Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Shep Murray saw a good chunk of the world early on in his life, thanks to his parents — both of whom were travel writers. Eleven years ago when he and his younger brother, Ian, founded Vineyard Vines — a line of clothing and accessories that evokes a crisp, preppy vibe — the siblings kept their travels in mind.
“Music is a byproduct of experience and if I have an experience, it’s usually musical,” says Cory Chisel, 27. “To me, traveling goes hand in hand with music. Travel is just an intriguing aspect of music itself, and I’m not just talking about the touring part. It’s hard to explain. I’ve been to so many places, but I think that if I wasn’t a musician, I might never have left my hometown.”
With their telegenic good looks and lush music videos, which were filmed in such exotic locations as Sri Lanka, Antigua and France, Duran Duran helped put MTV on the map in the ’80s. More than two decades after the success of “Hungry Like the Wolf,” the British quartet is back with its new album “Red Carpet Massacre.”
It has been a busy year for John Cho. He has been cast as Sulu in the upcoming “Star Trek” film to be released in 2009 and he reprised his role as the stoner Harold in “Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay” – the sequel to the 2004 hit comedy “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.” But the 35-year-old actor — who was born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in Los Angeles — is about to tackle his most important role: that of dad. Cho and his wife, actress Kerri Higuchi, are expecting their first child – a son – at the end of May. “I’m taking a maternity leave with my wife,” Cho says, laughing. “We’re really anxious to meet this baby. I can’t wait.”
With several New York Times bestseller books already under her slim belt, actress Marilu Henner (“Taxi”) is excited about her latest self-help book: Wear Your Life Well: Use What You Have to Get What You Want (Collins, $24.95). Co-written with her brother Lorin Henner, the book is easy to read and full of tips that range from common sense (“mascara needs to be tossed out after three or four months”) to just a tad more esoteric (“fall in love with your stress or it will kill you”).
With Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home (Grand Central, 370 pages, $24.99), first-time author Kim Sunee writes a fascinating account of her life thus far. Abandoned as a child in South Korea, Sunee remembers telling the policemen who found her that her name was Chong Ae Kim, she was 3 years old and her mother — who had left her with a small fistful of food — would be coming back for her. endure insensitive remarks from people who don’t understand the longing children may feel for the birth families they can no longer remember.