Hello, Hubsters!
Are you ready to rock? Because it looks as if one great week is moving straight into another, with an incredible roster of guests. The agenda should include politics, acting, music, and corporate policy. What more could we want? Oh yes—whatever else Stephen is going to add to it: Words, Thought for Food, Tip of the Hat/Wag of the Finger. We want it all. And Jon’s got some fantastic people, too.
So let’s see who’s on….
Monday, 6/11: Martin Sheen
Another notorious liberal comes to the ReporT! One of America’s best-known actors, Martin Sheen played characters who went mad in the jungle (Apocalypse Now, in which he replaced Harvey Keitel); occupied the West Wing as both fictional president Josiah Bartlett (he received six Emmy® nominations for his performance) and as real president JFK in the mini-series Kennedy; and served as a cop in the corrupt Boston police department in Scorsese’s Oscar®-winning The Departed. Additionally, he’s won Emmys for guest appearances on both Murphy Brown and Two and a Half Men—alongside his notoriously news-making son, Charlie. And as if that wasn’t enough, he got a Tony® nomination for his role in The Subject Was Roses on Broadway. Last year, he appeared in The Way, a film directed by his son, Emilio Estevez.
His newest movie should be a big, big blockbuster: it’s The Amazing Spider-Man, the latest in the hugely successful Spider-Man Franchise—only now it has a new cast. Andrew Garfield is taking over as Peter Parker/Spidey and Emma Stone will be Gwen, his love interest. Sheen is Parker’s Uncle Ben. The film should be out in early July, and Sheen’s next one is already in post-production now and also set for release this year–an animated sci-fi flick called Flatland.
Incidentally, Misters Sheen and Colbert have something in common: they both come from large families: Sheen was one of 12 children, although two died at birth. And though his real name is Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estévez (he took “Sheen” in honor of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, whom he admired), like Stephen he also has a touch of the Irish from his mother’s side. A third similarity? They’re both practicing Catholics.
Recently, he spoke about Spider-Man, sci-fi, and more.
Sheen appeared on CBS News last year to discuss The Way.
One of my favorite Sheen films is one of his earliest: Terence Malik’s amazing Badlands, with Sissy Spacek.
Sheen the political activist stood up in support of Medicare funding.
He appeared on the TV show Who Do You Think You Are?, a genealogy series similar to the one Stephen was on with Henry Louis Gates, Faces of America. This is a somewhat less academic and historical take, however.
Like Josiah Bartlett, Sheen goes around the country giving political speeches—even if he’s not running for office.
What music would Sheen want to have with him if he were trapped on a desert island? Much Bob Dylan and classical pieces!
In addition to the film Sheen and son Emilio made together, father and son collaborated on a memoir, Along the Way. They discussed the book on the Today show.
Oh, yeah—there’s that other son. Dad will appear on Charlie Sheen’s new show, Anger Management.
Tuesday, 6/12: Will Allen
Stephen seems to have a lot of “thought for food” lately, and today’s guest is a real innovator in that area: MacArthur Genius Award winner Will Allen, the author of a new book called The Good Food Revolution: Growing Healthy Food, People, and Communities. Allen left the world of basketball and business (including a stint with KFC, believe it or not) to buy a two-acre plot of land not far from housing projects in Milwaukee. In short, he became an urban farmer and a bright spot in a landscape filled with convenience stores and fast-food chains, where residents lacked access to affordable fresh produce. Now, he not only helps feed people well, he gives them jobs in his newly flourishing endeavor. And with his organization called Growing Power, he’s helping the revolution to spread by teaching others across the country how to replicate his success. Interestingly, Allen’s parents were sharecroppers (in South Carolina)—so in a way, he has returned to his roots but also transformed them. Whereas sharecropping was a form of semi-slavery intended to keep African Americans poor, Allen’s farming gives his community power, health, and some wealth.
