which aired in 2000, won an Emmy® as the year's best miniseries. Simon and David Mills also won the Emmy® for best writing in a movie or miniseries. For his writing on NBCs Homicide, Simon has won the WGA Award for best writing in an episodic drama, as well as the Humanitas Award in the same category. Having left the Baltimore Sun in 1995, Simon continues to work as a freelance journalist and author, writing for publications as varied as the Washington Post, the New Republic and Details magazine.
Kevin Sites Kevin Sites is re-defining journalism for the digital age. As Yahoo!'s first news correspondent, he is spending a year covering every major global conflict for "Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone" on Yahoo! News. One man. One year. A world of conflict. This project is an audacious attempt to bring the very best traditions of battlefield reportage into the 21st century. By combining Sites' remarkable skills as a solo journalist ("SoJo") with Yahoo!'s global reach, 400 million Internet users around the world have instantaneous access to eye-witness reporting of some of our planet's most ferocious and intractable conflicts. The project has generated widespread publicity and discussion, and has cemented Sites' place as one of the rising stars of American journalism. Sites is a highly respected war correspondent. He has spent the past five years covering global war and disaster for several national networks. He is a pioneer of solo journalism, in which he works completely alone, carrying a backpack of portable digital technology to shoot, write, edit, and transmit multimedia reports. In November 2004, as an NBC News correspondent, he filmed and reported on one of the defining moments of the current Iraqi war when he videotaped a U.S. Marine shooting a wounded Iraqi insurgent in a Fallujah mosque. The story turned Sites into a flashpoint of pro- and anti-war controversy, and he was both praised as a journalist willing to reveal the harsh realities of war and vilified as a traitor to both the Marine unit in which he was embedded and to his country. His innovative approach to his work can be seen on his award-winning war blog, www.kevinsites.net. In 2004, Sites was honored with the Payne Award for ethics in journalism for both his television and Web coverage of the mosque shooting. He garnered an Emmy nomination for the same story. Recently, Wired magazine named Sites as the recipient of their RAVE Award—the first ever for blogging. Sites is a former university lecturer who is frequently invited to speak at many national and international media forums, including London's famous "Frontline Club," which supports independent war correspondents. He is also a regular speaker at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, as wells as the Arab American Media Forum, sponsored by Aspen Institute.
Jane Smiley Over her 20-year career, Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley has authored many novels, two of which were made into movies, A Thousand Acres and The Secret Lives of Dentists. However, despite her wildly successful career, her impulse to write faltered in the weeks after 9/11. That is when she approached the medium from the reader’s angle: She read 100 novels, ancient and new, from classics to little-known gems. TALKING POINTS: Smiley discusses the pleasure of reading; why a novel succeeds, or doesn't; and how the form has changed over time. She delves into the character of the novelist, and reveals how her favorites books have affected her own life. Smiley takes us deep into the process of writing, sharing the secrets of her own habits, and her theories of creativity.
Tavis Smiley Host of PBSs Tavis Smiley Show and popular voice on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, Tavis Smiley is also the author of six books, including the acclaimed Hard Left: Straight Talk About the Wrongs of the Right and the autobiographical What I know for Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America. He is founder of a non-profit organization whose mission is to encourage, empower, and enlighten black youth, and is a correspondent and regular contributor to ABC News. Smiley discusses current events from a perspective not often heard in the media, and speaks about everything from politics to sports to education and the need for cultural and racial harmony. He also offers insight into some of the unique figures he has interviewed, including Fidel Castro, Pope John Paul II, and the recording artist Prince.
Barbara Smith Barbara Smith is best known for her innovating work as a critic, author, activist and lecturer. She was among the first to define an African American woman's literary tradition and to build Black women's studies and Black Feminism in the U.S. She is also the co-author of Yours in Struggle: Three Feminist Perspestives on Anti-Semitism and Racism. Smith is a general editor of the Reader's Companion to U.S. Women's History. A collection of her essays, The Truth That Never Hurts: Writings on Race Gender, and Freedom was published in 1998.
B. Smith TV personality, restauranteur and author, B. Smith is the host of "B. Smith With Style", a half-hour nationally syndicated television series that is now in its fourth season and currently airs in 207 markets nationwide and 22 countries. In addition to hosting her own show, Barbara has created a new lifestyle magazine entitled B. Smith Style. Smith also the owner of three successful B. Smith Restaurants in New York and Washington D.C. She is the author of B. Smith's Entertaining and Cooking for Friends and B. Smith: Rituals and Celebrations. She was the first African-American woman to grace the cover of Mademoiselle and has appeared on five Essence and Ebony covers.
Kemba Smith Remarkable story of triumph and determination. Smith who was sentenced in 1994 to more than two decades in federal prison on a first-time drug conviction is a single mother, advocate, public speaker, law student and author. When a judge sentenced Smith to prison for alleged involvement in a crack cocaine ring, she was a young college student at Hampton University in Virginia. She fell in with the wrong crowd and became involved with a major figure in a $4 million drug ring. Enduring years of physical and emotional abuse, Smith ended the relationship. But she was sentenced to prison for being closely involved with the man. After serving 6 1/2 years, Smith regained her freedom after President Clinton granted her clemency in December of 2000. Her predicament forced the nation to focus on drug enforcement policies and mandatory sentencing for drug offenses. Smith has since graduated from Virginia Union University and attends law school at Howard University. She started the Kemba Smith Foundation that works to inspire and uplift young people as well as educate them about injustices within the criminal justice system. Smith has spoken at more than 30 colleges and universities. Having already received numerous honors and awards for her activism, she continues to speak on topics that she feels are important to the nation.
