No business like the news business: Aaron Sorkin on ‘Newsroom’

By Danielle Berrin
Published on July 6, 2012

Aaron Sorkin, the playwright, television writer and Oscar-winning screenwriter of “The Social Network,” is causing a stir with his new HBO series, “The Newsroom,” about the inside antics of a cable news show and its commentary on American journalism.

Seth Rogen waltzes to a dramatic beat in new movie [Q & A]

Published on July 3, 2012

He's better known for big studio comedies like "Superbad" and "Pineapple Express", but Seth Rogen strays from his beaten path when he stars in the low-budget comedy-drama "Take This Waltz."

Q-&-A with Wendy Shanker

Published on January 5, 2011

After Wendy Shanker published her first book, “The Fat Girl’s Guide to Life,” she thought she had fought and won her battle for self-acceptance. But after being diagnosed with Wegener’s disease, a life-threatening autoimmune disorder, she found that her struggle to come to terms with her body — a body that was now slowly deteriorating — was far from over.

An Appreciation of Islam: Q&A with Rabbi Reuven Firestone

By Brad A. Greenberg
Published on March 11, 2009

Q & A with Congressman Keith Ellison

By Brad A. Greenberg
Published on December 20, 2007

Keith Ellison's congressional campaign was not for the thin skinned. But despite attacks that tried to link him to Islamic extremists, Ellison won the election and on Jan. 4, 2007, became the first Muslim member of Congress -- and even that was filled with controversy, when he decided to take his oath of office photo-ops with the Quran instead of the Bible.

Q&A with Reconstructionist Rabbi Dan Ehrenkrantz

By Amy Klein
Published on February 22, 2007

Rabbi Dan Ehrenkrantz, president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC) in Philadelphia, recently made one of his biannual visits to Southern California.

Alan Arkin—not just another kid From Brooklyn

By Pat Sierchio
Published on February 15, 2007

Alan Arkin is no more a stranger to playing curmudgeons than he is to receiving award nominations.

Q & A With Joel Kotkin

By Marc Ballon
Published on May 5, 2005

Cities are “humankind’s greatest creation,” asserts Joel Kotkin in his new book, “The City: A Global History” (Modern Library). A contributing editor to the Los Angeles Times Sunday Opinion section and contributing writer for this paper, Kotkin traces the rise of urban centers from Mesopotamia to Byzantium and the cities of the Middle East; from the rise of Venice and other commercial centers to the suburban sprawl of Los Angeles.

Q & A With Parvaneh Doustan Sarraf

By Karmel Melamed
Published on March 17, 2005

Almost 30 years ago, Parvaneh Doustan Sarraf began teaching Judaism and Torah studies in Iran, becoming one of that community's first women to join a profession long dominated by men. Since then, she's taught a multitude of young students about the joys of Judaism at Jewish schools both in Iran and, currently, in New York.