I Heard You Paint Houses
Charles Brandt
Thursday, December 15, 6:00 pm

Charles Brandt, former homicide prosecutor and Chief Deputy Attorney General for the State of Delaware, became known for his skills in cross examination and the art of interrogation of reluctant witnesses. Among those he interviewed was Frank Sheeran, a notorious organized crime figure who was suspected of being involved in the death of Jimmy Hoffa.

In I Heard You Paint Houses, Brandt writes of his extensive interviews with Sheeran, who decided to set the record straight before his death in 2003. Sheeran, who joined the mob after his service as a combat infantryman in World War II, became active in the Teamsters and was a close friend of Jimmy Hoffa. Brandt's book is a fascinating, if not disturbing, insider's look at a notable viewpoint in American history.

Related Links:

• I Heard You Paint Houses The official web site for the book by its publisher, Steerforth Press.
• MSN Encarta—Jimmy Hoffa A short biography of Jimmy Hoffa from Microsoft's Encarta, an online encyclopedia.
• Teamster.org The web site for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, reputed to be the world's most powerful labor union.

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Photojournalist Diana Walker
Tuesday, December 20, 6:00 pm

After beginning her career as a freelancer, Diana Walker covered the White House for Time magazine from the Ford through the Clinton administrations. With superb photographic skills and a style that made her subjects feel at ease, Walker produced some of the most notable photographs of the people who shaped the world around us for a quarter of a century.

Join award winning photographer Diana Walker as she discusses photojournalism, her pictures, and the circumstances surrounding the events and people she captured on film.

• The Public and Private Diana Walker A Camera Works Photo Essay by the Washington Post on Diana Walker, her career, and her photographs.
• Diana Walker: Photojournalist A traveling exhibition of Diana Walker's photographs produced by the Smithsonian Institution and currently on display at North Carolina State University.
• Photographer on 25 Years Covering White House  An interview with Diana Walker presented by National Geographic, publishers of her book Public & Private.

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The Rural Studio: Community Architecture
Bruce Lindsey
Head of the School of Architecture and Co-director of the Rural Studio
Auburn University
Thursday, December 22, 6:00 pm
Co-sponsored by the Environmental Resource Center

The Rural Studio at Auburn University challenges architecture students to seek "solutions to the needs of the community within the community's own context, not from outside it." Students design and build projects in and around Hale County, Alabama, using conventional and unconventional materials such as hay or cardboard bales, tires, and rammed earth.

Rural Studio students take up residency and become part of the community in poverty-stricken Hale County where they design and help build their structures while "sharing the sweat" and directly learning the social, cultural, and technological issues inherent in architecture.

Bruce Lindsey, co-director of the Rural Studio, will also discuss two books: Rural Studio: Samuel Mockbee and an Architecture of Decency, and Proceed and Be Bold: Rural Studio after Samuel Mockbee.

• The Rural Studio Introduction, mission and history, current and completed projects, and further information about the Rural Studio.
• Samuel Mockbee and the Rural Studio An exhibition of Rural Studio projects presented by the National Building Museum and highlighting those by the project's late co-founder Samuel Mockbee.
• College of Architecture, Design and Construction More information on Auburn University's School of Architecture and the Departments of Industrial Design and Building Science.

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Peter And The Starcatchers and
Kingdom Keepers
Ridley Pearson
Wednesday, December 28, 6:00 pm

Suspense writer Ridley Pearson is back, this time to discuss his two latest books for young people, Peter and the Starcatchers and Kingdom Keepers. In Peter ..., Ridley Pearson teams with Nobel prize hopeful Dave Barry to produce a prequel to Peter Pan to help answer the questions of his origins.

In Kingdom Keepers, five teens find themselves locked in Disney World after hours, where they must determine what is real and what is not while they struggle to keep evil from destroying the park, and maybe more.

Join Ridley Pearson for his always entertaining discussions on his novels and his characters.

Related Links:

• Author Ridley Pearson The official web site for Ridley Pearson, including excerpts from his new books, including Peter and the Starcatchers and Kingdom Keepers, and updates on his latest doings.
• Walt Disney World Resort Where the action in Kingdom Keepers takes place.
• Peter Pan on Disney's Character Gallery A fun site for kids from Disney containing fun links, songs, and games.

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Back To Bosnia
A Documentary Film by Alison Hanson and Sabina Vajraca
Presented by Alison Hanson
Thursday, December 29, 6:00 pm

As the Bosnian war escalates in the town of Banja Luka, the Vajraca family splits up to keep safe—daughter, mother and brother move to Florida, while Dad stays behind to work with a local organization to free prisoners from Serbian concentration camps. When it becomes apparent that his own life is in great danger, he joins his family in Florida, leaving their home and personal property up for grabs, not knowing when he’ll be able to return.

Ten years later, the Varjaca family drives through the picturesque countryside of their former home. It’s hard to imagine the reality of war that lies buried underground. BACK TO BOSNIA, which premiered at the Amnesty International Film Festival in Amsterdam, captures with haunting clarity the human toll claimed by the war (Natalie McMenemy – AFI FEST 2005).

A question and answer session will follow the program with filmmaker Ali Hanson.

In Bosnian and English with English subtitles.

• Back To Bosnia The web site for the film, including background, photos, and press information.
• Bosnia and Herzigovina Geographic, cultural, economic, and political information about Bosnia from the CIA World Factbook.

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Updated 21 December 2005

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