Dr. Ian Smith Dr. Ian Smith is currently the medical/diet expert on VH1s highly rated Celebrity Fit Club, host of Meet the Faith on BET, and the creator and founder of The 50 Million Pound Challenge. Dr. Smith is also the host of his own nationally syndicated radio show HealthWatch on American Urban Radio Networks. He is the former medical correspondent for NBC News network and for NewsChannel 4 where he filed reports for NBCs "Nightly News" and the "Today" show as well as WNBC's various news broadcasts. He has appeared extensively on various broadcasts including The View, The Tyra Banks Show, Larry King Live, and Anderson Cooper 3600. He has written for various publications including Time, Newsweek, Mens Health, and the New York Daily News, and has been featured in several other publications including, People, Essence, Ebony, Cosmopolitan, and University of Chicago Medicine on the Midway. Dr. Smith's work has been honored by several organizations, including the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for his coverage on the momentous events beginning on Sept. 11, 2001. Dr. Smith is very active in charitable causes, serving on several boards including the New York City Mission Society, American Council on Exercise, and the New York Council for the Humanities. Dr. Smith graduated from Harvard College with an AB and received a masters in science education from Teachers College of Columbia University. He attended Dartmouth Medical School and completed the last two years of his medical education and graduated from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. Dr. Smith is also the author of five books, the #1 New York Times Bestseller Extreme Fat Smash Diet, the #1 New York Times Bestseller The Fat Smash Diet, the critically acclaimed The Blackbird Papers (2005 BCALA fiction Honor Book Award winner), Dr. Ian Smith's Guide to Medical Websites, and The Take-Control Diet. He is currently at work on his second novel
Richard Norton Smith Richard Norton Smith is a celebrated historian and author, and ABC News presidential historian. His numerous books have received critical acclaim, with his 1997 biography, The Colonel: The Life and Legend of Robert R. McCormick, winning the prestigious Goldsmith Prize from Harvard Universitys John F. Kennedy School of Government . Richard Norton Smith has served as the director of the Hoover, Eisenhower, Reagan, and Ford presidential museums. He has also been a prolific political speech writer, working for both Presidents Reagan and Ford. His in-depth knowledge of the presidency and American history make Richard Norton Smith a sought-after source for analysis of history and predictions for the future of the United States. Using historical examples and his viewpoints on history, he shows it to be a living, breathing entity, bringing it to new life, and showcasing the excitement of the last few hundred years
Gary Snyder Gary Snyder has worked as a logger, a trail-crew member, and a seaman on a Pacific tanker. Snyder has won numerous literary prizes, including a Guggenheim fellowship and the Pulitzer Prize. Snyder thinks of himself as a "holistic" poet, and blends his interest in the environment, Zen Buddhism and nature into his work. He is often described as the "laureate of deep ecology," and his image has even appeared on a U.S. postage stamp. The "eco-poet" will speak about the evolution of our society and public policy regarding the environment over the last half century. Snyder will also read poetry from his latest collection, Danger on Peaks.
Rebecca Solnit Rebecca Solnit is a writer whose work focuses on issues of environment, landscape, and place. She is the author of numerous books, including the critically acclaimed Wanderlust: A History of Walking and As Eve Said to the Serpent: On Landscape, Gender, and Art, which was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award in Criticism.
Cristina Hoff Sommers Best selling author of The War Against Boys; Who Stole Feminism, How Women Have Betrayed Women, Christina Hoff Sommers speaks about the women's movement, ethics and moral education and the differences in the education of boys and girls in our schools.
Art Spiegelman Art Spiegelman has almost single-handedly brought comic books out of the toy closet and onto the literature shelves. In 1992 he won the Pulitzer Prize for his masterful Holocaust narrative Maus — which portrayed Jews as mice and Nazis as cats. Maus II continued the remarkable story of his parents’ survival of the Nazi regime and their lives later in America. His comics are best known for their shifting graphic styles, their formal complexity, and controversial content. In his lecture “Comix 101.1" Spiegelman takes his audience on a chronological tour of the evolution of comics, all the while explaining the value of this medium and why it should not be ignored. He believes that in our post-literate culture the importance of the comic is on the rise, for “comics echo the way the brain works." Having rejected his parents aspirations for him to become a dentist, Art Spiegelman studied cartooning in high school and began drawing professionally at age 16. He went on to study art and philosophy at Harpur College before becoming part of the underground comics movement. As creative consultant for Topps Bubble Gum Co. from 1965-1987, Spiegelman designed Wacky Packages, Garbage Pail Kids and other novelty items, and taught history and aesthetics of comics at the School for Visual Arts in New York from 1979-1986. In 1980, Spiegelman founded RAW, the acclaimed avant-garde comics magazine, with his wife, Françoise Mouly. They've more recently co-edited Little Lit, a series of three comics anthologies for children published by HarperCollins ("Comics-They're not just for Grown-ups Anymore"). In 1997 Spiegelman created a picture book for young children called Open Me… I’m A Dog with the same publisher. His work has been published in many periodicals, including The New Yorker, where he was a staff artist and writer from 1993-2003. A collection of his New Yorker work is soon to be published by Pantheon, who also published his illustrated version of the 1928 lost classic, The Wild Party, by Joseph Moncure March. In 2004 he completed a two-year cycle of broadsheet-sized color comics pages, In the Shadow of No Towers, first published in a number of European newspapers and magazines including Die Zeit and The London Review of Books. A book version of these highly political works was published by Pantheon in the United States, appeared on many national bestseller lists, and was selected by The New York Times Book Review as one of the 100 Notable Books of 2004. Spiegelman is working on a comix format memoir, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Nerd, which will incorporate a reprinting of his most significant underground comix work, as well as a forthcoming anniversary edition of Maus, entitled Meta Maus.A major exhibition of his work has been arranged by Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, as part of the "15 Masters of 20th Century Comics" exhibit (November 2005). In his spare time he's working on the libretto and the sets for a music-theater piece about the rise and fall of comic books entitled “Drawn to Death: A Three Panel Opera" with composer Phillip Johnston, to be produced with The Improbable Theater company in 2007. In 2005, Art Spiegelman was made a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France.
Akuyoe... Spirit Awakening Akuyoe presents her critically acclaimed one-woman play, "Spirit Awakening" with poetry, monologues and music. In the play, Akuyoe assumes multiple roles representing different perspectives in her life decisions which begins in Africa and concludes in America. It is a search for roots that go far deeper than ancestry. "Spirit Awakening" is Akuyoe's archetypal journey in search for self. Akuyoe can now be seen co-starring in the hit movie, American Pie.
Henry Rollins... Spoken Word For almost two decades, Henry Rollins has been doing talking/stand-up shows internationally. He tours with his hard-rock group, Rollins Band, and is a Grammy Award-winner for Best Spoken Word Performance. The former frontman of legendary Californian band Black Flag, he is the author of Smile You're Traveling (Black Coffee Blues Part 3). Rollins has written articles for Spin and Details; published numerous books under his own imprint, 2-13-61 Publications; and done EPKs for Black Sabbath, Wayne Kramer and Jerry Lee Lewis. Singer, songwriter, MTV darling, actor, monologist and writer, Henry Rollins has been making edgy, humorous observations on a variety of topics for almost two decades at his international talking/stand-up shows. He also tours with his hard-rock group, Rollins Band, whose albums include Weight (which went Gold and featured the hit single "Liar") and Get Some Go Again. A Grammy Award-winner for Best Spoken Word Performance for his album Get in the Van, he is the former frontman of legendary Californian band Black Flag and has written articles for Spin and Details. A real Renaissance man, he has done EPKs for Black Sabbath, Wayne Kramer and Jerry Lee Lewis; is the host of the Fox TV suspense series Night Visions, which features stars such as Bridget Fonda and Brian Dennehy; played at Woodstock '94; and has hosted VH1's The List. A culture icon in all facets of media, he acted in the movies Heat with Al Pacino, Frost with Michael Keaton, Lost Highway, The Chase with Charlie Sheen and Johnny Mnemonic with Keanu Reeves. Rollins has appeared in ads for Macintosh, General Motors, Partnership for a Drug Free America, The Gap and anti-gun promotional spots. He has also been a guest on Dennis Miller, The Tonight Show, Conan O'Brien and Politically Incorrect. Rollins has published numerous books under his own imprint, 2-13-61 Publications, and is the author of Smile, You're Traveling (Black Coffee Blues Part 3), Eye Scream, Get in the Van: On the Road with Black Flag and The Portable Henry Rollins. The king of the spoken word show, he relishes going on stage and talking to college students. His observations never fail to touch a nerve with audiences. He has said, "Those 20 kids that stick around after a show- that is my family, That's why I'm never nervous before I go on stage. That's why I talk for three hours. I wanna take 'em all home. They're the only people I need."
