BY THE BOOK: Forrest City native Mary Ann Gwinn, book editor for The Seattle Times, is getting national exposure as co-host of a 30-minute show, Well Read TV. The show, produced by TVW (the Washington Public Affairs Network) and KBTC Public Television, is distributed nationally by American Public Television and carried on WORLD, a 24/7 multicast channel featuring public-television programming.
Gwinn, who is a Hendrix College graduate, and two others at The Seattle Times won a Pulitzer Prize in 1990 for coverage of the 1989 Alaskan oil spill.
HIS BIG BREAK? Former Conway resident Jordan Christian Hearn landed a plum movie role for a newcomer. He portrays Denis, the sidekick of Larry "Doc" Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix), in Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice. Others in the film, based on the Thomas Pynchon novel, include Martin Short, Reese Witherspoon, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro and Owen Wilson.
REELING IN THE SCOOP: Here's more information on Catch-Em Lane, a TV show pilot based on the life and times of professional BassMaster Classic champion Mark Davis, mentioned here last Sunday. Parker Adams, 8, of Bryant and a second-grader at Hill Farm Elementary, will portray one of Davis' twin sons. And Natalie Canerday (Sling Blade, October Sky), who's been cast as Davis' wife, is a Russellville native. The pilot films soon in Mount Ida, after which the show will be shopped to various networks.
AN ARKIE STAYCATION: A homegrown music video by David Lewis of Little Rock, who works by day as a communications specialist with Entergy Arkansas, is getting some thumbs-up. It's a Natural State twist on the song, "I've Been Everywhere," once recorded by Arkansas' own Johnny Cash. After viewing the video "I've Been Everywhere (in Arkansas)," even those who stayed put this holiday weekend may feel like road warriors.
"This video has been more than two years in the making," said Lewis, explaining it began with a friend suggesting he do an Arkansas version of a tune originally written by Australian country singer Geoff Mack in 1959 and later adapted for North America by Hank Snow.
"After writing and recording the song, I thought a music video would be fun, and that involved driving to every one of the 107 Arkansas towns mentioned and shooting a picture of it," he said.
The result is delightful and the concluding thank you list to "generous sponsors" is a hoot. Those mentioned include Flippin Burgers, Smackover Retirement Home for Professional Wrestlers, Helena Handbaskets, Yellville Anger Management and Piggott Diet Center. So far the video has had 19,654 views.
Check it out at: youtube.com/watch?v=wdVu0TzKgos.
DEGREES OF CORRECTNESS: Sonny Albarado, this newspaper's projects editor who was mentioned in last week's column, received an honorary doctor of letters from his alma mater, Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La.
Contact Linda S. Haymes at (501) 399-3636 or [email protected]
SundayMonday on 05/25/2014