Robert Bresson (French: [ʁɔbɛʁ bʁɛsɔ̃]; 25 September 1901 – 18 December 1999) was a French film director. Known for his ascetic approach, Bresson contributed notably to the art of cinema; his non-professional actors, ellipses, and sparse use of scoring have led his works to be regarded as preeminent examples of minimalist film. Much of his work is known for being tragic in story and nature.
Bresson is among the most highly regarded filmmakers of all time. He has the highest number of films (seven) that made the 2012 Sight &amp; Sound critics' poll of the 250 greatest films ever made. His works A Man Escaped (1956), Pickpocket (1959), and Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) were ranked among the top 100, and other films like Mouchette (1967) and L'Argent (1983) also received many votes. Jean-Luc Godard once wrote, "He is the French cinema, as Dostoevsky is the Russian novel and Mozart is German music."
Bresson was born at Bromont-Lamothe, Puy-de-Dôme, the son of Marie-Élisabeth (née Clausels) and Léon Bresson. Little is known of his early life. He was educated at Lycée Lakanal in Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine, close to Paris, and turned to paint after graduating. Three formative influences in his early life seem to have marked his films: Catholicism, art, and his experiences as a prisoner of war. Robert Bresson lived in Paris, France, in the Île Saint-Louis.
Initially also a photographer, Bresson made his first short film, Les affaires publiques (Public Affairs), in 1934. During World War II, he spent over a year in a prisoner-of-war camp−an experience which informs Un condamné à mort s'est échappé ou Le vent souffle où il veut (A Man Escaped). In a career that spanned fifty years, Bresson made only 13 feature-length films. This reflects his painstaking approach to the filmmaking process and his non-commercial preoccupations. Difficulty finding funding for his projects was also a factor.
Although many writers claim that Bresson described himself as a "Christian atheist," no source ever confirmed this assertion. Neither are the circumstances clear under which Bresson would have said it. On the contrary, in an interview in 1973, he said, There is the feeling that God is everywhere, and the more I live, the more I see that in nature, in the country. When I see a tree, I see that God exists. I try to catch and convey the idea that we have a soul and that the soul is in contact with God. That's the first thing I want to get in my films.
Furthermore, in a 1983 interview for TSR's Spécial Cinéma, Bresson declared that he had been interested in making a film based on the Book of Genesis. However, he believed such a production would be too costly and time-consuming.&nbsp;
Bresson was sometimes accused of an "ivory tower existence." Critic Jonathan Rosenbaum, an admirer of Bresson's work, argued that the filmmaker was "a mysterious, aloof figure" and wrote that on the set of Four Nights of a Dreamer (1971), the director "seemed more isolated from his crew than any other filmmaker I've seen at work; his widow and onetime assistant director, Mylene van der Mersch, often conveyed his instructions."
Bresson died on a Saturday in December 1999 at his home in Droue-sur-Drouette, southwest of Paris. He was 98. He made his last film, L'Argent, in 1983 and had been unwell for some time.