Marianne Camille Spraggins A leading African-American business woman and the first Black female managing director on Wall Street and one of Wall Street's most prominent Black executives, most recently CEO of W. R. Lazard and formerly Managing Director of Smith Barney. Marianne Spraggins is the author of Snow White...and Don't You Forget It: A Survival Guide for the Black Woman in Business.
Mi-Ling Stone Poole After a successful career in the entertainment industry Mi-Ling went back to school and earned her master’s degree in communications from Oklahoma City University. In 2001, she decided to merge her love for journalism with her passion for decorating and began writing two weekly decorating columns; Ask Mi-Ling, and Mi-Ling’s Comfort Zone. These columns are published weekly in newspapers throughout the country and have been translated and published in Spanish. Currently, she writes a weekly decorating column for The Oklahoman in Oklahoma City. Mi-Ling earned the reputation of being funny, entertaining and outspoken during her weekly radio segments, while offering advice and cost saving tips on decorating. She believes that creating a comfortable and livable home is the key to a great design.
Jodie Sweetin Jodie Sweetin is best known for her eight-year run as Stephanie, the precocious middle child, on the hit ABC television show Full House. Full House was a show that families loved to watch together and continues to be a favorite in syndication and on cable. During her high school and college years Sweetin discovered alcohol and drugs, substances she now realizes that she cannot handle. For years she fought her addictions, causing serious destruction to her life. After losing her two-year marriage and experiencing tremendous personal loss, she entered drug and alcohol rehab in March of 2005. Since then, she has been working diligently to put her life back on track. In her presentation, A Young Star's Road to Recovery,Sweetin explains how rehabilitative therapy changed her life and inspires all listeners to combat challenges head-on.
Amy Tan Well known asian american author of such major best-selling novels as The Joy Luck Club; and The Kitchen God's Wife.
Mikki Taylor Popular journalist and motivational speaker, Mikki Taylor is the Beauty Director and Cover Editor of Essence magazine. To think of Mikki Taylor as merely another beauty editor would be as classifying the late Louis Armstrong as just another guy who blew a horn. Her contribution to Essence magazine, the African-American community and the beauty industry is immeasurable. As beauty and cover editor of the nation's premier lifestyle publication targeted to Black women, she has the enormous responsibility of not only reflecting the culture's definition of "beauty" but also of shaping it. Some of Mikki's topics are: Positioning Yourself to Succeed Through the Power of Affirmation; What is This Thing Called Endurance; and Increasing Your Personal Power.
Susan L Taylor Susan L. Taylor has been the driving force behind one of the most celebrated African American owned business success stories of the past three decades. She is the senior editorial executive at the venerable communications company and writes the popular In the Spirit column each month. She is currently working on her newest book, All about Love: Favorite Selections from in the Spirit on Living Fearlessly. The book draws from the 25 years of her In the Spirit column. A fourth-generation entrepreneur, Taylor was the founder of her own company, Nequai Cosmetics, before becoming Essence fashion and beauty editor and, in 1981, its Editor-in-Chief. She is the author of three books: In the Spirit: The Inspirational Writings of Susan L. Taylor, Lessons in Living and Confirmation: The Spiritual Wisdom That Has Shaped Our Lives, the latter coauthored with her husband, Khephra Burns. She is also a greatly sought-after speaker, delivering inspiring messages of hope and possibility that encourage us to reclaim and reorient our lives and society and create peaceful, productive, sustainable communities. In 1999 Taylor became the first African American woman to receive The Henry Johnson Fisher Award from the Magazine Publishers of America, the magazine industry's highest honor. In 2002 Taylor was inducted into the American Society of Magazine Editors Hall of Fame, which celebrates the career-long records of excellence, creativity and impact of a select group of highly influential magazine journalists. Taylor's visionary leadership was acknowledged when NAACP President Bruce presented her with his first President's Award in 2006. She is an avid supporter of a host of organizations dedicated to moving the Black community forward. Her passion and focus are on creating equity in education and turning around the nation's failing schools, which, she says are "the pipeline to prison." Taylor has received more than a dozen honorary degrees from numerous colleges and universities, including Lincoln University, Spelman College, Dillard University, Bennett College for Women, the University of Delaware and her alma mater, Fordham University. Most recently Taylor has been focusing her attention on the Essence Cares initiative. She launched this call to action to the African American community at the 2006 Essence Music Festival. It is a massive mentoring campaign that asks every able adult and our leadershipelected and appointed officials, educators, business, religious and secular leaders and college students to rally their communities to guide and secure our vulnerable children who are crying out for help. The goal is to create the largest mentoring campaign in the history of the nation and increase high school graduation rates among African American students by 10 percent annually. Taylor is also a cofounder of The Future PAC, the first national political action committee devoted to providing progressive African American women opportunities to hold more federal and state political offices by creating a network of support and funding. In addition, Taylor and Danny Glover co-chair a capital campaign to raise money to build housing in the rural areas of South Africa. She serves on the board of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies in Washington, DC, and is an official on the Louisiana Recovery Authority, which she joined to assist the devastated people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region.
Studs Terkel Pulitzer Prize winning author and social critic.
Judy Scales Trent Law professor, attorney and author of Notes of a White Black Woman: Race, Color, Community, which describes a hidden part of the Black experience in America by exploring what it is like to be a "white" Black woman and to live simultaneously inside and outside of both white and Black communities.
Scott Turow Best-selling author and attorney.
