Mr. Media Interviews by Bob Andelman

Today's Guest: Larry Ratso Sloman, author or co-author of celebrity memoirs from Howard Stern, Abbie Hoffman, Anthony Kiedis, Phil Esposito, Mike Tyson, and a biography of Harry Houdini   Order by clicking the DVD cover above! Larry 'Ratso' Sloman, co-author of Howard Stern's 'Private Parts' Writing the biography of a well-known person in pop culture is an assignment fraught with trap doors, two-way mirrors, and shackles. Some writers even disdain their subjects. Others hopelessly suck up to the person, if living, in hopes of winning their favor. Journalists working the genre, however, are usually after something more. They took on the life of an individual because they believe -- through professional research and interviews -- that they can add more color or depth to what’s known about the figure’s public and private lives. Today’s Mr. Media guest, Larry “Ratso” Sloman, has trod the path of biography and ghostwritten autobiographies a number of times in his career. He wrote Steal This Dream about the life of 1960s dissident Abbie Hoffman. He helped Howard Stern pen his life story in two memorable books, Private Parts and Miss America. When Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers needed someone to help tell his story, Kiedis turned to Sloman. The book many people remember Sloman best for, however, may well be his chronicle of Bob Dylan’s remarkable 1975 Rolling Thunder Review concert tour, On the Road with Bob Dylan. That is also where he earned his unusual nickname, which I’m told he wears with pride like a badge of courage. Sloman’s latest book, written with William Kalush is The Secret Life of Houdini, the Making of America’s First Superhero. Larry "Ratso" Sloman Website • Twitter • Wikipedia • IMDB • Order Horward Stern's Private Parts from Amazon.com BOB ANDELMAN/Mr. MEDIA: Houdini is a fast read, thanks to the focus on storytelling and the wealth of incredible detail that you and your partner uncovered about the magician and the man. Can you tell us a little bit about how the book came about and the style in which it’s written? LARRY "RATSO" SLOMAN: I first got interested in magic when I co-authored or ghostwrote -- David Blaine’s memoir, Mysterious Stranger. It was a hybrid book. That book was part reminiscence about his various stunts and being encased in ice and being buried underground. It was also part teaching you how to do some magical effects, and it was also a kind of history of magic. For the history part, David said, “You have to go work with Kalush, because he produced all my shows, and he’s got the most amazing magic library in the world.” So we spent a lot of time at Kalush’s library, the Conjuring Arts Research Center. We did all this research, and we did a chapter on Houdini in the David Blaine book. That was my first exposure to reading about Houdini. I read all the extant biographies of Houdini at the time, and I remember sitting around with Kalush and saying, “You know, it’s really strange. I mean, there are all these gaps in Houdini’s story, and he makes strange career choices. I think there’s more to this than meets the eye.” And Kalush says, “I agree.” And the more we looked into it, the more we said, “It’s time to take a fresh look at Houdini,” and that’s the genesis of The Secret Life of Houdini. ANDELMAN: What about the storytelling? What I really like about the book is that every page is almost a separate anecdote in some ways in that you’re always storytelling. It’s not so much analysis, which some people expect in biography, but it’s storytelling, which is what I expect, and I really like that. Order 'Undisputed Truth' by Mike Tyson with Larry Ratso Sloman, available from Amazon.com in print or as an ebook by clicking on the book cover above! SLOMAN: It’s funny the way we wrote this book. In a way, we almost wanted to do a celebrity biography of Houdini akin to the ones I had written with Howard Stern and people like that. We wanted it to be accessible; we wanted it to be anecdote...

