Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Ever since her 1995 hit single “One of Us,” Joan Osborne has remained a strong presence in the music world, collaborating with members of the Grateful Dead, participating in the Lilith Fair concerts and appearing in the documentary “Standing in the Shadows of Motown.” The 47-year-old singer-songwriter is now playing dates nationwide to support her latest CD “Little Wild One.”
After almost 16 years together, the Donnas are still going strong with their hard-rocking live shows. Their latest album, “Bitchin’,” proves that this group hasn’t lost its punk roots or its feverish love of rock. The band, which owes more to the Ramones than it does to the Runaways, includes lead singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Allison Robertson, bassist Maya Ford and drummer Torry Castellano, who says that thanks to years of touring, the band has gotten to see a good chunk of the world — a perk of their job.
Born in the United States to Korean parents and raised in Canada — where she calls Vancouver home — Grace Park got the travel bug early. Though concurrent roles on “The Cleaner” and “Battlestar Galactica” — as well as the Canadian series “The Border” — preclude her from taking as many vacations as she’d like, Park says visiting new countries is one of the joys in life she shares with her husband, Phil Kim. India and Brazil hold special places in Park’s heart, but her favorite destination thus far is Italy’s quaint Vernazza.
With several New York Times bestseller books already under her slim belt, actress Marilu Henner (“Taxi”) is excited about her latest self-help book: Wear Your Life Well: Use What You Have to Get What You Want (Collins, $24.95). Co-written with her brother Lorin Henner, the book is easy to read and full of tips that range from common sense (“mascara needs to be tossed out after three or four months”) to just a tad more esoteric (“fall in love with your stress or it will kill you”).
“It was so much fun making [‘Transformers’],” says Duhamel, 34. “People ask if it was difficult to physically prepare for the role of a soldier, but it wasn’t really hard work to be honest. I was expecting an intense boot camp where they would kick (our butts) for three weeks. But it was kind of fun. It was more difficult getting all the terminology correct. I had a mouthful of words that I kept getting wrong – I think it took about 20 takes for me to finally get one scene correct.”
Not as subtle as Diane Lane’s “Under the Tuscan Sun,” “Shadows in the Sun” highlights the beauty of rural Italy–and of Claire Forlani, who plays Parish’s daughter Isabella. The warm acting and lush scenery transcend the film’s slow-moving pace and the predictable ending, which, in movies like this, can be nothing other than happy.