Omar Tyree A New York Times best-selling author and 2001 NAACP Image Award recipient, Omar Tyree has sold more than 1.6 million copies of books worldwide. He has been recognized as one of the most renowned contemporary writers in the African-American community. Tyree has recently completed work on his15th novel,The Last Street Novel, which is set to hit national bookshelves in July. Hes written 14 novels, including his Urban Griot series, which features raw material geared towards urban male readership. As an author, journalist, performance poet, songwriter, screenwriter, entrepreneur, creative genius and an energetic and fiery speaker, Tyree is no stranger to the world of contemporary urban influence. Tyree became one of the dominant literary self-promoters of the 1990s, leading to offers of publishing deals by a number of influential mainstream book publishers. In 1995, he signed a lucrative two book arrangement with publishing powerhouse Simon & Schuster. Tyrees journey as an entrepreneur began in his early 20s when he started the book publishing company Mar Productions, to release his earliest works of fiction. His entrepreneurial ventures have evolved to: Hot Lava Entertainment, a synergy production company for books, music and film. Recently Tyree released his first movie The Lure of Young Women which is available on DVD nationwide. As an orator, Tyrees passion for his work ignites his audience. Both thought-provoking and veraciously entertaining, Tyree executes compelling commentary on topics such as The State of Urban Literature where he expounds on contemporary literature including his own work, Leslie, which takes place in New Orleans and has received adequate reader attention post-Hurricane Katrina. A staunch believer in literary integrity, Tyree challenges authors of fiction and non fiction to address issues in the community rather than simply capitalize from exploitive topics in their work. Additional speaking topics for Tyree includes: The Life of MLK Jr., and "Images of Women in the Media. In his latest lecture, The Equation for Life, Tyree weaves together a full-proof formula for attaining life long success in business as well as everyday living. One attendee who heard the lecture commented, Omar Tyrees equation for life speech made me rethink my whole life it has given me the focus I need. An accompanying CD, Book and DVD for The Equation for Life, will be available in 2008. Tyrees articles have been published in the Washington Post, Essence, Upscale, Black Collegian, Washington Times and Black Issues Book Review. A graduate of the prestigious Howard University, Tyree plans to reestablish his college age roots by doing magazine features focusing on community, culture, entertainment, politics, and new wave intellectualism. Tyree is presently creating business partnerships with the initiative of adapting several of his novels into feature films. He is also in negotiations to launch a talk show that highlights contemporary notable authors and their die hard readers.
Alfred Uhry Pulitzer prize winning playwright of “Driving Miss Daisy.” His play "The Last Night of Ballyhoo" won a Tony Award for the best play in 1997.
Loung Ung Author, First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of Cambodia Remember, Loung Ung will tell her story of how her family was forced out of the Cambodian city in a mass evacuation to the countryside. Three years later the Khmer Rouge had killed Loung's parents and two of her siblings and she was forced to train as a child soldier. In 1980, she and her older brother escaped by boat to Thailand, where they spent five months in a refugee camp and later relocated to the United States. Loung returned to Cambodia fifteen years after her escape for a memorial service for the victims of the Khmer Rouge genocide and was shocked and saddened to learn that twenty of her relatives had been killed. This realization compelled her to devote herself to justice and reconciliation in her homeland.
Linda Villarosa Linda Villarosa is a freelance writer, an Essence Magazine editor-at-large and contributing writer to the New York Times. Formerly, she edited the health pages for the Times, where she redesigned and expanded health coverage for Science Times and for the newspaper at large. Linda was also the executive editor of Essence Magazine, where she wrote or edited a number of award-winning articles. Twenty years ago, Linda wrote what may be the first article to cover the topic of AIDS in an African-American publication when she wrote about women and children battling the disease for Essence. This year, two of her articles on African-Americans and HIV/AIDS appeared on the front page of the NY Times. In 1981, with her mother, Clara, Linda wrote Essence’s ground-breaking article, “Coming Out,” which received more mail than any other in the magazine’s history. Due to the overwhelming response, the two women followed up with an additional story several months later. Linda is the author of Body & Soul: The Black Women’s Guide to Physical Health and Emotional Well-Being. A Blackboard Bestseller, there are more than 200,000 copies in print. She is the coauthor of both Finding Our Way: The Teen Girls’ Survival Guide and The Black Parenting Book. As a lecturer, Linda has spoken to groups from Harvard, Wellesley, Dartmouth, Indian University, the University of California at Davis and Swarthmore, to name several. Shehas also provided testimony to the U.S. Congress and the National Institutes of Health and offered workshops for the Radcliffe Publishing Course, the American Society of Magazine Editors, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the National Press Association. This year she traveled to the International AIDS Conference in Bangkok to help train journalists from around the world to cover HIV.
Norah Vincent Norah Vincent is a journalist and author, known for being a conservative lesbian. Vincent was a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies from its 2001 inception to 2003. She has also had columns at Salon.com, The Advocate, the Los Angeles Times, and the Village Voice. Vincent's most recent book, Self-Made Man, retells an eighteen-month experiment in which she disguised herself as a male. She talked about it in HARDtalk extra on BBC on April 21, 2006 and described her experiences in male-male and male-female relationships. She joined an all-male bowling club, and visited Catholic monks in a cloister. She dated women and describes how inferior she felt, when judged by women during flirting.
Helena Maria Viramontes Helena Maria Viramontes, a well-known writer and activist, has written extensively on the experiences of Chicano and Chicana farm workers in the U.S. She grew up in East Los Angeles, one of eleven children born to parents who met when they were working as farm laborers, and spent many childhood summers picking fruit in northern California. A professor of English at Cornell University, she has published two novels Under the Feet of Jesus (1995) and Their Dogs Came With Them (2007)as well as several collections of short stories. She won the John Dos Passos Prize for Literature in 1995.
John Wagner Come Academy Award time this year comic readers will have a reason to cross their fingers: A History of Violence, David Cronenberg’s filmic adaptation of the graphic novel. While much of the press’ emphasis will be on the famed director and the stars Viggo Mortensen, William Hurt and Ed Harris, the original source material, written by John Wagner and drawn by Vince Locke mustn’t be forgotten. A History of Violence’s first half adheres very closely to Wagner’s book about a Midwestern man who on the spur of the moment commits a great act of courage which gets him nationwide press. That press, however, alerts some mobsters back east who have been looking for him for many years so they come looking for him. And while Cronenberg and Wagner’s versions of the story may veer away from each other, at the end of the day, A History of Violence is another feather in comics’ collective cap. A month before the film opens; Newsarama had the chance to speak with Wagner. Through the writer hasn’t had a chance to have seen the film yet (“I’ll see it for the first time at the premiere”) Wagner did admit that even with his limited connection to Cronenberg’s version of the story, the experience was “infinitely” better than seeing once of this other co-creations, Judge Dredd, make the leap to the screen in the 1995 film starring Sylvester Stallone. “I had no control at all over what happened with Dredd,” Wagner said. “Of course, once you’ve signed the contract you have no control anyway, but up until that point things were far more satisfactory.” The deal to adapt the film from the 1997 graphic novel published by DC’s now defunct Paradox imprint was made a couple of years ago, Wagner said. “So I suppose they’ve moved pretty quickly in movie terms.” And though he wrote the initial story, Wagner was willing to the let A History of Violence go once the deal was done, eschewing even the chance to write the screenplay. “If I said anything about being a part of it at all, it was more likely to be that I didn’t want to write the screenplay,” Wagner said. “I’d written the book, and I felt that this might cloud my judgment when it came to turning it into a film. A fresh mind wouldn’t be so burdened.”