Allen is obviously a man who chooses to excel in whatever he does. His achievements include becoming high school state champion in basketball and winning a scholarship to the University of Miami to play—becoming the first African American to do so. In addition to his MacArthur award, he received a grant from the Ford Foundation and recently received an honorary Doctor of Agriculture degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Read a little more about Allen and his book.
Here’s the Kirkus Reviews review of The Good Food Revolution, which states that “What Allen does with a small plot of land and a lot of determination is nothing short of inspiring.”
Back in 2009, the New York Times profiled him.
Here’s a video of a symposium he gave at Duke University.
PBS profiled Allen.
He appeared in the documentary, Fresh.
Read his Growing Power blog.
He discussed gardening, the black community, Michelle Obama’s White House garden, and more in the Seattle Weekly.
Growing Power has a Twitter account to follow.
There’s also a Facebook page.
Wednesday, 6/13: Gregg Allman
Lord, he was born a ramblin’ man, trying to make a living and doing the best he can…. Gregg Allman and his brother Duane rambled through the US with their band, the Allman Brothers, one of the top “southern rock” groups. (Apparently, Allman doesn’t like that term for their music, and by the way, “Ramblin’ Man” wasn’t written by him, but by Dickey Betts, the band’s other guitarist, with whom he’s on the outs.) Formed in 1969, the group achieved superstardom, but had to find a way to soldier on when two members died in motorcycle accidents just a year apart: Duane in 1971, followed by bassist Berry Oakley. Sadly, they’d just had their biggest success with a live album recorded at the legendary Fillmore East. After that, tensions began to tear the group apart, and they slowly began to go their separate ways until reforming in 1989. The band has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy. Some of their most well-known songs include “Jessica,” “Midnight Rider,” and “Blue Sky” (from the album Eat a Peach).
As with many musicians of the era, Allman became seriously addicted to drugs; rumor was that his then-wife Cher helped keep him alive during an overdose by forcing him to walk around and preventing him from going into a coma. Now, Allman is all cleaned up and, with co-author Alan Light, has a written a no-holds-barred book about his experience that has become a New York Times bestseller, My Cross to Bear. The memoir covers is all: the fame, the relationships between the band members, the addictions, the many marriages, his brother Duane’s death. The Nashville-born Allman definitely experienced a unique life, with some incredible ups and downs—starting with the fact that his father was murdered when he was just two years old.
Visit his website, where you can see his discography, find out his tour dates, and more.
Like him on Facebook. You can also like the Allman Brothers Band.
Follow him on Twitter.
His most recent album was Low Country Blues (2011), produced by T-Bone Burnett. It received a Grammy® nomination. You can watch this video on the making of the album.
Allman recently announced his engagement…to a 24-year-old. Ah, the rock ‘n’ roll life. (I think this is wife #7.)
Hear him on NPR.
Read the Washington Post review of his book.
Thursday, 6/14: Steve Coll
ExxonMobil is one of the hugest and wealthiest corporations in the US and the world. Exactly how mighty is it? Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Steve Coll’s new expose, Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power, reveals the true extent of the conglomerate’s immense influence on worldwide politics. After conducting hundreds of interviews and examining recently declassified documents, Coll looks at the history of both companies before they merged—including the horrifying Exxon Valdez accident that devastated the pristine Alaska landscape—and then at the resulting mega-company with its corporate culture of secrecy. He profiles the man who was president until 2005, a friend of Dick Cheney’s (natch) Lee “Iron Ass” Raymond and also spans globe to watch ExxonMobil in action in Russia, in Africa, and Indonesia. It would be impossible to overstate the company’s influence on environmental policy. Evil mischief all around, I bet. And they’re an empire because they have more wealth than most nations.