Robert

Walter Francis Kerr was an American writer and Broadway theatre critic. He also was the writer, lyricist, and/or director of several Broadway plays and musicals and the author of several books, generally on the subject of theater and cinema. Kerr was born in Evanston, Illinois, and earned both a B.A. and M.A. from Northwestern University., after graduation from St. George H.S. also in Evanston.
He was a regular film critic for the St. George High School newspaper while a student there and was also a critic for the Evanston News Index. He was the editor of the high school newspaper and yearbook. He taught speech and drama at The Catholic University of America. After writing criticism for Commonweal, he became a theater critic for the New York Herald Tribune in 1951. When that paper folded, he then began writing theater reviews for The New York Times in 1966, writing for the next seventeen years.
He married Jean Kerr (née Collins) on August 9, 1943. She was also a writer. Together, they wrote the musical Goldilocks (1958), which won two Tony Awards. They also collaborated on Touch and Went (1949) and King of Hearts (1954). They had six children. Kerr died from congestive heart failure on October 9, 1996. David Niven portrayed him pseudonymously in the 1960 film Please Don't Eat the Daisies, based on Jean Kerr's best-selling collection of humorous essays.&nbsp;
Kerr was one of his era's harshest New York theatre critics, giving the fewest favorable reviews. He was well known for musically ambitious panning musicals. Notoriously he is credited with one of the world's shortest reviews, "Me no Leica," for John Van Druten's I Am a Camera in the New York Herald Tribune, December 31, 1951. Many of the shows he critiqued were those of Stephen Sondheim.&nbsp;
About Sondheim's Company, Kerr wrote that it was too cold, cynical, and distant for his taste, though he "admitted to admiring large parts of the show." About Sondheim's Follies, he wrote, " 'Follies' is intermissionless and exhausting, an extravaganza that becomes tedious for two simple reasons: Its extravagances have nothing to do with its pebble of a plot; and the plot, which could be wrapped up in approximately two songs, dawdles through 22 before it declares itself done. Mr.&nbsp;
Sondheim may be too much a man of the seventies, too present-tense and sophisticated. The effort to bind it up inhibits the crackling, open-ended, restlessly varied surges of sound he devised with such distinction for Company." He praised A Little Night Music, saying, "The score is a gift, the ladies are delightful, and producer Harold Prince has staged the moody meetings with easy skill."
He expressed mixed sentiments about Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, praising the music but deeming it too lilting for the show's grisly subject; his conclusion- "What is this musical about?" He wrote a follow-up article on his observation that the musical contained a plot from Molière's The School for Wives, posing the question of who, of all of the authors who had revised the tale of Sweeney Todd over the years, had put the plot into the story.
Nevertheless, in 1977, he wrote of Sondheim, "I needn't tell you that Stephen Sondheim is, both musically and lyrically, the most sophisticated composer now working for the Broadway theater." In reviewing Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story, he focused on the dancing: "the most savage, restless, electrifying dance patterns we've been exposed to in a dozen seasons... The dancing is it. Don't look for laughter or—for that matter—tears."
In his review of the original 1956 Broadway production of Candide, he wrote that it was a "really spectacular disaster." However, in reviewing the 1973 revival of Candide, he wrote that it was a "most satisfying resurrection. 'Candide' may, at last, have stumbled into the best of all possible productions... The show is now a carousel, and we are on it quite safely... The design of the unending chase is so firm; the performers are so secure in their climbing and tumbling...that we are able to join the journey and still see it with the detachment that Voltaire prescribes."
Of Frank Loesser's "musical with a lot of music" [sic. Opera], The Happiest Fella, he wrote: "the evening at the Imperial is finally heavy with its own inventiveness, weighted down with the variety and fulsomeness of a genuinely creative appetite. It's as though Mr. Loesser had written two complete musicals—the operetta and the haymaker—on the same simple play and then crammed them both into a single structure."
Kerr was also notable for his lack of enthusiasm regarding the plays of Samuel Beckett. For instance, in Beckett's Waiting For Godot, he wrote, "The play, asking for a thousand readings, has none of its own to give. It is a veil rather than a revelation. It wears a mask rather than a face."
Walter Kerr won a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 1978 for "articles on the theater". In 1983, Kerr was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame. In 1990, the former Ritz Theater on West 48th Street in the Theater District, New York, was renamed the Walter Kerr Theatre in his honor.

Walter

Stephen King is an American author known for his horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, science fiction, and fantasy novels. He was born in Portland, Maine, in 1947 and began writing at a young age. He published his first novel, "Carrie," in 1974, which was a success and later adapted into a film. He has since published over 60 novels and 200 short stories, many of which have been adapted into movies, television shows, and comic books. Some of his most famous works include "The Shining," "It," "Salem's Lot," "The Stand," and "Misery."&nbsp;
Stephen King began his career as a writer in the early 1970s while working as a teacher. His first short story, "The Glass Floor," was published in 1967. However, his first novel, "Carrie," was not published until 1974. Nevertheless, it was a success and was adapted into a film in 1976. This success encouraged him to continue writing and publishing novels. In the 1970s and 1980s, he published a string of successful horror and supernatural stories, including "Salem's Lot," "The Shining," "The Stand," "Firestarter," "Pet Sematary," "It," and "Misery."
His novels have been adapted into films, television shows, and comic books. Some of the most famous adaptations of his work include the movie "Carrie," "The Shining," "Stand by Me," "Misery," "The Shawshank Redemption," and "It." He also wrote several non-fiction books and short story collections.
In recent years, he has continued to publish novels, including "Doctor Sleep," "Under the Dome," "Joyland" and "Revival." He is considered one of his generation's most successful and famous authors and has sold over 350 million copies of his books worldwide.