Today's Guest: Neil Grayston, actor, "Eureka" Part 1 of 2 Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience of “Eureka” fans whose favorite part of the show is when someone on the show rolls their eyes and says, “Fargo!”… in the new new media capitol of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida! As Fargo on the Syfy original series "Eureka," actor Neil Grayston is a multi-facted geek-in-charge. Douglas Fargo is a classic television character. At once deceptively innocent and brilliant, he’s also capable of causing the kind of naïve mischief that may one day cause the secret government town of Eureka to be wiped off the map in a giant matter/anti-matter implosion. Just to ply it safe, I’ll be interviewing the actor who plays Fargo today – Neil Grayston – and not the character himself. Too many things go wrong when that guy is around! NEIL GRAYSTON audio excerpt: "I think it started as an idea to clean up all the loose ends of the show but not in a dream scenario... This is the timeline we live in now. As far as I know, we're stickin' with it."  Grayston, I believe, is a guy who recognized a wonderful opportunity in the role of Fargo and capitalized upon it. He has grown a character whose initial purpose seemed little more than second banana antics and shenanigans and given him heart and self-respect in a relatively short period of time. Eureka's Neil Grayston and Warehouse 13's Allison Scagliotti cross over... And thanks to the Syfy network’s show recent disruption of the time-space continuum, Grayston is now playing Fargo 2.0. Instead of being a flaky young scientist at Global Dynamics, he is now the head of GD. He’s even had a love life, including a crossover fling with Tech wiz Claudia Donovan of “Warehouse 13.” Of course, Grayston is still giving voice to a second “character” on “Eureka,” which returns for its season 4.5 premiere on Monday, July 11 @ 8 p.m.: He is the computer altered, female personality of Sheriff Carter’s underground bunker, S.A.R.A.H. (Incidentally, you can follow both S.A.R.A.H. and Grayston on Twitter.) You may have previously seen Grayston on “Wonderfalls,” “Smallville,” “The Dead Zone” and “Supernatural.” Neil Grayston Twitter Part 2 of 2   Order 'Eureka Season One' starring Colin Ferguson and Neil Grayston, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the DVD cover above!   Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Lauren Bowles, actress, "True Blood"   Order 'True Blood: The Complete Fifth Season (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy),' available from Amazon.com by clicking on the DVD cover above! Could there be a better time to interview actress Lauren Bowles? In a career that’s been steadily on the upswing, she joined HBO’s bloody hot drama “True Blood” this season as the newest waitress at Merlotte’s. And the show’s three topline stars, Anna Paquin, Alexander Skarsgard and Stephen Moyer, appear naked on the cover of Rolling Stone this week, dripping in blood—fake blood, I assume, but it got the idea across. LAUREN BOWLES audio excerpt: "True Blood is a very lighthearted set compared to the world being depicted."  Lauren Bowles, star of HBO's 'True Blood' Besides True Blood, Lauren will appear in February in the next Farrelly Brothers movie, Hall Pass, with Owen Wilson and Christina Applegate. Today, the New York Times did a major story about New York fashion being overtaken by the influence of “Seinfeld” TV character Elaines Benes. What does that have to do with Lauren Bowles? Elaine was played by her sister, Julia Louis-Dreyfus. But she’s also married to the business: “Mad Men” fans will recognize her husband Patrick Fischler as foul-mouthed comedian Jimmy Barrett, whose wife Don Draper memorably shtupped. Patrick also did extended stints on “Lost” and “Southland” before landing a role in the Steve Carrell comedy, Dinner for Schmucks. How about that? I worked in “shtupped” and “schmucks” into a single paragraph! And on top of everything else, she’s a new mom, so let’s try to keep it down on the set and not wake the baby. Lauren Bowles Twitter • Order True Blood: Season 3 from Amazon.com Actress Lauren Bowles' husband, Patrick Fischler, also visited Mr. Media:     Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guests: Taggart Siegel and Jon Betz, documentary filmmakers, Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us? Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience of people who will deny, deny, deny until the Atlantic Ocean becomes one with the Great Lakes and the only crop left on earth is corn … in the NEW new media capital of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida!   Order Queen of the Sun, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the movie above! One of the favorite songs around the Mr. Media homestead for the past few years is “Johnny Appleseed,” a rather pleasing pop ditty by Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros with a very serious message: “Don’t go killin’ all the bees.” I kept hearing that song in my head the entire time I watched a new documentary about the plight of the world’s honeybees directed by Taggart Siegel. Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us? has a tone that, like Strummer’s song, is also gentle, but it hits home: If industrial farming practices that may be killing bees are not reined in soon, the world will have little besides corn for crops. TAGGART SIEGEL audio excerpt: "Honey is miraculous, the first sweetness of man. You'd think we be getting down on our hands and knees and worshiping bees. We have to get more into the wonder of bees... If we save them, we're saving ourselves"  Speaking as a guy who has troubled digesting corn, that’s a frightening prospect. Queen of the Sun has attracted a big corporate sponsor: Whole Foods Market. If you’ve ever been in one of their stores, you know Whole Foods has a vested interest in supporting as wide a diversity of farming as possible. That said, I wish some more mainstream grocers such as Kroger and Publix had shown a similar interest in supporting the message of Queen of the Sun. Joining me today to talk about their film and the bees are the director, Taggart Siegel, and producer, Jon Betz. Queen of the Sun Website • Facebook • Twitter • Whole Foods Market Do Something Reel Film Festival • Download Queen of the Sun from Amazon.com Seed: The Untold Story, a film by Taggart Siegel and Jon Betz Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Guillermo Diaz, actor, "Weeds," "Mercy," "Scandal" Actor Guillermo Diaz, star of "Weeds," "Mercy" and "Scandal" I’m gonna be honest with you—I’m far more interested in talking with Guillermo Diaz about his last role—as, curiously, “Guillermo”—in “Weeds,” in which he played Mary Louise Parker’s drug dealer, teacher, friend, antagonist, protector—hey, it was complicated. That Guillermo was one scary mofo. This Guillermo is starring as Nurse Angel Lopez on the new NBC drama “Mercy,” which airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. It’s funny and awkward at times—just like “Weeds,” in some ways—but I think this show demonstrates how much range Diaz actually has. From the Season 3 premiere of "Scandal," it's actor Guillermo Diaz. (ABC/Eric McCandless) GUILLERMO DIAZ podcast excerpt: "I would hope that Guillermo would really like Angel and have a little bit of a snicker with him... I'm coming back to 'Weeds.' It's gonna work out; it's going to be interesting to see what they do with me." He came to national attention after starring as Scarface in the cult film ​Half Baked, opposite Dave Chappelle and Jim Breuer. He joined Academy Award winners Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones in ​ The Terminal​ for renowned director/producer Steven Spielberg. His varied resume also includes feature roles in indie hits such as ​Party Girl​ opposite Parker Posey, ​Stonewall​, ​I'm Not Rappaport​ with Walter Matthau, ​200 Cigarettes​ with Christina Ricci, ​ High School High​ and ​ Chelsea Walls​, directed by Ethan Hawke. In addition to his feature film credits, Diaz is known for his three seasons on the award-winning Showtime series “Weeds” where he plays Guillermo, Mary Louise Parker's drug dealer. He has also been seen in “ER,” “Law & Order” “Chappelle’s Show,” “The Shield,” “Without a Trace” and “The Closer.” Diaz most recently wrapped the indie feature ​ Peep World​ with Rainn Wilson and Sarah Silverman and the USA series “Royal Pains.” He will next be seen opposite Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan in Kevin Smith’s feature ​ A Couple of Dicks. Guillermo Diaz Twitter • Scandal • Queerty • Wikipedia • IMDB   Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Marian McPartland, jazz pianist, NPR host   Jazz pianist and National Public Radio host Marian McPartland Order Marian McPartland: Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, available right now at a great price by clicking on the CD cover above! When the news reached me today than legendary jazz pianist and longtime National Public Radio host Marian McPartland has passed away, I was reminded of my time with one of many great artists who tolerated a young music writer early in my career. On October 8, 1983, I interviewed Mrs. McPartland as a preview for an upcoming appearance she would be making in Clearwater, Florida, with her husband, Jimmy McPartland, and her old friend and frequent onstage partner, George Shearing. MARIAN McPARTLAND podcast excerpt: "If everybody is playing well together — bass, drums, piano —I swear there is some kind of sexual thing that is set up. In the music! Of course, it could go to the other thing, too! I won't say it couldn't." Order Marian Mcpartland's Piano Jazz with Steely Dan, available right now at a great price by clicking on the CD cover above! It was one of many interviews I conducted that are like fingernails on a blackboard to me today, but that helped shape my approach to the job. Mostly, however, it was an unrehearsed moment with a jazz great, as she responds to a problem with the phone connection – “Oh, sh*t!” – and compares a great combo on a great night as akin to sex. Fortunately, the audio cassette containing this interview survived the years. I’ve sweetened the audio to the best of my ability; if you’re a fan of Marian McPartland, I hope you can get past my simplistic questions and enjoy the lady herself. MARIAN McPARTLAND Piano Jazz radio show website • Facebook • Twitter • YouTube • New York Times obituary of Marian McPartland FRANK ZAPPA Listen to his 1978 interview with college student Bob Andelman Shortly before his final tour, Frank Zappa appeared as a guest on 'Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz' radio show. Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Gregg Binkley, actor, "Raising Hope" Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience that thinks Raising Hope is a sequel to Raising Arizona… in the NEW new media capital of the world, St. Petersburg, Florida!   Order 'Raising Hope: The Complete Third Season' with Gregg Binkley, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the DVD above! Gregg Binkley has waited and waited for his breakthrough opportunity and this may well be the year. Binkley was a recurring character in the first season of the Fox sitcom, “Raising Hope.” He played Barney, the supermarket boss of Jimmy, the baby daddy of Hope, the show’s title character. He apparently struck a nerve in season one, because Binkley has been elevated to series regular going into season two. GREGG BINKLEY audio excerpt: "When they were casting the store manager for 'Malcolm in the Middle,' Bryan Cranston said, 'Why don't you bring in Dan, the Del Taco guy?' He gave me a chance to show another side of myself." Gregg Binkley, actor, Raising Hope In Gregg Binkley we find a character actor who has paid his dues for many years. He was “Randy” in an episode of “Wizards of Waverly Place.” And “Street Person #3” in an episode of CSI. He was even “Dale” in an episode of “The Michael Richards Show.” (And yes, there really was a “Michael Richards Show.”) But his best run to date was as “Kenny James” in 18 or so episodes of “My Name Is Earl” on NBC. In fact, it was thanks to “Earl” showrunner Greg Garcia – now occupying the same role on “Raising Hope” — that Binkley attracted the new gig in the first place. Guys like Binkley show up for one unglamorous, somewhat anonymous acting job after another hoping for the moment he finally earned on “Raising Hope.” On the eve of his first season as a series regular, it’s no doubt a good time to be him. Gregg Binkley Website • Order Raising Hope Season One on DVD Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

From 2008: Paula Garces’ lovely features may be familiar to you if you saw such movies as Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, Clockstoppers, or Man of the House with Tommy Lee Jones. She also flirted with Meadow’s boyfriend on “The Sopranos” and has guest-starred on “CSI:Miami.” She was also promoted to series regular for the upcoming fifth and final season of “The Shield.” In April, she’ll be in a Harold and Kumar sequel, Escape from Guantanamo Bay.