Steve Coll, a journalist who writes for the New Yorker and spent two decades as a correspondent and senior editor at the Washington Post, is now president of The New America Foundation, which describes itself as a “nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy institute” concerned with the economy and inequality. (Here’s Coll’s bio on the site, too, if you want to know more about him, too.) He’s also the author of seven books, many-like Private Empire—about corporate power, but also about Afghanistan and the bin-Ladens. (You can check out several of them here.) In addition to his Pulitzers, he’s won many other awards, including the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Award for his reporting on the civil war in Sierra Leone and two Overseas Press Club Awards.
Read the New York Times review of Private Empire.
Or look at this review in BusinessWeek.
Read an article by Coll in the New Yorker on blogging.
Watch him on Charlie Rose.
His earlier book Ghost Wars, about the CIA, also got rave reviews and awards—and PBS Frontline interviewed him about it. (If you’re interested in learning more about this book, it’s there on the publisher’s page I linked to earlier.)
Coll talked drilling and fracking with the Houston Business Journal.
You cannot like him on Facebook anymore. Find out why.
Hear him on NPR.
And now, let’s check in with our good friend, Jon!
Jon has a star-studded week ahead of him!
Monday 6/11: Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson is London’s very colorful conservative mayor—and he’s got quite a time coming up with his city hosting the Olympics. Prior to becoming a politician, he worked as a journalist, writing for The Times and The Daily Telegraph, and even won Columnist of the Year at the British Press Awards in 2004. Johnson is here to promote his book Johnson’s Life of London: The People Who Made the City That Made the World.
Buy the book and listen to a conversation with Johnson on the publisher’s website.
Visit Johnson’s website. Apparently, Johnson told Letterman that he could be president of the US. Thinking he can’t because he wasn’t born here? Apparently he was… in NYC.
Follow him on Twitter.
Like him on Facebook.
Here’s a Q&A with Johnson from the New York Times.
Tuesday, 6/12: Colin Powell
Colin Powell was the former Secretary of State under George W. Bush—until Bush’s lies became too much even for him. (Powell did his own lying in front of the UN.) An esteemed military man, he is a four-star general and served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Powell has a new book, It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership. It contains his 13 Rules for Leadership.
See the publisher page for his book, with links to purchase from various outlets, a “search inside” function, and more links to his previous books.
Powell has appeared on The Daily Show before. See Part 1 and Part 2.
He’s not on board with Romney’s foreign policy—but has just endorsed gay marriage. Good move, Mr. Powell!
Here’s a website that could almost be official…and then again probably isn’t. But it’s good and has loads of information and articles about Powell.
Follow the Twitter account for the Colin Powell Center for Leadership.
Like his Facebook page.
Wednesday, 6/13: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Indie actress par excellence, Maggie Gyllenhaal has also appeared in some blockbusters like The Dark Knight Rises—but she got her Oscar® nomination for Crazy Heart, playing alongside the estimable Jeff Bridges. Her latest release is quite interesting, and I’m wondering how Jon is going to handle the interview: the film is called Hysteria, and it chronicles the invention of the vibrator as a cure for the titular “female” problem.
Watch the trailer for Hysteria.
She spoke about the film in the New York Times.
Gyllenhaal may join the cast of the upcoming thriller, White House Down.
Visit her IMDB page.
Read an interview with her in Salon.
She’s appeared on The Daily Show four times already. Here’s the clip of her most recent visit. (The other clips are available on The Daily Show website guest page.)
Thursday, 6/14: Catherine Zeta-Jones
Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones really had everything change after she appeared in the film Chicago, for which she won a BAFTA, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Best Supporting Oscar. Yes, before that she had a solid career, but Chicago catapulted her into stage musicals, like Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, which took advantage of her training in musical theater. Next up for her: the release of the movie version of Rock of Ages, about 80s big-hair music.
Watch the Rock of Ages trailer.
Read an article on her fashion sense in the Daily Mail.
Like her on Facebook.
She has admitted to having bipolar disorder.
That’s all, folks! Let me know who you are most looking forward to seeing.
Cheers!