Stephen

Alicia Keys is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and actress. She was born on January 25, 1981, in Manhattan, New York City, and began playing the piano at the age of seven.
Keys began her music career in the late 1990s and early 2000s, releasing her debut album, "Songs in A Minor," in 2001. The album was a commercial success, selling over 12 million copies worldwide and winning five Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for "Fallin'."
In addition to her successful music career, Keys is also known for her activism and philanthropy. She is the co-founder of Keep a Child Alive, an organization that provides medication and healthcare to children and families affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India. She is also a member of the board of directors for the Harlem Children's Zone. This non-profit organization provides education and support services to children and families in Harlem, New York.
Keys has also acted in several films, including "The Nanny Diaries" (2007) and "Smokin' Aces" (2006). She also made guest appearances in several TV shows.
Alicia Keys has won numerous awards throughout her career. In addition to the five Grammy Awards she won for her debut album "Songs in A Minor," she has won a total of 15 Grammys, including Best R&amp;B Album for "The Diary of Alicia Keys" (2004) and "As I Am" (2008), and Best R&amp;B Song for "No One" (2008).
She has also won numerous other awards, including multiple BET Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, and American Music Awards. Keys has also been honored with several humanitarian awards for her work with Keep a Child Alive and other charitable organizations.
In addition to her music awards, Keys has received numerous accolades for her activism and philanthropy. She was honored with the "Keep A Child Alive Black Ball Award" in 2007 and was named one of Glamour magazine's "Women of the Year" in 2008.
In 2013, Keys was honored with the "Billboard Women in Music's Powerhouse Award." In 2019 she received an award from the "She Is the Music" organization which works to empower female songwriters, composers, and producers.
It's worth mentioning that her recognition goes beyond the music industry. She has also been honored by various organizations for her philanthropy and activism, such as the "Keep A Child Alive Black Ball Award" in 2007 and the "Harlem School of Arts Visionary Leadership Award" in 2010.
Keys continues to be one of the most successful and respected musicians of her generation and has sold over 65 million records worldwide. She is also known for her powerful and soulful voice, as well as her skillful piano playing. She continues to release albums, tour, and do philanthropic work and activism.

Alicia

Kevin Kelly is a writer, editor, and speaker who has had a diverse career exploring the intersection of technology, culture, and business.
In the early days of the internet, Kelly co-founded Wired magazine in 1993 and served as its Executive Editor until 1999. He helped to shape the magazine's coverage of technology and digital culture, and his writing and editing helped to establish Wired as a leading voice in the field.
After leaving Wired, Kelly continued to write and speak about technology and its impact on society. He has written several books, including "Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems, &amp; the Economic World" and "What Technology Wants," which explore how technology shapes our world and our future.
In recent years, Kelly has been a sought-after speaker and advisor on technology and its impact on society. He has spoken at conferences and events worldwide and advised companies and organizations on navigating the rapidly changing technological landscape. Kelly is also a co-founder of the All Species Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to cataloging and identifying every living species on earth. The Long Now Foundation focuses on long-term thinking and responsibility.
Overall, Kelly's career has been dedicated to understanding how technology shapes our world and helping others understand and navigate those changes.

Kevin

Stewart Brand is an American writer best known as the editor of the Whole Earth Catalog. He founded several organizations, including The WELL, the Global Business Network, and the Long Now Foundation. He is the author of several books, most recently Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto.
Brand was born in Rockford, Illinois, and attended Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. He studied biology at Stanford University, graduating in 1960. As a soldier in the U.S. Army, he was a parachutist and taught infantry skills; he later expressed that his military experience had fostered his competence in organizing. A civilian again in 1962, he studied design at San Francisco Art Institute, photography at San Francisco State College, and participated in a legitimate scientific study of then-legal LSD in Menlo Park, California. In 1966, he married mathematician Lois Jennings, an Ottawa Native American.
Brand has lived in California since the 1960s. He and his second wife live on Mirene, a 64-foot (20 m)-long working tugboat. Built-in 1912, the boat is moored in a former shipyard in Sausalito, California. In addition, he works in Mary Heartline, a grounded fishing boat about 100 yards (90 meters) away. One of his favorite items is a table on which Otis Redding is said to have written "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay." (Brand acquired it from an antique dealer in Sausalito.)
By the mid-1960s, Brand became associated with New York multimedia group USCO and Bay Area author Ken Kesey and his "Merry Pranksters." Brand co-produced the Trips Festival, an early effort involving rock music and light shows, in San Francisco with Kesey and Ramón Sender Barayón. This was one of the first venues at which the Grateful Dead performed in San Francisco. About 10,000 hippies attended, and Haight-Ashbury soon emerged as a community. Tom Wolfe describes Brand in his 1968 book, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.
The Whole Earth Catalog implied an ideal of human progress that depended on decentralized, personal, and liberating technological development—so‑called "soft technology." However, in 2005 he criticized aspects of the international environmental ideology he had helped to develop. He wrote an article called "Environmental Heresies" in the May 2005 issue of the MIT Technology Review, in which he describes what he considers necessary changes to environmentalism. He suggested, among other things, that environmentalists embrace nuclear power and genetically modified organisms as technologies with more promise than risk.
Brand later developed these ideas into a book and published the Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto in 2009. The book examines how urbanization, nuclear power, genetic engineering, geoengineering, and wildlife restoration can be powerful tools in humanity's ongoing fight against global warming. In a 2019 interview, Brand described his perspective as "post-libertarian," indicating that when the Whole Earth Catalog was being written, he did not fully understand the significance of the government's role in developing technology and engineering. In his environmental position, he self-describes as an "Eco-pragmatist."

