Junot Díaz won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his second book, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. The Dominican-American writer discusses this novel, as well as how genre fiction reveals the deepest fears of culture at large. He talks about the how his early childhood in the Dominican Republic and growing up in New Jersey influenced the creation of his characters in both his award-winning novel and his short story collection, Drown. Less

Normal 0 I.                    As actors, the greatest instrument we can attain is one we already have—ourselves.   II.                 Our continued progress in the craft generally requires that we find a mentor. a.      We are unable to accurately assess our strengths and weaknesses without an outside observer. b.      We want to choose a mentor that will guide us without becoming a crutch. c.      We should look for a teacher that can lead us to new discoveries about ourselves.                                                                i.      We can start the process by looking at an instructor’s credentials.                                                              ii.      Ultimately, the most important thing to look for in a mentor is whether or not they are helping you progress. d.      It is possible to be mentored professionally, by working in the industry.                                                                i.      This requires that we pick and choose our projects very carefully, looking for those projects that include artists we admire and aspire to emulate.                                                              ii.      When we are doing a project “just for the money,” we should take time during that project to work our craft outside (generally in a class). e.      Our “mentor” can be a group of peers working towards a common goal.   III.               The universe gives us what we ask for. a.      We have a lot of negative voices in our heads which, when unchecked, end up asking the universe for exactly what we don’t want. b.      When we consciously ask for what we want, we generally get it. c.      When we don’t get it, there is no shame in that.                                                                i.      We aren’t getting it because we’re internally conflicted, which is just valuable information.                                                              ii.      There is a higher power that will occasionally give us what we need, rather than what we want.   IV.              Good acting, like good living, takes years and years of practice. a.      We need to be patient with ourselves—it takes years to unlearn our bad habits. b.      We are not looking for perfection in our acting.                                                                i.      If perfection is the absence of mistakes, perfection would be stagnation.                                                              ii.      Vibrant performances are generally at least a little bit messy. c.      It’s not about making the “right” choices, it’s about making “connected” choices.                                                                i.      Spending time finding the “right” way to say a line actually causes us to disconnect from our partner.                                                              ii.      Connecting with our partner makes our choices organic, or natural.   V.                 Becoming an actor is a marathon, not a sprint. a.      When we start this journey, it may be quite difficult at first. b.   When we plateau, it is simply the universe asking us to stretch. Less

Cristo discusses why he and his wife Jeanne-Claude believe in creating “useless” art. (0:55) Share This Less

Katherine Lanpher talks with composer and singer-songwriter Randy Newman in the One on One Studio about writing music for film, for himself, and his latest CD, Harps and Angels. Less

A fantastic podcast this week with the hilarious Alan Carr revealing perhaps far too much! Phillip Norman on his new book John Lennon:The Life and the Borders team talk us through the latest biographies. Download it now! Less

Anna Sewell's only novel was not originally intended as a children's book, but for people who work with horses. Less

Bestselling author Rick Riordan reveals he began his career writing novels for adults, but when his own sons became old enough to read he made the switch to writing for children. Less

40th Anniversary Michael Heise from Per Aspera fighting for human rights since 40 years By Andreas Klamm read more Less

Helena Maria Viramontes discusses her fiction, including her 2007 novel, Their Dogs Came With Them, a book that offers a profoundly gritty portrait of everyday life in the barrios of East Los Angeles in the 1960s. Viramontes teaches English at Cornell University, and is also the author of Under the Feet of Jesus and The Moths and Other Stories. In 2006, she won both the Luis Leal Award and the John Dos Passos Award for Literature. Less

Normal 0   I.                    What exactly is a monologue? a.      A monologue is a short (usually one to two minutes long) selection from a play, a   film or a novel. b.      When performing a monologue, we only act out one character. c.      Generally we are speaking, as the character, to one other character. d.      Occasionally we can be addressing two or more, but the more effective monologues are generally between the character we’re portraying and one other that we’re addressing. II.                 How are monologues useful for us as we study the craft of acting? a.      Monologues are not used as often in the industry these days.                                                                i.      General auditions for theatre productions will still ask for two contrasting monologues. 1.      The monologues should contrast in terms of character, not genre. 2.      It is a good idea to have a contemporary and a classical monologue prepared.                                                              ii.      Agents and managers will often ask an actor for a monologue.                                                             iii.      Monologues are a wonderful way to get very specific about our technique, since we can’t rely on a partner to get us out of a tricky spot. III.               How do I choose a good monologue, and what makes a monologue good? a.      Monologues from plays usually work the best.                                                                i.      Plays are typically more about the words, where films are more about the images.                                                              ii.      Films can often be too closely linked with the actor who originated the role. b.      Monologues should have a clear objective—memory pieces don’t work nearly as well. IV.              How do I perform the monologue well once I’ve picked it? a.      Figure out the relationship between your character and the listener. b.      Find the conflict that exists between the two characters. c.      Discover the objective around that conflict. d.      Find the internal obstacle that lies in direct opposition to the objective. e.      Break the script down thought by thought, then assign active verbs to each thought.                                                                i.      Remember to use the verbs to influence the lines.    “Punch,” “pierce,” or “comfort” the other person with your words and gestures.                                                              ii.      The verb changes when the thought changes, and it changes because we’re not getting our objective.                                                             iii.      Make sure that you see that you’re not getting your objective before you change verbs.                                                            iv.      Monologues can help us learn how to keep the audience’s focus. *** Once your monologues are filmed and posted on youtube, post the link here on the site, or email me.  The address is the title of my blog, all one word at gmail.com.  Sorry to be cryptic, but I’m trying to avoid the spam.  Less

What's so funny about Renaissance faces? Plus the secret lives of paintings, and Bonnie Greer on 'Madame Moitessier' Less

What's so funny about Renaissance faces? Plus the secret lives of paintings, and Bonnie Greer on 'Madame Moitessier' Less

Rebecca Federman, librarian, blogger, and menu aficionado, takes CHOW into the bowels of the New York Public Library, sharing stories about the library?s menu collection and its founder, Miss Frank E. Buttolph. Less

Steve Bertrand talks with writer and director Paul Feig (Freaks and Geeks) about his quirky new book for a younger audience, Ignatious McFarland, Frequenaut!. Less

Since this podcast was an interview with Carolyn McCray about her perspective on actors and acting, the quick tips will be in a slightly different format. Some of the most important ideas that Carolyn spoke of are as follows: • As actors, we want to commit fully to our choices. This was one of the most important ideas that Carolyn expressed. • Bring yourself to the role. When you bring in your “voice,” you are providing something new for the project that can really help the production come alive. • We want to make sure that we are making specific choices. If we are at all general, there is no way that we will stand out from the thousand other actors that are trying to make a name for themselves. • Directors typically look for “guts” in an actor. Don’t be afraid to take risks and make bold choices. With that in mind, you want to show sensitivity to the tone of the piece you are auditioning for. If you are reading for an adaptation of a Jane Austen novel, doing your best impersonation of Jim Carrey is not bold, it’s just foolish. • Our confidence level makes a huge impression. Knowing our abilities as an actor can give us the confidence we need to “own” the room. • The first few moments of an audition are vital. Auditioners know whether or not they like you almost immediately. • Don’t worry about making the “right” choice by trying to second-guess what they might want. Stay connected and committed while you make bold choices. • We as actors need the director to help us see the vision of the piece. • Once you’re into performance, don’t change it up every time—especially for film. • When auditioning, don’t tell the auditioner how good you are, show it in the audition. Also, don’t kiss the auditioner’s butt. • Make sure that you are actively listening and staying open to direction on set. • Keep the drama on the set, not between people. Less