Better Know a Guest: June 11 – 14, 2012
Are you ready to rock? Because it looks as if one great week is moving straight into another, with an incredible roster of guests. The agenda should include politics, acting, music, and corporate policy. What more could we want? Oh yes—whatever else Stephen is going to add to it: Words, Thought for Food, Tip of the Hat/Wag of the Finger. We want it all. And Jon’s got some fantastic people, too.
So let’s see who’s on….
Monday, 6/11: Martin Sheen
Another notorious liberal comes to the ReporT! One of America’s best-known actors, Martin Sheen played characters who went mad in the jungle (Apocalypse Now, in which he replaced Harvey Keitel); occupied the West Wing as both fictional president Josiah Bartlett (he received six Emmy® nominations for his performance) and as real president JFK in the mini-series Kennedy; and served as a cop in the corrupt Boston police department in Scorsese’s Oscar®-winning The Departed. Additionally, he’s won Emmys for guest appearances on both Murphy Brown and Two and a Half Men—alongside his notoriously news-making son, Charlie. And as if that wasn’t enough, he got a Tony® nomination for his role in The Subject Was Roses on Broadway. Last year, he appeared in The Way, a film directed by his son, Emilio Estevez.
His newest movie should be a big, big blockbuster: it’s The Amazing Spider-Man, the latest in the hugely successful Spider-Man Franchise—only now it has a new cast. Andrew Garfield is taking over as Peter Parker/Spidey and Emma Stone will be Gwen, his love interest. Sheen is Parker’s Uncle Ben. The film should be out in early July, and Sheen’s next one is already in post-production now and also set for release this year–an animated sci-fi flick called Flatland.
Incidentally, Misters Sheen and Colbert have something in common: they both come from large families: Sheen was one of 12 children, although two died at birth. And though his real name is Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estévez (he took “Sheen” in honor of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, whom he admired), like Stephen he also has a touch of the Irish from his mother’s side. A third similarity? They’re both practicing Catholics.
Recently, he spoke about Spider-Man, sci-fi, and more.
Sheen appeared on CBS News last year to discuss The Way.
One of my favorite Sheen films is one of his earliest: Terence Malik’s amazing Badlands, with Sissy Spacek.
Sheen the political activist stood up in support of Medicare funding.
He appeared on the TV show Who Do You Think You Are?, a genealogy series similar to the one Stephen was on with Henry Louis Gates, Faces of America. This is a somewhat less academic and historical take, however.
Like Josiah Bartlett, Sheen goes around the country giving political speeches—even if he’s not running for office.
What music would Sheen want to have with him if he were trapped on a desert island? Much Bob Dylan and classical pieces!
In addition to the film Sheen and son Emilio made together, father and son collaborated on a memoir, Along the Way. They discussed the book on the Today show.
Oh, yeah—there’s that other son. Dad will appear on Charlie Sheen’s new show, Anger Management.
Tuesday, 6/12: Will Allen
Stephen seems to have a lot of “thought for food” lately, and today’s guest is a real innovator in that area: MacArthur Genius Award winner Will Allen, the author of a new book called The Good Food Revolution: Growing Healthy Food, People, and Communities. Allen left the world of basketball and business (including a stint with KFC, believe it or not) to buy a two-acre plot of land not far from housing projects in Milwaukee. In short, he became an urban farmer and a bright spot in a landscape filled with convenience stores and fast-food chains, where residents lacked access to affordable fresh produce. Now, he not only helps feed people well, he gives them jobs in his newly flourishing endeavor. And with his organization called Growing Power, he’s helping the revolution to spread by teaching others across the country how to replicate his success. Interestingly, Allen’s parents were sharecroppers (in South Carolina)—so in a way, he has returned to his roots but also transformed them. Whereas sharecropping was a form of semi-slavery intended to keep African Americans poor, Allen’s farming gives his community power, health, and some wealth.