Stewart

Christopher Vogler (born 1949, Missouri/US) is a Hollywood development executive, screenwriter, author, and educator, best known for working with Disney and his screenwriting guide, The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers, from 2007.
He studied filmmaking at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts - formerly the USC School of Cinema-Television, otherwise known as CNTV, the alma mater of George Lucas. Like him, he was inspired by the writings of mythologist Joseph Campbell, particularly The Hero with a Thousand Faces, which detailed the Hero's Journey archetype in classical mythology.
Vogler used Campbell's work to create a 7-page company memo for Hollywood screenwriters, A Practical Guide to The Hero with a Thousand Faces, which Vogler later developed into The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Storytellers and Screenwriters in 1992, and then The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers.
Vogler has since spun off his techniques into worldwide Masterclasses. He has worked for Disney studios, Fox 2000 pictures, and Warner Bros. in the development department. He contributed story material to the Disney animated feature The Lion King (1994).
He has also taught in the USC School of Cinema-Television (known today as USC School of Cinematic Arts), Division of Animation and Digital Arts, as well as at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) extension. He is the President of the company Storytech Literary Consulting. It was founded in 1999, and its Vice President, Brad Schreiber, consults on scripts and books, utilizing Vogler's approach.

Christopher

Clayton M. Christensen is the Kim B. Clark Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. In addition to his most recent book, Competing Against Luck, he is the author of nine books, including several New York Times bestsellers The Innovator's Dilemma, The Innovator's Solution, Disrupting Class, and most recently 'How Will You Measure Your Life?'.&nbsp;
Christensen is the co-founder of Innosight, a growth-strategy consultancy; Rose Park Advisors, an investment firm; and the Christensen Institute, a non-profit think tank. In 2011 and 2013, he was named the world’s most influential business thinker by Thinkers50.

Clayton

Donald Arthur Norman is a professor emeritus of cognitive science at the University of California, San Diego, and a Professor of Computer Science at Northwestern University. He also co-directs the dual degree MBA + Engineering degree program between the Kellogg School and Northwestern Engineering. Norman is on numerous company advisory boards, including the editorial board of Encyclopædia Britannica.&nbsp;
He currently splits his time between consulting, teaching, and writing. He co-founded the Nielsen Norman Group, a consulting group on matters of usability, which also includes Jakob Nielsen and Bruce "Tog" Tognazzini. Many of Norman's books deal mostly with usability or with cognitive psychology. He loves products that are enjoyable to use, a feature that he attributes to putting together emotion and design, or heart and mind.

Winston Churchill was a British statesman and politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century, leading Britain through its darkest hour during World War II.
Churchill was born in 1874 and was educated at Harrow and Sandhurst. He began his career in the British Army and later transitioned into politics, serving as a Member of Parliament for over 60 years. He held several government positions throughout his career, including as the First Lord of the Admiralty, Minister of Munitions, and Secretary of State for War.
During World War II, Churchill served as Prime Minister and played a key role in leading Britain through the war. He made powerful speeches that rallied the nation and inspired the British people to keep fighting, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. His speeches are widely considered to be some of the greatest in history, with phrases such as "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never" and "We shall fight on the beaches" becoming famous.
One of Churchill's greatest achievements as Prime Minister was his strong alliance with US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Together, they led the Allied powers to victory over Nazi Germany.
After World War II, Churchill served as Prime Minister again from 1951 to 1955 but was defeated in the general election. He remained an active Member of Parliament until 1964 and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953 for his six-volume memoir of the war. He died in 1965 at the age of 90.
Churchill's legacy continues to this day, with many seeing him as a symbol of leadership, courage, and determination in the face of adversity. He is often ranked as one of the greatest British Prime Ministers, and his speeches are still studied and admired by people all over the world.
Winston Churchill was a prolific writer throughout his life, publishing books on a wide range of subjects. One of his most notable literary achievements is his six-volume memoir, The Second World War, which he wrote during and after the war. The work, which was published between 1948 and 1954, provides a detailed and personal account of the war from Churchill's perspective, including his thoughts and decisions as Prime Minister. The memoirs were international bestsellers and were praised for their historical accuracy and Churchill's literary skill.
In addition to his memoirs, Churchill also wrote several other books throughout his life. Some of his most notable works include:
<ul>
<li>"The World Crisis" (1923-1931): A five-volume work that covers the period of Churchill's life from 1911 to 1928 and includes his thoughts on World War I and its aftermath.</li>
<li>"My Early Life" (1930): An autobiographical work that covers Churchill's childhood and early career.</li>
<li>"A History of the English-Speaking Peoples" (1956-1958): A four-volume work that covers the history of the English-speaking peoples from the Anglo-Saxon period to the end of the 19th century.</li>
<li>"Painting as a Pastime" (1948): A book in which Churchill reflects on his hobby of painting and its therapeutic effects.</li>
</ul>
Churchill's books have been widely read and praised for their historical accuracy and literary merit. They provide valuable insights into the mind of one of the most important figures of the 20th century and continue to be studied and admired today.

