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His new movie is Capturing the Friedmans. It's a non-fiction feature film about a seemingly normal Long Island, New York family. The film takes a look at the convoluted case and attempts to determine the true story. Capturing the Friedmans won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2003 Sundance festival. This is Jarecki's first feature film. He was also the founder and CEO of Moviefone, which was acquired by AOL in 1999 for nearly $400 million.

Writer Sarah Waters is the author of three novels which she calls "lesbo-Victorian romps." The lesbian-themed books are: Tipping the Velvet (about "a sort of Moll Flanders in drag"); Affinity (a historical book set in a Victorian women's prison); and Fingersmith (a gothic melodrama). Fingersmith was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Tipping the Velvet was made into a BBC miniseries and it will be shown on BBC America, beginning Friday, May 23.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews Friendship, the new recording of trumpeter Clark Terry and drummer Max Roach (Columbia). The 1977 album Streams of Consciousness (Piadrum label) has also been reissued featuring Max Roach and Abdullah Ibrahim.

He directed and co-wrote the satirical films Citizen Ruth and Election. His newest film, About Schmidt, is also a social satire. It stars Jack Nicholson and Kathy Bates who have both been nominated for Academy Awards for their roles. About Schmidt is loosely based on the novel of the same name by Louis Begley. Payne and co-writer Jim Taylor won the Golden Globe for best screenplay for About Schmidt.

Actor Nicolas Cage stars in the new film Windtalkers. A group of Navajo soldiers developed an unbreakable code based on their language for use during World War II. Cage plays Joe Enders, a Marine guard assigned to protect the Native American code talkers. Cage won an Academy award for his role in the film Leaving Las Vegas. He's starred in many other hit films, including Raising Arizona, Moonstruck and The Rock.

Science writer Douglas Starr. His book, Blood: An Epic History of Medicine and Commerce, inspired the upcoming PBS series Red Gold: The Epic Story of Blood. The four-part production premieres June 23, 2002. Starr is co-director of the Knight Center for Science and Medical Journalism at Boston University. Starr has contributed to many publications including Time, Sports Illustrated, The Los Angeles Times and Smithsonian Magazine.

Writer James Gavin has produced Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker. It's a biography of the jazz trumpeter and vocalist. Baker came from Oklahoma in the 1950s to become the "prince of cool jazz" on the West Coast. His death in Amsterdam in 1988 seems to have been drug-related. Gavin provides some answers to the riddle of his death. Gavin is a frequent contributor to The New York Times and other publications.

Writer Gary Shteyngart. His debut novel, The Russian Debutante's Handbook, is receiving critical acclaim. The main character of the book, like Shteyngart, is a Russian-American Jew who emigrated to the United States as a child. In a New York Times Magazine cover article, Daniel Zalewski wrote, "Gary Shteyngart has rewritten the classic immigrant narrative -- starring a sarcastic slacker instead of a grateful striver. And after all his parents have done for him!"

Advertising great Mary Wells Lawrence. Her career spans the 1960s to the 1980s, and she created many memorable campaigns. She is responsible for the Alka-Selzer "Plop Plop Fizz Fizz," and the slogan, "I Love New York." Her new book is called A Big Life (in Advertising) (Knopf). She is a member of the Advertising Hall of Fame and the Copywriters Hall of Fame.

Musician Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudzi is considered a national treasure in his native Zimbabwe. He also has fans around the world (Bonnie Raitt is one of them). Mtukudzi plays traditional percussion-based music from Northern Zimbabwe. He has more than 40 albums to his credit. His new album is Vhunze Moto (Putumayo). Hes also the subject of the documentary, Shanda. [The audio for this segment is unavailable due to Internet rights issues.]