Alice Walker Alice Walker, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award for The Color Purple, is internationally honored as an essential writer of our time. She is the author of six novels, including The Third Life of Grange Copeland, Meridian, The Temple of My Familiar, Possessing the Secret of Joy, and By the Light of My Fathers Smile; three collections of short stories: In Love & Trouble, You Cant Keep a Good Woman Down, and The Way Forward is With a Broken Heart; three collections of essays: In Search of Our Mothers Gardens, Living By the Word, and Anything We Love Can Be Saved; and five volumes of poetry: Once, Revolutionary Petunias and Other Poems, Good Night, Willie Lee, Ill See You in the Morning, Horses Make a Landscape Look More Beautiful, and Her Blue Body Everything We Know. She edited the Zora Neale Hurston reader, I Love Myself When I Am Laughing...And Then Again When I Am Looking Mean and Impressive, and her books for children include To Hell With Dying, Langston Hughes, American Poet, and Finding the Green Stone. In the eighties she was publisher and co-founder with Robert Allen of Wild Trees Press.One of her most recent books, ABSOLUTE TRUST IN THE GOODNESS OF THE EARTH, new poems, was published by Random House in March of 2003. A book of poems and drawings A POEM TRAVELED DOWN MY ARM was published in fall of 2003; two childrens books: WHY WAR IS NEVER A GOOD IDEA and THERE IS A FLOWER AT THE TIP OF MY NOSE SMELLING ME will be published in 2004. Her new novel NOW IS THE TIME TO OPEN YOUR HEART has just been released.
Rebecca Walker Rebecca Walker is a best-selling author, an acclaimed speaker and teacher, and an award-winning visionary and activist in the fields of intergenerational feminism, enlightened masculinity, and transformational human awareness. When she was just twenty-five, Time Magazine named her one of the fifty most influential future leaders of Americaan award which has since been followed by many others, including the Women Who Could Be President Award from the League of Women Voters, the Champion of Choice Award from CARAL, and the Women of Distinction Award from the American Association of University Women. In 1995 Rebecca published her first anthology, To Be Real: Telling the Truth and Changing the Face of Feminism, which has been in print for more than ten years. Called a "seminal text of Third Wave feminism," To Be Real is taught in Women's Studies programs around the world. In 2002, Rebecca's memoir, Black, White, and Jewish: Autobiography of a Shifting Self, became an international bestseller and won the Alex Award from the American Library Association. People Magazine called Black, White, and Jewish, "A heartbreaking tale of self-creation Walker masterfully illuminates differences between black and white America." A second anthology, What Makes a Man: 22 Writers Imagine The Future, was published in 2004 to similar acclaim: "Walker has done society at large a great service by bringing forth these voices, these views." (Booklist) Rebecca is a popular speaker on campuses and in business settings around the world. She has lectured at more than 300 universities including Harvard, Oberlin, MIT, and Stanford, and addressed dozens of organizations including the National Council of Teachers of English, and the Ministries of Culture and Gender of Estonia, at the first-ever Conference on Masculinity in the Baltics. She's been a consultant for Sony Music, Microsoft and JP Morgan Chase, and has been featured on Charlie Rose and the Oprah Winfrey Show. Rebecca has written for blogs and magazines, including Harper's, Salon, Glamour, Essence, and Buddhadharma, and her essays are widely anthologized. She has taught the art of memoir at workshops, MFA programs, and writing conferences nationwide. For writers developing non-fiction manuscripts, Rebecca offers consultation on theme, voice and structure, helping take projects from concept to manuscript to publication. In December of 2004 Rebecca gave birth to a son, Tenzin, whose arrival is the subject of a new memoir, Baby Love, forthcoming from Riverhead Books in 2007.
George Walther George Walther is an acknowledged expert at boosting your communication effectiveness. People who manage, sell, collect past-due accounts, negotiate, serve customers, and seek to project a more positive image, regard his PHONE POWER book, seminars, and audio/video tapes as classic guides. His second book, POWER TALKING, shows people in every walk of life how to be more positive and persuasive, in every conversation. UPSIDE-DOWN MARKETING, his newest book and speaking topic, focuses on maximizing profit leverage opportunities. George Walther is one of less than 100 professional speakers to hold the National Speakers Association's highest award for platform excellence, the "CPAE," as well as the highest professional speaking designation, the "CSP." He earned an MBA in Marketing from UCLA, and a Bachelor's degree in Speech. George Walther's work is published around the world by Putnam, McGraw-Hill, Simon & Schuster, Nightingale-Conant, and Berkley Books, with many foreign language editions.
Frank Warren Called the most trusted stranger in America, Frank Warren is the sole founder and curator of the PostSecret Project: A collection of nearly 200,000 highly personal and artfully decorated postcards mailed anonymously from around the world, displaying the soulful secrets we never voice, and the creator of the phenomenally successful, New York Times best-selling PostSecret books: PostSecret, The Secret Lives of Men and Women, My Secret, and now, A Lifetime of Secrets. The deeply devoted and ever increasing following of the PostSecret books and Web site has made Warren one of the most sought after public speakers. He travels across the country, speaking at universities, museums, conferences, and art galleries about the PostSecret Project. He gives a moving presentation about how he became an accidental artist and the power of secrets. His award winning program is a multimedia presentation in which he shares many of the secrets that were kept out of the books. In 2007, Warrens PostSecret Web site (which receives more than 1,000,000 visitors every week) was awarded three weblog awards including Blog of the Year, and Best Community Blog. PostSecret was also awarded the Webby Award for best NetArt. The National Mental Health Association presented PostSecret with an award for Outstanding Contribution in raising public awareness about issues of mental health and suicide. His traveling exhibition of PostSecret cards was called by the Washington Post, One of the five best art shows in 2005. Each of his books, through never before seen, anonymously submitted postcards, has brought the PostSecret phenomenon to a new level, and a broader audience. PostSecret introduced readers to the liberation and catharsis of sharing secrets. My Secret presented a fascinating glimpse inside the secret world of teens and college students. The Secret Lives of Men and Women revealed the shocking, inspirational, and at times hilarious, confessions of men and women everywhere. A Lifetime of Secrets is the richest book yet. Warren showcases the projects most profound and stunning postcards, revealing secrets that have haunted their creators for a lifetime. Warren has appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America, 20/20, CNN, MSNBC, CBC, NPR and Fox News. USA Today called Warren, An award winning Blogger, a first time author, an artist with a traveling exhibit, a possible documentary subject, the inspiration for a music video and the all around media it boy of the moment. In 2005 the All American Rejects approached Warren about using images of actual PostSecret images in their, Dirty Little Secret music video. They offered Warren $1,000, but Warren instead asked them to donate $2,000 to 1(800)SUICIDE where Warren is a volunteer. The donation was made and the music video became one of the most requested on MTV. The National Mental Health Association presented Warren with an award for his work in raising public awareness of Suicide. The PostSecret project has now raised over $200,000 for 1(800)SUICIDE. Warren continues to receive between 100 and 200 postcards everyday, and he updates his Web site every Sunday. He continues to call himself an accidental artist because he does not have an artistic background or training. I have been asked many times why I started this. It still feels to me as though this project found me. All I try to do is make the right decisions every day to protect the integrity of the project and learn to trust the journey. Warren was born in Arizona and went to high school in Illinois. He later graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in the Social Sciences and moved to the Washington D.C. area to start a business. Fifteen years later, Instant Information Systems, his small business, takes up less of his time as he devotes more time and energy on the project that thrust him into the public eye.