Winston

David Lynch is a highly acclaimed and influential filmmaker, television director, visual artist, and musician from America. He was born in 1946 in Missoula, Montana, and began his career as a painter, studying at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. He later transitioned into filmmaking, studying at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles.
Lynch is known for his unique and often surreal style, blending elements of horror, fantasy, and dark comedy in his work. His first feature film, "Eraserhead," was released in 1977 and received critical acclaim for its nightmarish imagery and unconventional narrative. This was followed by the cult classic "The Elephant Man" (1980), which earned Lynch his first Academy Award nomination for Best Director.
Lynch's most famous work is probably "Blue Velvet" (1986), a dark crime thriller that explores the seedy underbelly of small-town America. The film was a commercial and critical success and is considered a masterpiece of modern cinema. He also directed one of the most influential and acclaimed television series of all time, "Twin Peaks" (1990-1991) which was followed by a feature film "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me" (1992)
In addition to his film and television work, Lynch is also a successful visual artist, with his work being exhibited in galleries and museums around the world. He is also a musician, releasing several albums of experimental electronic music.
David Lynch is a truly unique and visionary filmmaker who has left a lasting impact on the world of cinema. His style is often described as "Lynchian," a term that refers to his use of dreamlike, surreal imagery and non-linear storytelling. He is known for his ability to create a sense of unease and disorientation in his audience, and his films often explore themes of violence, sexuality, and the darker aspects of human nature.
One of Lynch's most notable contributions to the cinema is his use of sound and music. He often collaborates with composer Angelo Badalamenti, who creates haunting and atmospheric scores that perfectly complement Lynch's visuals. Lynch is also known for his use of sound effects, which he often blends together in unexpected ways to create a sense of unease and disorientation.
Lynch's influence can be seen in many contemporary filmmakers, such as David Fincher, Quentin Tarantino, and the Coen Brothers, all of whom have cited Lynch as an inspiration. His work is also highly respected by other filmmakers and artists, such as Lars von Trier, Gaspar Noé, and Stanley Kubrick, to name a few.
In addition to his work in film and television, Lynch is also a highly regarded visual artist, with his work being exhibited in galleries and museums around the world. He has also released several albums of experimental electronic music, and his music often reflects the same sense of unease and disorientation that is present in his films.
Overall, David Lynch is a true artist whose work pushes the boundaries of what is possible in the medium of film and television and continues to inspire and influence filmmakers and audiences alike.

David

Jessica Hische is a graphic designer, illustrator, and author based in San Francisco. She is best known for her hand lettering, typography, and illustration work in the design and advertising industry.
Hische began her career as a freelance designer in 2005, working with various clients on various design projects. She quickly gained recognition for her unique and elegant hand lettering style, and her work began to be featured in publications such as Communication Arts, Print, and HOW magazine.
In addition to her design work, Hische is also an accomplished author. She has written several books on design and typography, including "In Progress: See Inside a Lettering Artist's Sketchbook and Process, from Pencil to Vector" and "Tomorrow I'll Be Brave." Both books offer a glimpse into Hische's creative process and provide valuable insights and tips for designers and illustrators.
Hische has also been a guest speaker at several design conferences and events, sharing her knowledge and experience with other designers and creative professionals. She is also known for her "Daily Drop Cap" project, a series of illustrated letters she created and shared daily on her website.
Overall, Jessica Hische is a highly respected and accomplished designer, illustrator, and author, known for her beautiful hand lettering and typography work. Her unique style, attention to detail, and dedication to her craft have earned her a reputation as one of the industry's most talented and influential designers.

