Interview Magazine - Most Recent Culture Items

Three's a Charm for Nathan Englander

By Christopher Bollen Photography Matt Creed — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

A quick wit may come naturally to the 42-year-old native New Yorker Nathan Englander, but that doesn't mean he doesn't work hard. 2012 is an object lesson in Englander endurance, when three of his years-in-development writing projects are slated to hit shelves, stages, and Seder dinners (respectively). First comes his latest-short story collection What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, out this month from Knopf. Then in March, Englander ambitiously teams up with writer Jonathan Safran Foer on a translation of the Haggadah, the ancient Jewish text recited at Passover.

Elizabeth Reaser is Still Learning

By Meryl Cates — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:25:00 +0100

Sharp and perfectly developed, Paula Vogel's Pulitzer Prize-winning play How I Learned to Drive sets driving lessons between a young woman named Li'l Bit (Elizabeth Reaser) and her Uncle Peck (Norbert Leo Butz) as the foundation for an inappropriate affair.

Staying Awake with Dan Chaon

By Clare Stein — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0100

Dan Chaon writes about coping with tragedy in his new collection of short stories, Stay Awake.

Jack Davenport Gives Direction

By Emma Brown — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:30:00 +0100

Fans of BBC America or anyone who's ever lived in England will probably remember Jack Davenport as Steve from Coupling or Miles from This Life. To everyone else, he's best known for his role as Commodore Norrington in Pirates of the Caribbean. With his new role on NBC's Smash, however, Davenport has the potential to become a household name.

Weekend News Roundup! Super Bowl; M.I.A.'s Middle Finger

By Alexandria Symonds — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0100

Here's our compendium of pop-culture news you may have missed while you were doing more important things over the weekend.

Raza Jaffrey's Season with Marilyn

By Gillian Mohney — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0100

After suffering through years of fourth-place finishes, NBC primetime has set its sights on the invigorating Smash to save the network from ratings purgatory.

Rachel Zoe Styles A Good Cause

By Emma Brown — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:15:00 +0100

Last night we attended a screening of Rachel Zoe's new PSA video for the Abzyme Research Foundation at the Crosby Street Hotel. If you are wondering what uber-stylist Rachel Bananas Zoe is doing in a PSA, we were, too; the Abzyme Research Foundation is the first charitable cause to which Zoe has lent her name, and it is an admirable cause indeed.

Ramona Ausubel's Tall Tale

By Clare Stein — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:55:00 +0100

Writer Ramona Ausubel defies the harnesses of history with her debut novel, No One is Here Except All of Us. During World War II, an isolated Jewish village in Romania decides to ignore the horrors of the real world and start over from scratch.

Peter Vack Has One Simple Request

By Amanda Duberman — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:45:00 +0100

With a background in theater, soaps, and indies, Peter Vack's major TV comedic debut is a slight change of pace for the USC grad and native New Yorker, who was reciting Shakespeare with seasoned actors while his high-school peers toiled away with the Sparknotes.

Dennis Mangone

By Darrell Hartman Photography Robbie Fimmano — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100

On flights into New York City, Dennis Mangone has a direct view of his résumé: the Time Warner Center, Trump World Tower, One Beacon Court, 15 Central Park West.

Dr. Marc Lowenberg

By William Van Meter Photography Robbie Fimmano — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100

“I have literally turned people away and told them to go to another dentist,” says Dr. Marc Lowenberg, who cofounded his midtown Manhattan practice Lowenberg & Lituchy in 1985, and has quickly become the go-to doc for rock-star chompers (clients have included members of The Rolling Stones, Iggy Pop, and Brian Eno).

Dechen Thurman

By Alison S. Cohn Photography Robbie Fimmano — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Though his name in Tibetan means “great bliss,” yogi Dechen Thurman took a rather meandering path to enlightenment. The son of Columbia University professor Robert A. Thurman, one of the most eminent Buddhist scholars in the United States, Thurman found early success in the worldly sphere as a model.

Dr. Robert Bernstein

By Darrell Hartman Photography Robbie Fimmano — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Much of a man’s mojo is in his hair. Ever notice how the presidential candidate who’s got more of it tends to win? Dr. Robert Bernstein has. A Columbia University clinical professor of dermatology and a pioneer in the world of hair-replacement surgery, Bernstein has made a name for himself treating bigwigs (excuse the pun) from around the world.

David Barton

By William Van Meter Photography Robbie Fimmano — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100

What are the occupational hazards of being one of the world’s most sought-after face shapers? If you are renowned cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Fredric Brandt, it’s seeing the potential in every face you encounter.

Thom Priano & Garren

By Ashley W. Simpson Photography Robbie Fimmano — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100

“There weren’t male hairdressers when I started—only barbers,” explains groomer Thom Priano. He and his longtime partner, Garren, entered the New York fashion scene in the mid-’70s, eventually styling shows for Valentino and Dolce & Gabbana as a two-man hair team.

Dr. Fredric Brandt

By T. Cole Rachel Photography Robbie Fimmano — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Dr. Frank Lipman

By Ashley W. Simpson Photography Robbie Fimmano — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Before the organic craze, before Bikram became hip, before Hollywood embraced juice fasts, there was Dr. Frank Lipman, who was an early advocate for combining traditional Western medical practices with acupuncture, Chinese herbs, yoga, and nutrition. “When I graduated from medical school, I went to work in the bush in Africa,” recalls the 57-year-old South African-born wellness expert from his spacious New York office.

Mr. A and Moët Invite Some American Graffiti

By Alexandria Symonds — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0100

It was with greater-than-usual interest that we received the news of André Saraiva's new Valentine's-themed collaboration with Moët & Chandon.

Funding the Fashionable Obamas

By Emma Brown — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0100

A list of Obama's top fundraisers has been released on his campaign website. Many of the more famous names are not particularly shocking; the 31 individuals who managed to raise over half a million dollars included a few East Coast financiers, some "liberal" Hollywood movie moguls like Harvey Weinstein and Jeffrey Katzenberg, a surprising two Texans (until you realize that they are both from Austin) and Vogue's very own Iron Lady, Anna Wintour.

Weekend News Roundup! SAG Wins; Madonna Cover

By Alexandria Symonds — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:45:00 +0100

Here's our compendium of pop-culture news you may have missed while you were doing more important things over the weekend.