Allen is obviously a man who chooses to excel in whatever he does. His achievements include becoming high school state champion in basketball and winning a scholarship to the University of Miami to play—becoming the first African American to do so. In addition to his MacArthur award, he received a grant from the Ford Foundation and recently received an honorary Doctor of Agriculture degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Read a little more about Allen and his book.
Here’s the Kirkus Reviews review of The Good Food Revolution, which states that “What Allen does with a small plot of land and a lot of determination is nothing short of inspiring.”
Back in 2009, the New York Times profiled him.
Here’s a video of a symposium he gave at Duke University.
PBS profiled Allen.
He appeared in the documentary, Fresh.
Read his Growing Power blog.
He discussed gardening, the black community, Michelle Obama’s White House garden, and more in the Seattle Weekly.
Growing Power has a Twitter account to follow.
There’s also a Facebook page.
Wednesday, 6/13: Gregg Allman
Lord, he was born a ramblin’ man, trying to make a living and doing the best he can…. Gregg Allman and his brother Duane rambled through the US with their band, the Allman Brothers, one of the top “southern rock” groups. (Apparently, Allman doesn’t like that term for their music, and by the way, “Ramblin’ Man” wasn’t written by him, but by Dickey Betts, the band’s other guitarist, with whom he’s on the outs.) Formed in 1969, the group achieved superstardom, but had to find a way to soldier on when two members died in motorcycle accidents just a year apart: Duane in 1971, followed by bassist Berry Oakley. Sadly, they’d just had their biggest success with a live album recorded at the legendary Fillmore East. After that, tensions began to tear the group apart, and they slowly began to go their separate ways until reforming in 1989. The band has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy. Some of their most well-known songs include “Jessica,” “Midnight Rider,” and “Blue Sky” (from the album Eat a Peach).
As with many musicians of the era, Allman became seriously addicted to drugs; rumor was that his then-wife Cher helped keep him alive during an overdose by forcing him to walk around and preventing him from going into a coma. Now, Allman is all cleaned up and, with co-author Alan Light, has a written a no-holds-barred book about his experience that has become a New York Times bestseller, My Cross to Bear. The memoir covers is all: the fame, the relationships between the band members, the addictions, the many marriages, his brother Duane’s death. The Nashville-born Allman definitely experienced a unique life, with some incredible ups and downs—starting with the fact that his father was murdered when he was just two years old.
Visit his website, where you can see his discography, find out his tour dates, and more.
Like him on Facebook. You can also like the Allman Brothers Band.
Follow him on Twitter.
His most recent album was Low Country Blues (2011), produced by T-Bone Burnett. It received a Grammy® nomination. You can watch this video on the making of the album.
Allman recently announced his engagement…to a 24-year-old. Ah, the rock ‘n’ roll life. (I think this is wife #7.)
Hear him on NPR.
Read the Washington Post review of his book.
Thursday, 6/14: Steve Coll
ExxonMobil is one of the hugest and wealthiest corporations in the US and the world. Exactly how mighty is it? Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Steve Coll’s new expose, Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power, reveals the true extent of the conglomerate’s immense influence on worldwide politics. After conducting hundreds of interviews and examining recently declassified documents, Coll looks at the history of both companies before they merged—including the horrifying Exxon Valdez accident that devastated the pristine Alaska landscape—and then at the resulting mega-company with its corporate culture of secrecy. He profiles the man who was president until 2005, a friend of Dick Cheney’s (natch) Lee “Iron Ass” Raymond and also spans globe to watch ExxonMobil in action in Russia, in Africa, and Indonesia. It would be impossible to overstate the company’s influence on environmental policy. Evil mischief all around, I bet. And they’re an empire because they have more wealth than most nations.