Jessica

Stephen Joshua Sondheim was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with shows that tackle "unexpected themes that range far beyond the traditional subjects" with "music and lyrics of unprecedented complexity and sophistication."&nbsp;
His shows address "darker, more harrowing elements of the human experience," with songs often tinged with "ambivalence" about various aspects of life. He was known for his frequent collaborations with Hal Prince and James Lapine on the Broadway stage. Sondheim's interest in musical theater began at a young age, and he was mentored by Oscar Hammerstein II.&nbsp;
He began his career by writing the lyrics for West Side Story (1957) and Gypsy (1959). He transitioned to writing both music and lyrics for the theater, with his best-known works including A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979), Merrily We Roll Along (1981), Sunday in the Park with George (1984), and Into the Woods (1987).
Sondheim's numerous awards and nominations include eight Tony Awards (including a Lifetime Achievement Tony in 2008), an Academy Award, eight Grammy Awards, an Olivier Award, a Pulitzer Prize, a Kennedy Center Honor, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom. A theater is named after him both on Broadway and in London's West End. Film adaptations of his works include West Side Story (1961), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Into the Woods (2014), and West Side Story (2021).
Sondheim was born on March 22, 1930, into a Jewish family in New York City, the son of Etta Janet ("Foxy"; née Fox; 1897–1992) and Herbert Sondheim (1895–1966). His paternal grandparents, Isaac and Rosa, were German Jews, and his maternal grandparents, Joseph and Bessie, were Lithuanian Jews from Vilnius. His father manufactured dresses designed by his mother. The composer grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and, after his parents divorced, on a farm near Doylestown, Pennsylvania.&nbsp;
The only child of affluent parents living in the San Remo at 145 Central Park West, he was described in Meryle Secrest's biography Stephen Sondheim: A Life as an isolated, emotionally neglected child. Sondheim attended the Ethical Culture Fieldston School when he lived in New York City. He spent several summers at Camp Androscoggin. His mother sent him to New York Military Academy in 1940.
&nbsp;From 1942 to 1947, he attended George School, a private Quaker preparatory school in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where he wrote his first musical, By George, in 1946. From 1946 to 1950, Sondheim attended Williams College. He graduated magna cum laude and received the Hubbard Hutchinson Prize, a two-year fellowship to study music. Sondheim traced his interest in theater to Very Warm for May, a Broadway musical he saw when he was nine.&nbsp;
"The curtain went up and revealed a piano," Sondheim recalled. "A butler took a duster and brushed it up, tinkling the keys. I thought that was thrilling." Sondheim detested his mother, who was said to be psychologically abusive and to have projected her anger from her failed marriage onto her son: "When my father left her, she substituted me for him.&nbsp;
And she used me the way she used him, to come on to and to berate, beat up on, you see. What she did for five years was treat me like dirt but come on to me at the same time." She once wrote him a letter saying that her only regret was giving birth to him. When she died in 1992, Sondheim did not attend her funeral. He had been estranged from her for nearly 20 years.

Blake Snyder (October 3, 1957 – August 4, 2009) was an American screenwriter, consultant, author, and educator based in Los Angeles who, through his Save the Cat trilogy of books on screenwriting and story structures, became one of the most popular writing mentors in the film industry. Snyder led international seminars and workshops for writers in various disciplines and consultation sessions for some of Hollywood's largest studios.
Snyder died unexpectedly on August 4, 2009, of what was characterized as either a pulmonary embolism or cardiac arrest. A public memorial was held at the Writers Guild of America, West, on September 29, 2009.
Snyder's father, Kenneth C. T. Snyder, was an Emmy-winning TV producer of many children's shows in the 1960s and 1970s. Among them were The Funny Company, Hot Wheels, animated segments on Sesame Street, Big Blue Marble, and Roger Ramjet.
At the age of eight, Snyder was hired by his father as a voice talent for an animated special starring Sterling Holloway. Snyder continued doing children's voices alongside Gary Owens, June Foray, and others until his voice changed, and his producer father fired him.
Snyder went on to earn a B.A. degree in English from Georgetown University and returned to Los Angeles, where he began his career writing for the Disney TV series Kids Incorporated. Snyder began writing full-time as a screenwriter in 1987. He was a member of the Writers Guild of America for over 20 years.
Snyder's first spec screenplay sale was in 1989 for the script Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, which sold for $500,000 in a bidding war. Million-dollar script sales include Blank Check, co-written with Colby Carr for Walt Disney Pictures, and Nuclear Family, co-written with James Haggin for Amblin Entertainment.
Snyder's nonfiction book Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need was the number one-selling book among screenwriting manuals on Amazon, and 2018 is on its 34th printing. The book describes in detail the structure of the monomyth or hero's journey, providing a by-the-minute pattern for screenwriting.