Today's Guest: Paula Garces, actress, "Warehouse 13," Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle Paula Garces, actress, Red Princess Blues Paula Garces is beautiful, smart and ambitious, which makes for a combustible mix is Hollywood. She’s held her own on the critically acclaimed FX series “The Shield” and maintained both her mystery and dignity in both Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. She just finished shooting the third movie in the series, A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (in 3D!) and is currently driving Pete crazy as a snappy, sexy veterinarian on the SyFy hit “Warehouse 13.” So the natural next move is hosting a fashion show on the Spanish network The mun2, right? PAULA GARCES podcast excerpt: "Eddie McClintock is fabulous. He is a really funny guy. A lot of what you see in his character are his ideas... When I was first approached about the role on Warehouse 13, there was a possibility it might extend beyond two episodes. After they saw our energy together, the producers extended us to six episodes. And they left it open for me to come back next season. It's lots of fun."  “The mun2 Look” kicks off its second cycle on Saturday, August 21 at 4 p.m. But Paula is not just the host; she’s also the show’s executive producer and co-host. This is Paula’s second visit to Mr. Media Radio; she previously joined me to talk about the second Harold & Kumar movie and her involvement in Alex Ferrari’s short film, Red Princess Blues Animated. Paula Garces Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Google+ • YouTube • IMDB LISTEN TO THIS, TOO! Paula Garces first interview on Mr. Media Radio (January 30, 2008) "Mean Business: How I Save Bad Companies and Make Good Companies Great" by Albert J. Dunlap with Bob Andelman, available in print, e-book or digital audio. Order your copy now by clicking on the book cover above!   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Corey Michael Blake, CEO, Round Table Companies, Smarter Comics Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience of 47-year-old fanboys who could really stand to take a bath and develop some practical business skills besides knowing how many comics fit snugly in a longbox… in the NEW new media capital of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida!   It’s been a while since business writer Daniel Pink was a guest on Mr. Media to talk about his first graphic novel, Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need. That book was intended for an audience of job seekers who lacked some basic skills needed to succeed in the modern workplace. They were also people who weren’t likely to buy and read Pink’s nonfiction, picture-less narratives such A Whole New Mind or Free Agent Nation. COREY MICHAEL BLAKE audio excerpt: "I found Chris Anderson's email address. I said, 'We're interested in taking your book, The Long Tail, and introducing it to comic book fans.' In 24 hours I had an answer: 'Let's talk to my agent.' It hit his sweet spot. He loves to be an innovator ans he is a comic book fan."  Apparently Pink was on to something – Johnny Bunko has since been translated into 14 different languages. Now a company called Round Table is working with SmarterComics to turn Pink’s one-off project into an industry. It has produced graphic novels from six respected, bestselling business experts and is marketing them to an audience unlikely to read 300 pages of text but probably willing to invest the time and effort into a 50-page comic book full of immediately useful knowledge, told in an entertaining fashion. At the top of the list of SmarterComics’ initial release this April 2011 is The Long Tail by Wired magazine editor Chris Anderson. Also noteworthy is an adaptation of the 2,500-year-old The Art of War by Sun Tzu, a classic battleplan for success found on the shelf of every modern CEO. I know a little about educational comics myself, having written the biography of Will Eisner, who started the whole genre back in World War II with Army Motors. So I thought it would be interesting to have Round Table CEO Corey Michael Blake on the show to talk about his new enterprise. SmarterComics Website • Facebook • Twitter • YouTube • Order Smarter Comics from Amazon.com Part 2 of 2   Order 'Will Eisner: A Spirited Life' (2nd Edition) by Bob Andelman, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!