J.C. Watts Former Congressman J.C. Watts serves as a political contributor and Republican strategist on CNN's The Situation Room. In addition to serving as a CNN contributor, Watts is the chairman of the J.C. Watts Companies, implementing business development and public affairs strategies for many leading corporations. Watts was elected to the U.S. Congress from Oklahoma's fourth district in 1994. In 1998, he was elected chairman of the Republican Conference, the fourth-ranking leadership position in the majority party in the U.S. House of Representatives. In this capacity, he provided daily counsel to the speaker of the House and participated in bi-weekly meetings with the U.S. president. Since leaving Congress, Watts has continued his civic involvement by leading a U.S. delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Conference on Racism, Discrimination and Xenophobia at the request of President George W. Bush and then-Secretary of State Colin Powell. He also joined Bush on his historic trip to Africa. Watts co-founded and co-chairs the Coalition for AIDS Relief in Africa and serves on the board of the Corporate Council on Africa. He also serves on the boards of the Boy Scouts of America and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and is a Distinguished Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He is also the chairman of GOPAC and created the J.C. and Frankie Watts Foundation to focus on urban renewal and other charitable initiatives. Watts graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1981 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. While at the University of Oklahoma, Watts was quarterback for the Sooners, leading them to two consecutive Big Eight Championships and Orange Bowl victories. He was voted the Most Valuable Player in the 1980 and 1981 Orange Bowls. From 1981 to 1986, he started for Ottawa and Toronto in the Canadian Football League and was voted the Most Valuable Player of the Grey Cup, the CFL's Super Bowl, his rookie season. In addition to careers in politics, athletics and business, Watts has served as youth minister and associate pastor at Sunnylane Baptist Church in his home state of Oklahoma.
Erik Weihenmayer Erik Weihenmayer is the first blind man in history to reach the summit of the world's highest mountain - Mount Everest. On September 5, 2002, when he stood on top of Mt. Kosciusko in Australia, Erik Weihenmayer completed his 7-year quest to climb the Seven Summits - the highest peaks on each of the seven land continents, joining only 100 mountaineers who have accomplished that feat. At age 34, he was also one of the youngest. Erik Weihenmayer also participated in the 2004 Eco Challenge - the most arduous adventure race in the world. A former middle school teacher and wrestling coach, Erik Weihenmayer is one of the most exciting and well-known athletes in the world. Despite losing his vision at the age of 13, Erik has become an accomplished mountain climber, skydiver, and skier, who has never let his blindness interfere with his passion for an exhilarating and fulfilling life. Erik Weihenmayer's feats have earned him an ESPY and recognition by Time Magazine for one of the greatest sporting achievements of 2001. In addition to being a world-class athlete, Erik is the author of the new book, The Adversity Advantage, which will teach you how to use adversity as a force for superior achievement, resilience, agility, innovation, energy, and happiness. He is also the author of Touch the Top of the World, in which Erik recalls his struggle to push past the limits of vision loss. Erik Weihenmayer tells his extraordinary story with humor, honesty and vivid detail, and his fortitude and enthusiasm are deeply inspiring. Erik speaks movingly of the role his family played in his battle to break through the barriers of blindness. Erik Weihenmayer's accomplishments have gained him abundant press coverage including repeated visits to NBC's Today Show and Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, Oprah, Good Morning America, and Inside Edition to name a few. He has also been featured on the cover of Time magazine and in Sports Illustrated and Men's Journal. Erik Weihenmayer speaks to audiences around the country on overcoming life's challenges, the importance of teamwork, and the daily struggle to pursue your dreams.
Cornel West One of Americas most gifted and provocative public intellectuals, Dr. Cornel West's writing, speaking, and teaching weaves together the American traditions of the Black Baptist Church, progressive politics, and jazz. Dr. West graduated from Harvard in three years, magna cum laude, and Martin Kilson, one of Dr. West?s professors, recalls him as the most intellectually aggressive and highly cerebral student I have taught in my 30 years here.? He has published 17 books and edited 13 text. In his major bestseller, Race Matters, philosopher Dr. Cornel West burst onto the national scene with his searing analysis of the scars of racism in American democracy. Race Matters has become a contemporary classic, having sold more than 400,000 copies. Praised by The New York Times for his ?ferocious moral vision,? Dr. West speaks with an utterly distinctive voice about the thorniest social and political issues of our day and bridges the gap between black and white opinion. In Democracy Matters, Dr. West returns to the analysis of the arrested development of democracy?both in America and in the crisis-ridden Middle East. In a strikingly original diagnosis, he argues that if America is to become a better steward of democratization around the world, we must first wake up to the long history of imperialist corruption that has plagued our own democracy. Dr. West is Class of 1943 University Professor at Princeton University. He has held previous positions at Union Theological Seminary, Yale University, Harvard University and the University of Paris. Dr. West was an influential force in developing the storyline for the popular Matrix trilogy. Not only is he the spokesperson for this box-office hit series, Dr. West also had recurring roles in the final two volumes. Speech Topics: *The African American Century: What Next? *Reflections on Hip-Hop: The Role of Black *Music in American Culture *Democracy Matters *Heart of American Darkness *Race Matters
Dr. Ruth Westheimer Dr. Ruth Westheimer is a psychosexual therapist who helped pioneer the field of media psychology with her radio program, "Sexually Speaking." Dr. Ruth has made wide use of the mass media to help spread what she has labeled "sexual literacy." In print, she circles the globe with her column, "Ask Dr. Ruth." She is the author of 15 books, the most recent being, Dr. Ruth Talks About Grandparents. Dr. Ruth Westheimer is a psychosexual therapist who helped pioneer the field of media psychology with her radio program, "Sexually Speaking." It began in September 1980 as a 15-minute, taped show that aired Sundays after midnight on WYNY-FM (NBC) in New York. One year later it became a live, one-hour show airing at 10 p.m. on which Dr. Ruth, as she became known, answered call-in questions from listeners. Soon it became part of a communications network to distribute her expertise, which includes television, books, newspapers, games, home videos, computer software and a web-site. Born in Germany in 1928, Dr. Ruth was sent at age ten to a school in Switzerland that became an orphanage for most of the German Jewish students sent there to escape the Holocaust. At 16, she went to Israel where she fought for the country's independence as a member of the Haganah, the Jewish freedom fighters. Dr. Ruth then moved to Paris where she studied psychology at the Sorbonne and taught kindergarten. She immigrated to the U.S. in 1956 where she obtained her master's degree in sociology from the graduate faculty of the New School of Social Research and a doctorate of education in the Interdisciplinary Study of the Family from Columbia University. She worked for Planned Parenthood for a time and that experience prompted her to further her education of human sexuality by studying under Dr. Helen Singer Kaplan at New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center. She later participated in the program for five years as an adjunct associate professor. She has also taught at Lehman College, Brooklyn College, Adelphi University, Columbia University and West Point. Dr. Ruth is currently an adjunct associate professor at New York University. A fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, she has her own private practice and leads regular seminars for residents and interns in pediatrics on adolescent sexuality at Brookdale Hospital. She lectures frequently at universities across the country and has been twice named "College Lecturer of the Year." Dr. Ruth has made wide use of the mass media to help spread what she has labeled "sexual literacy." In addition to radio, her television career has spanned both broadcast and cable. In print, she circles the globe with her column, "Ask Dr. Ruth", syndicated by King Features. She is the author of fifteen books, the most recent of which, Dr. Ruth Talks About Grandparents: Advice for Kids On Making the Most of a Special Relationship (co-authored with Pierre Lehu) was published in 1997. Dr. Ruth is currently at work on several projects. She is producing two documentaries: the first, No Missing Link, is about how grandparents transmitted values, particularly religious values, during the 70 years of communism in Russia and the second is about her 1997 visit to the Trobriand Islands in Papua New Guinea. Her books also include: Dr. Ruth's Pregnancy Guide for Couples, published in 1998, a human sexuality textbook published by Williams and Wilkins and Grandparenthood. The National Mother's Day Committee has honored Dr. Ruth as "Mother of The Year" and she received a Liberty Medal from the City of New York. She has been nominated for an Ace Award by the cable industry on five occasions and her program, The "All-New Dr. Ruth Show," won an Ace Award in 1988 for excellence in cable television. What's Up, Dr. Ruth was awarded the Gold Medal from the International Film and TV Festival for excellence in educational television. People magazine included her in their list of the "Most Intriguing People of the Century."