Blake

Field Marshal Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell, GCB, GCSI, GCIE, CMG, MC, KStJ, PC (5 May 1883 – 24 May 1950) was a senior officer of the British Army. He served in the Second Boer War, the Bazar Valley Campaign, and the First World War, during which he was wounded in the Second Battle of Ypres. In the Second World War, he served initially as Commander-in-Chief Middle East.&nbsp;
In that role, he led British forces to victory over the Italians in western Egypt and eastern Libya during Operation Compass in December 1940, only to be defeated by the German Army in the Western Desert in April 1941. He served as Commander-in-Chief of India from July 1941 until June 1943 (apart from a brief tour as Commander of ABDACOM). Then he served as Viceroy of India until his retirement in February 1947.
Born the son of Archibald Graham Wavell (who later became a major-general in the British Army and military commander of Johannesburg after its capture during the Second Boer War) and Lillie Wavell (née Percival), Wavell attended Eaton House, followed by the leading preparatory boarding school Summer Fields near Oxford, Winchester College, where he was a scholar, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.&nbsp;
His headmaster, Dr. Fearon, had advised his father that there was no need to send him into the Army as he had "sufficient ability to make his way in other walks of life" After graduating from Sandhurst, Wavell was commissioned into the British Army on 8 May 1901 as a second lieutenant in the Black Watch, and joined the 2nd battalion of his regiment in South Africa to fight in the Second Boer War.
The battalion stayed in South Africa throughout the war, which formally ended in June 1902 after the Peace of Vereeniging. Wavell was ill and did not immediately join the battalion as it transferred to British India in October of that year; he instead left Cape Town for England on the SS Simla at the same time.&nbsp;
In 1903 he was transferred to join the battalion in India, and having been promoted to lieutenant on 13 August 1904, he fought in the Bazar Valley Campaign of February 1908. In January 1909 was seconded from his regiment to be a student at the Staff College. He was one of only two in his class to graduate with an A grade.&nbsp;&nbsp;
In 1911, he spent a year as a military observer with the Russian Army to learn Russian, returning to his regiment in December of that year. In April 1912, he became a General Staff Officer Grade 3 (GSO3) in the Russian Section of the War Office. In July, he was granted the temporary rank of captain and became GSO3 at the Directorate of Military Training. On 20 March 1913, Wavell was promoted to the substantive rank of captain.&nbsp;
After visiting maneuvers at Kiev in the summer of 1913, he was arrested at the Russo-Polish border as a suspected spy, following a search of his Moscow hotel room by the secret police, but managed to remove from his papers an incriminating document listing the information wanted by the War Office.

Lord

Sheila Heti is the author of ten books, including the novels Pure Colour, Motherhood, and How Should a Person Be? She recently published her second children’s book, A Garden of Creatures, illustrated by Esme Shapiro. In early 2024, Alphabetical Diaries will be published by Fitzcarraldo Editions, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and Knopf Canada.
The book, which was excerpted over 10 weeks in the New York Times, has been optioned for a television series by Hulu. This fall, she is in residence at Yale as the Franke Visiting Fellow and as Associate Research Scholar and Lecturer in Religious Studies.&nbsp;
She was named one of "The New Vanguard" by The New York Times, a list of fifteen writers from around the world who are "shaping the way we read and write fiction in the 21st century." Her books have been translated into twenty-five languages.&nbsp;
Motherhood was chosen by the book critics in the New York Times as one of the top books of 2018, and New York magazine chose it as the Best Book of the year. How Should a Person Be? was named one of the 12 “New Classics of the 21st century” by Vulture. It was a New York Times Notable Book, the best book of the year in The New Yorker, and was cited by Time as "one of the most talked-about books of the year.” Pure Colour is the recipient of the 2022 Governor General’s Literary Award for fiction.
Women in Clothes, a collaboration with Leanne Shapton, Heidi Julavits, and 639 women from around the world, became a New York Times bestseller. She is also the author of a children’s book titled We Need a Horse, with art by Clare Rojas. Her play, All Our Happy Days are Stupid, had sold-out runs at The Kitchen in New York and Videofag in Toronto.&nbsp;
She was Interviews Editor at The Believer magazine and has conducted many long-form print interviews with writers and artists, including Joan Didion, Elena Ferrante, Agnes Varda, Sophie Calle, Dave Hickey, and John Currin. Her fiction and criticism have appeared in The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, Bookforum, n+1, Granta, The London Review of Books, and elsewhere.&nbsp;
A six-hour writing class and lecture, delivered in the Spring of 2021, can be purchased through the Shipman agency. She is the founder of the Trampoline Hall lecture series and appeared in Margaux Williamson’s 2012 film Teenager Hamlet and in Leanne Shapton’s book, Important Artifacts. She lives in Toronto and Kawartha Lakes, Ontario.

