Born on this day – Rod Colbin:

Rod Colbin

Actor

December 23, 1923 – February 4, 2007

Born on this day – Dino Risi:

Dino Risi

Director

December 23, 1916 – June 7, 2008

Born on this day – Anton Leader:

Anton Leader

Director

December 23, 1913 – July 1, 1988

Credits:

Movin' On (1976); Nichols (1972); Hawaii Five-O (1970–1971); The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County (1970); The Virginian (1965–1970); Get Smart (1970); Ironside (1967–1969); The Survivors (1969); It Takes a Thief (1969); Star Trek (1968); Iron Horse (1967); The Road West (1967); Mr. Terrific (1967); Tarzan (1966–1967); I Spy (1966); It's About Time (1966); Gilligan's Island (1965–1966); Daniel Boone (1966); The Legend of Jesse James (1966); Laredo (1965); Lost in Space (1965); Rawhide (1961–1965); Espionage (1964); Children of the Damned (1964); Zero One (1962–1963); Father of the Bride (1962); Leave It to Beaver (1961–1962); The Twilight Zone (1960–1961); The Brothers Brannagan (1960–1961); National Velvet (1960); Sea Hunt (1958–1960); The Man from Blackhawk (1960); Bold Venture (1959); Mr. Lucky (1959); Sugarfoot (1959); Schlitz Playhouse (1959); Zane Grey Theatre (1959); Lawman (1958); Perry Mason (1958); The Adventures of Jim Bowie (1957–1958); The Adventures of McGraw (1957); The O. Henry Playhouse (1957); The Web (1957); Wire Service (1957); The Ford Television Theatre (1955–1957); Cavalcade of America (1956–1957); The Eighty Yard Run (Playhouse 90) (1956); Four Star Playhouse (1956); The Millionaire (1956); Celebrity Playhouse (1955–1956); Damon Runyon Theater (1955); TV Reader's Digest (1955); Medic (1955); The Man Behind the Badge (1955).

Born on this day – Marie Bell:

Marie Bell

Actress

Theatre director

December 23, 1900 – August 14, 1985

Credits:

Ne coupez pas mes arbres (1975); Closed Shutters (1973); Les yeux crevés (1968); Phedre (1968); Hotel Paradiso (1966); Sandra (1965); La bonne soupe (1964); The Leopard (1963); Le colonel Chabert (1943); Vie privée (1942); Ceux du ciel (1941); The Phantom Wagon (1939); Noix de coco (1939); La Glu (1938); Légions d'honneur (1938); Un carnet de bal (1937); Pantins d'amour (1937); Blanchette (1937); Fiordalisi d'oro (1936); La tentation (1936); Les demi-vierges (1936); Quand minuit sonnera (1936); La garçonne (1936); Le roman d'un jeune homme pauvre (1936); Sous la terreur (1935); Poliche (1934); Le grand jeu (1934); Fedora (1934); Caprice de princesse (1934); L'homme à l'Hispano (1933); Luck (1931); La folle aventure (1931); L'homme qui assassina (1931); Le joker (1930); La nuit est à nous (1930); Figaro (1929); La valse de l'adieu (1928); Madame Récamier (1928); Paris (1924); Le mauvais garçon (1923).

Recommended reading - Talk Radio (1987) & Talked to Death (1987):

Talk Radio (1987) & Talked to Death (1987)

Both books filmed as Talk Radio (1988), directed by Oliver Stone.

Talk Radio

By Eric Bogosian.

Published 1987.

Published by Concord Theatricals.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0573651248

ISBN-13: 978-0573651243

Description:

Characters: 7 male, 2 female, plus offstage voices.

Scenery: Interior.

Newly revised! Barry Champlain Cleveland's controversial radio host is on the air doing what he does best: insulting the pathetic souls who call in the middle of the night to sound off. Tomorrow Barry's show is going into national syndication and his producer is afraid that Barry will say something that will offend the sponsors. This of course makes Barry even more outrageous. Funny and moving off beat outrage.

Talked to Death: The Life and Murder of Alan Berg

By Stephen Singular.

Published 1987.

Mass Market Paperback.

Published by Berkley.

ISBN 13: 9780425113295

ISBN 10: 0425113299

ASIN: 0425113299

Description:

The book that inspired Oliver Stone’s controversial film Talk Radio.

On June 18, 1984, one of the nation’s most controversial talk-show hosts was gunned down.

The murder triggered an extensive FBI manhunt that ended in a shocking discovery.

THE VICTIM: Alan Berg was the talk-show host all of Denver loved to hate. Aggravating. Irrepressible. Charismatic. Nobody escaped his withering attacks on hypocrisy, bigotry, and injustice.

THE CRIME: Berg was brutally murdered in front of his house. Unarmed. Unsuspecting. He was caught in a hail of machine-gun fire. His death shocked the country... and led the FBI on a nationwide manhunt for the killers.

THE SUSPECTS: The trail led investigators to the Order, a radical cult of neo-Nazi white supremacists. Armed and violent - their doctrine declared war on the United States and preached a philosophy of racial hatred and fear.

James Patterson, on reading:

Reading is not work, not a chore, not a drudgery;
reading is the most joyful thing, yet, in the world.

- James Patterson.

Annie Proulx, on reading and writing:

You should write because you love the shape of stories and sentences and the creation of different words on a page.

Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write.

- Annie Proulx.