John Edgar Wideman Award winning novelist and author of such critically acclaimed books as The Cattle Killing; Fatheralong; and The Homewood Books.
Elie Wiesel Nobel Peace Prize winner, author and professor, Elie Wiesel has worked on behalf of oppressed people for most of his adult life. His own experience as a Holocaust survivor has made him sensitive to people all over the world who have been deprived of their basic human rights. He has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States Congressional Gold Medal and more than 90 honorary degrees.
Armstrong Williams A rising star as one of America's most provocative and intelligent pundits, Armstrong Williams is a powerful voice for moral values in America's public debate. He defends his views on what's right for America on radio, television and in print. He is the host of The Right Side With Armstrong Williams, a nationally-syndicated talk radio program covering subjects of national and local importance and featuring prominent guest experts on today's hottest, most topical issues. He is the author of Beyond Blame: How We Can Succeed by Breaking the Dependency Barrier. A rising star as one of America's most provocative and intelligent pundits, Armstrong Williams is a powerful voice for moral values in America's public debate. He defends his views on what's right for America on radio, television and in print. True to his entrepreneurial spirit, Williams is Chief Executive Officer of Graham Williams Group, an international public relations firm based in Washington, D.C. Clients of the Graham Williams Group include corporations and individuals from the business community, entertainment industry and political arena, such as Century 21, Computerland executive Terry Giles and poet laureate Maya Angelou. Williams is also a former partner in Premier Limousine, Garden Grove Toyota and Onyx Travel.In addition, he hosts The Right Side With Armstrong Williams, a nationally-syndicated talk radio program covering subjects of national and local importance and featuring prominent guest experts on today's hottest, most topical issues. For The Right Side, Williams was voted into Vanity Fair magazine's 1996 Hall of Fame as one of the most visible radio voices in America. The show was also on television on the National Empowerment Television Network, which featured interviews with many of the same stimulating guests and topics broadcast on the radio. Past guests of the programs have included former Vice-President Dan Quayle, Hollywood "Mogul" Norman Lear, Presidential Candidate Malcolm S. Forbes, Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole and Reverend Robert Schuler. Williams has appeared on a number of acclaimed television shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Crossfire, Firing Line with William Buckley, America's Black Forum and The Today Show, and is a frequent guest on several shows on networks such as CNN, CSPAN, ABC, CBS, FOX and CNBC. His book Beyond Blame: How We Can Succeed by Breaking the Dependency Barrier was published by Free Press in May 1995. Williams is also the author of Letters to a Young Victim: Hope and Healing in America's Inner Cities, a moving account of the relationship between Williams and a fellow inner-city youth named Brad. Together, through correspondence, they broke down the dependency barriers that restrain many of us from achieving our goals. A third-generation conservative Republican with a long history of political involvement, Williams has worked on Capitol Hill for Senator Strom Thurmond and served as a confidential assistant to (now Associate Justice of the Supreme Court) Chairman Clarence Thomas of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Congressmen Carroll Campbell and Floyd Spence.Highly opinionated in print, Williams is a syndicated columnist with The Los Angeles Times Syndicate and is read in many major newspapers across the country including The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Times, The Detroit Free Press, The Boston Globe and his hometown newspaper, The Marion Star-Mullins Enterprise. Additionally, he is a frequent guest columnist for USA Today and Reader's Digest.Williams is a native of Marion, South Carolina, and a 1981 graduate of South Carolina State College. His views and opinions continually raise the American conscience as he discusses issues such as the abolishment of welfare, the restoration of morality in today's society and the key to "Right Living."
Shane L. Windmeyer Shane L. Windmeyer, M.S., Ed., is a leading author on gay campus issues, national leader in gay and lesbian civil rights and a champion for LGBT issues on college campuses. He is cofounder and executive director of Campus Pride, the only national organization for student leaders and campus organizations working to create a safer college environment for LGBT students. Released Fall 2006 by Alyson Books, Windmeyer is the author of The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students, the first ever college guide profiling the 100 Best LGBT-Friendly Campuses. He is also the editor of Brotherhood: Gay Life in College Fraternities and co-editor of the books Inspiration for LGBT Students & Allies, Out on Fraternity Row: Personal Accounts of Being Gay in a College Fraternity and Secret Sisters: Stories of Being Lesbian & Bisexual in a College Sorority.
Tim Wise Tim Wise is among the most prominent anti-racist writers and activists in the U.S., and has been called, "One of the most brilliant, articulate and courageous critics of white privilege in the nation," by best-selling author and professor Michael Eric Dyson, of Georgetown University. Wise has spoken in 48 states, and on over 400 college campuses, including Harvard, Stanford, and the Law Schools at Yale and Columbia, and has spoken to community groups around the nation. Wise has provided anti-racism training to teachers nationwide, and has trained physicians and medical industry professionals on how to combat racial inequities in health care. He has also trained corporate, government, entertainment, military and law enforcement officials on methods for dismantling racism in their institutions, and has served as a consultant for plaintiff's attorneys in federal discrimination cases in New York and Washington State. Wise is the 2008 Oliver L. Brown Distinguished Visiting Scholar for Diversity Issues at Washburn University, in Topeka, Kansas: an honor named for the lead plaintiff in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision. In 2005, Wise served as an adjunct faculty member at the Smith College School for Social Work, in Northampton, Massachusetts, where he co-taught a Master's level class on Racism in the U.S. In 2001, Wise trained journalists to eliminate racial bias in reporting, as a visiting faculty-in-residence at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida. In 2005 and 2006, Wise provided training on issues of racial privilege and institutional bias at the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI), at Patrick Air Force Base. From 1999-2003, Wise was an advisor to the Fisk University Race Relations Institute, in Nashville, and in the early '90s was Associate Director of the Louisiana Coalition Against Racism and Nazism: the largest of the many groups organized for the purpose of defeating neo-Nazi political candidate, David Duke. Wise is the author of White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son, and Affirmative Action: Racial Preference in Black and White. A collection of his essays, Speaking Treason Fluently: Anti-Racist Reflections From an Angry White Male, will be published in the Fall of 2008, and his fourth book, Between Barack and a Hard Place: Race and Whiteness in the Age of Obama, will be released in Spring, 2009. He has contributed chapters or essays to 20 books, and is one of several persons featured in White Men Challenging Racism: Thirty-Five Personal Stories, from Duke University Press. He received the 2001 British Diversity Award for best essay on race issues, and his writings have appeared in dozens of popular, professional and scholarly journals. Wise has been a guest on hundreds of radio and television programs, worldwide. Wise has a B.A. in Political Science from Tulane University, where his anti-apartheid work received global attention and the thanks of Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He received training in methods for dismantling racism from the People's Institute for Survival and Beyond, in New Orleans. He and his wife Kristy are the proud parents of two daughters.