Sheila

Reed

THEY ARE THE TWO TITANS OF THE COMIC BOOK INDUSTRY--the Coke and Pepsi of superheroes--and for more than 50 years, Marvel and DC have been locked in an epic battle for spandex supremacy. At stake is not just sales, but cultural relevancy and the hearts of millions of fans.
To many partisans, Marvel is now on top. But for much of the early 20th century, it was DC that was the undisputed leader, having launched the American superhero genre with the 1938 publication of Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel's Superman strip. DC's titles sold millions of copies every year, and its iconic characters were familiar to nearly everyone in America. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman -- DC had them all.
And then in 1961, an upstart company came out of nowhere to smack mighty DC in the chops. With the publication of Fantastic Four #1, Marvel changed the way superheroes' stories were done. Writer-editor Stan Lee, artists Jack Kirby, and the talented Marvel bullpen subsequently unleashed a string of dazzling new creations, including the Avengers, Hulk, Spider-Man, the X-Men, and Iron Man.
Marvel's rise forever split fandom into two opposing tribes. Suddenly the most telling question you could ask a superhero lover became "Marvel or DC?"
Slugfest, the first book to chronicle the history of this epic rivalry into a single, in-depth narrative, is the story of the greatest corporate rivalry never told. Complete with interviews with the major names in the industry, Slugfest reveals the arsenal of schemes the two companies have employed in their attempts to outmaneuver the competition, whether it be stealing ideas, poaching employees, planting spies, or launching price wars.
The feud has never completely disappeared, and it simmers on a low boil to this day. With DC and Marvel characters becoming global icons worth billions, if anything, the stakes are higher now than ever before.

Marc Andreessen is an American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and software engineer. He is best known as the co-founder of Netscape Communications Corporation, which developed the first widely-used web browser, Netscape Navigator.
Andreessen's career began in the early 1990s as a software engineer and developer. In 1993, he co-founded Netscape Communications Corporation with Jim Clark. The company developed the first widely-used web browser, Netscape Navigator, which played a significant role in popularizing the internet in the 1990s.
In 1999, Andreessen and his business partner Ben Horowitz founded Loudcloud, a company that provided website infrastructure. The company later rebranded as Opsware and was acquired by Hewlett-Packard in 2007.
In 2009, Andreessen and Horowitz founded Andreessen Horowitz, a venture capital firm that invests in technology companies. The firm has invested in many successful technology companies like Airbnb, Facebook, and Twitter.
In addition to his work in technology, Andreessen has been active in philanthropy and politics. He is a board member of the Markle Foundation, which focuses on using technology to address social and economic issues. He has also been a vocal advocate for the potential of the internet to drive economic growth and has been involved in efforts to promote technology education and entrepreneurship.
In addition to his venture capital role, Andreessen has been a Board member of several companies such as Facebook, eBay, and HP. He is also a regular contributor to publications such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. He is considered to be a leading thinker in the technology industry.

Marc

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In Slugfest, Reed Tucker explores the intense rivalry between Marvel and DC, the two giants of the comic book industry. He takes us on a journey through their history, revealing how competition has shaped their stories and characters.

The Rivalry Between Marvel and DC

Tucker shows how these comic book companies have responded to cultural and social changes over the decades. From the civil rights movement to the rise of digital media, you'll see how these events influenced the stories and characters we love.

Impact of Cultural and Social Changes

Slugfest gives you a peek behind the curtain, revealing the drama and power struggles that took place behind the scenes. From lawsuits to creative differences, you'll get a new perspective on the comic book industry.

Behind the Scenes Drama

Reed Tucker takes a deep look into the evolution of the comic book industry. From humble beginnings to blockbuster movies, you'll see how Marvel and DC have grown and adapted over the years.

Evolution of Comic Book Industry

In Slugfest, you'll find out about the key individuals who shaped Marvel and DC. From Stan Lee to Jack Kirby, these influential figures left a lasting impact on the comic book industry.

Influence of Key Individuals

Slugfest

Reed Tucker is a journalist and author who writes mostly about pop culture and entertainment. His work has appeared in the New York Post, USA Today, Esquire and Fortune, among others. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina. He lives in Brooklyn.&nbsp;

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