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Judith Trojan on Remembering Elie Wiesel (… Anonymous on Remembering Elie Wiesel (… Anonymous on Ken Burns Revisits The America… Anonymous on Ken Burns Revisits The America… Judith Trojan on HBO’s Country Doctor Cas… Anonymous on HBO’s Country Doctor Cas…
Author Archives: Judith Trojan
It’s Me, Hilary: The Man Who Drew Eloise Debuts on HBO
“Skeezix sleeps in a bowl under a lamp in Hilary Knight’s memento-filled Manhattan apartment. Skeezix is a cat that looks like a raccoon. Eloise would feel at home here.” Almost 20 years have passed since I penned that lead-in to my interview … Continue reading
Seymour: An Introduction
It may have an unassuming title, but Seymour: An Introduction, the new documentary directed by Ethan Hawke, is anything but humdrum. Hawke, the gifted Oscar-nominated actor (Training Day; Boyhood) and screenwriter (Before Sunset; Before Midnight), who has also enjoyed a career as a director and … Continue reading
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Tagged Composers, Education, Ethan Hawke, Mentors, Music, Music and Musicians, Music Education, Pianists, Seymour Bernstein, Seymour: An Introduction
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August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand Debuts on PBS
“He wrote about the frustration and the glory of being black.” This curtain-raising assessment of playwright August Wilson by his friend and colleague, actor/writer/director Ruben Santiago-Hudson, pretty much sets the tone for August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand. The latest installment in … Continue reading
Men, Boyhood and Oscar
It’s hard to recall a richer, more creatively satisfying year for men and boys than 2014. Of course, I’m referring to the fascinating male characters and performances that flooded the cinema, circa 2014: American Sniper, Birdman, Boyhood, Foxcatcher, The Judge, The Grand Budapest Hotel, … Continue reading
The Big Burn Lights a Fire on PBS
“The question of forest fires, like the question of slavery … sooner or later, it must be faced.” So said Gifford Pinchot, the zealous conservationist who founded the U.S. Forest Service in 1905. The back story and legacy of the … Continue reading
Pass the Popcorn! Penguin Post Office Premieres on PBS
If you’re a fan of March of the Penguins or have a thing for penguins in general, you won’t want to miss Penguin Post Office, the latest installment in the award-winning PBS series, Nature (Wednesday, January 28, 2015, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET. Check local listings for air times … Continue reading
Ricky Jay: Deceptive Practice Bows on American Masters
Lon Chaney may have won fame and fortune as the “Man of a Thousand Faces,” but Ricky Jay has built a successful career on the world stage with his hands… or sleight-of-hand to be more precise. The master magician has also cornered the … Continue reading
Ripley Believe It or Not Is Stranger Than Fiction
As 2014 drew to a close, “believe it or not” seemed to best describe the mentality of those at Sony who thought that a “frat boy comedy” about the assassination of a sitting head of state was a good idea. Now, as we look … Continue reading
I Love Lucy Christmas Special Sweetens the Pot
Even if you’ve never worked on an assembly line, you’ll empathize with Lucy Ricardo and Ethel Mertz, as the two frazzled pals tackle the line in the Job Switching (aka Chocolate Factory) episode of the beloved 1950s’ I Love Lucy CBS-TV series. This classic episode, … Continue reading
Legendary Costume Designer Profiled on CBS News Sunday Morning
“We have a uniform…simple, elegant, impeccable. Dress shabbily, they notice the dress. Dress impeccably, they notice the woman.”–Sigourney Weaver to Melanie Griffith in the 1988 Mike Nichols’ film, Working Girl. Weaver’s character–high-powered boss Catherine Parker–credits that spin to fashion designer … Continue reading
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