Samuel Yette A highly respected journalist and author, Samuel Yette served as associate editor of Ebony magazine and Washington correspondent for Newsweek magazine. Samuel Yette is the author of Washington and Two Marches: 1963 and 1983; and The Choice: The Issues of Black Survival in America. The Choice was selected as the Non-Fiction Work of Distinction, the highest non-fiction award of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters.
Malik Yoba Entrepreneur has appeared in over 20 films including the Disney classic "Cool Runnings" and numerous television roles including New York Undercover and most recently the FX Networks "Thief' (Spring 2006.) He is also the author of "Lessons From The Streets and her Places." The former vice president of the City Kids Foundation, Malik has been working as an arts educator for over twenty years.In a thoughtful, poignant and humorous way, “Please Return My Phone Call: Preventing The Demise Of Personal And Professional Relationships” explores some of the causes and effects of this “horrible habit” and offers simple solutions for fixing the problem. Malik Yoba is one of a new breed of celebrity who uses his clout to make a positive difference in the American culture. He is the creator of the motivational workshop for young people, Why are you on this planet TM Once he was more inclined toward making music than working as an actor. In fact, he still confesses that music is his first love. He never intended to leave his job as Vice President of CityKids Foundation. When he was an ordinary citizen working with youth in gang-infested schools, homeless shelters and prisons, he was one of them in a sense. Now he stands out as a celebrity bigger than life.His acting credits include Fox TV's drama New York Undercover, the role of "Yul Brenner" in Disney's Cool Runnings, and roles in Smoke, Blue in the Face, Cop Land, A Woman Like That, and the lead role in Ride. As a musician, he put together Nature Boy: Words and Music, a multimedia performance in which he sings and plays acoustic guitar. Backed by his band, Yoba spans a musical spectrum of original compositions, standard ballads, R&B, Reggae Hip Hop interwoven with dramatic monologues and his surprising comedic talent.
Fareed Zakaria Fareed Zakaria is the editor of Newsweek International, overseeing all Newsweek's editions abroad. He writes a regular column for Newsweek, which also appears in Newsweek International and often The Washington Post. He is a member of the roundtable of ABC News' "This Week with George Stephanapoulos" as well as an analyst for ABC News. And he is the host of a new weekly PBS show, "Foreign Exchange" which focuses on international affairs. His most recent book, "The Future of Freedom," was published in the spring of 2003 and was a New York Times bestseller and is being translated into eighteen languages. He is also the author of "From Wealth to Power: The Unusual Origins of America's World Role" (Princeton University Press), and co-editor of "The American Encounter: The United States and the Making of the Modern World" (Basic Books). Zakaria has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, The New Republic, and the webzine Slate. He has won several awards for his columns and essays, in particular for his October 2001 Newsweek cover story, "Why They Hate Us." In 1999, he was named "one of the 21 most important people of the 21st Century" by Esquire Magazine. Prior to being at Newsweek, Zakaria was managing editor of Foreign Affairs, the leading journal of international politics and economics. He has also taught international relations and political philosophy, in various capacities, at Harvard, Columbia, and Case Western universities. He currently serves on the boards of Yale University, the Trilateral Commission, and the Council of Foreign Relations among others. He received a B.A. from Yale and a Ph.D. in political science from Harvard. He lives in New York City with his wife, son and daughter.
Bob Zellner A civil rights legend, Bob Zellner was a young white college student when in 1961 he became one of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee's (SNCC) first white staff membersѡnd eventually one of the last. A field secretary for SNCC in Mississippi, he worked there on behalf of the civil rights movement until the activist group broke up in 1970. Now almost thirty-five years later, Bob Zellner continues his efforts to tell the story of the racial hatred that pitted white against black in the deep South. He talks about his years with SNCC and the civil rights period emphasizing its relevance to racial incidents and the need for understanding and multicultural diversity on campuses and in society today.
Kristal Brent Zook Kristal Brent Zook, Ph.D., was born in Los Angeles and raised in an all-female household by her mother and grandmother, who are African American. Her father is Anglo American. She received a B.A. in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Ph.D. from the History of Consciousness Program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her work as a journalist and cultural reporter began in the mid-1990's when she wrote regularly about film, tv and books for the Village Voice and the LA Weekly. Her most recent book, I See Black People: Interviews with African American Owners of Radio and Television, will be published by Nation Books in February 2008. A collection of intimate and frank conversations with broadcast and cable owners, large and small, this book addresses via poignant recollections the mystery of why so few minorities and women own media outlets in America. Her previous book, Black Women's Lives: Stories of Power and Pain (Nation Books, 2006) contains investigative portraits of women across the country, of various ages and economic backgrounds, from a secretly biracial organic dairy farmer in Bakersfield, Vermont, to a corporate executive and president of SoftSheen/Carson in New York City. Black Women's Lives went into its third printing within the first year of publication. In 1999, Dr. Zook published her first book, Color By Fox: the Fox Network and the Revolution in Black Television, Oxford University Press, which took readers behind the scenes of popular African American television productions such as In Living Color, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Martin, New York Undercover, The Sinbad Show, Living Single, Roc, and South Central. The book revealed the internal dynamics that prevented certain depictions from appearing on air. Color By Fox is required reading in many college-level media and communications courses nationwide. Dr. Zook is currently a Contributing Writer with the Womens Media Center and Essence magazine and Associate Professor of Journalism at Hofstra University. She has produced and appeared as a commentator on National Public Radio and speaks regularly on college campuses and on national cable and broadcast outlets such as CNN, MSNBC, C-Span, MTV, Fox, and TV-One. Her print work has also appeared in publications such as The New York Times Sunday Magazine, The Washington Post, USA Weekend, Vibe, Savoy, Emerge, Honey, The Nation, The Source, Real Simple, The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, and other publications.