Steve Coll, a journalist who writes for the New Yorker and spent two decades as a correspondent and senior editor at the Washington Post, is now president of The New America Foundation, which describes itself as a “nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy institute” concerned with the economy and inequality. (Here’s Coll’s bio on the site, too, if you want to know more about him, too.) He’s also the author of seven books, many-like Private Empire—about corporate power, but also about Afghanistan and the bin-Ladens. (You can check out several of them here.) In addition to his Pulitzers, he’s won many other awards, including the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Award for his reporting on the civil war in Sierra Leone and two Overseas Press Club Awards.
Read the New York Times review of Private Empire.
Or look at this review in BusinessWeek.
Read an article by Coll in the New Yorker on blogging.
Watch him on Charlie Rose.
His earlier book Ghost Wars, about the CIA, also got rave reviews and awards—and PBS Frontline interviewed him about it. (If you’re interested in learning more about this book, it’s there on the publisher’s page I linked to earlier.)
Coll talked drilling and fracking with the Houston Business Journal.
You cannot like him on Facebook anymore. Find out why.
Hear him on NPR.
And now, let’s check in with our good friend, Jon!
Jon has a star-studded week ahead of him!
Monday 6/11: Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson is London’s very colorful conservative mayor—and he’s got quite a time coming up with his city hosting the Olympics. Prior to becoming a politician, he worked as a journalist, writing for The Times and The Daily Telegraph, and even won Columnist of the Year at the British Press Awards in 2004. Johnson is here to promote his book Johnson’s Life of London: The People Who Made the City That Made the World.
Buy the book and listen to a conversation with Johnson on the publisher’s website.
Visit Johnson’s website. Apparently, Johnson told Letterman that he could be president of the US. Thinking he can’t because he wasn’t born here? Apparently he was… in NYC.
Follow him on Twitter.
Like him on Facebook.
Here’s a Q&A with Johnson from the New York Times.
Tuesday, 6/12: Colin Powell
Colin Powell was the former Secretary of State under George W. Bush—until Bush’s lies became too much even for him. (Powell did his own lying in front of the UN.) An esteemed military man, he is a four-star general and served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Powell has a new book, It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership. It contains his 13 Rules for Leadership.
See the publisher page for his book, with links to purchase from various outlets, a “search inside” function, and more links to his previous books.
Powell has appeared on The Daily Show before. See Part 1 and Part 2.
He’s not on board with Romney’s foreign policy—but has just endorsed gay marriage. Good move, Mr. Powell!
Here’s a website that could almost be official…and then again probably isn’t. But it’s good and has loads of information and articles about Powell.
Follow the Twitter account for the Colin Powell Center for Leadership.
Like his Facebook page.
Wednesday, 6/13: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Indie actress par excellence, Maggie Gyllenhaal has also appeared in some blockbusters like The Dark Knight Rises—but she got her Oscar® nomination for Crazy Heart, playing alongside the estimable Jeff Bridges. Her latest release is quite interesting, and I’m wondering how Jon is going to handle the interview: the film is called Hysteria, and it chronicles the invention of the vibrator as a cure for the titular “female” problem.
Watch the trailer for Hysteria.
She spoke about the film in the New York Times.
Gyllenhaal may join the cast of the upcoming thriller, White House Down.
Visit her IMDB page.
Read an interview with her in Salon.
She’s appeared on The Daily Show four times already. Here’s the clip of her most recent visit. (The other clips are available on The Daily Show website guest page.)
Thursday, 6/14: Catherine Zeta-Jones
Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones really had everything change after she appeared in the film Chicago, for which she won a BAFTA, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Best Supporting Oscar. Yes, before that she had a solid career, but Chicago catapulted her into stage musicals, like Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, which took advantage of her training in musical theater. Next up for her: the release of the movie version of Rock of Ages, about 80s big-hair music.
Watch the Rock of Ages trailer.
Read an article on her fashion sense in the Daily Mail.
Like her on Facebook.
She has admitted to having bipolar disorder.
That’s all, folks! Let me know who you are most looking forward to seeing.
Cheers!