Look To The Stars News: Dave Eggers

Matt Damon Defends Teachers at Washington Rally

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:00:00 +0000

On July 30, Matt Damon spoke out for teachers during the Save Our Schools March in Washington, D.C., joining thousands of educators, parents, children and others who care about the state of education in the U.S.

The crowds braved the scorching weather to show their concern over the demoralisation of teachers and the stringent testing process that many feel takes the joy and creativity out of learning.

The grassroots effort is instead looking to manifest equitable funding for public school communities, end high-stakes testing and allow for locally developed curriculums which can be better tailored to fit the children they are aimed at educating.

Tavis Smiley Records New Orleans Special

Fri, 07 May 2010 13:30:00 +0000

For his third Tavis Smiley Reports primetime special, Tavis Smiley will travel to New Orleans to capture the mood and spirit of the city’s courageous residents five years after the levees failed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

This special comes out of a ongoing collaboration between Tavis Smiley and Academy-Award-winning director Jonathan Demme that began in 2006 when Smiley aired Demme’s documentary “Right to Return: New Home Movies from the Lower 9th Ward” as a weeklong series on PBS. Demme has spent the past five years chronicling the people of New Orleans as they struggle to recover and rebuild their city. Smiley now returns to interview some of the city’s most resilient residents who share their rich cultural heritage as they rebuild schools, churches and homes against enormous odds.

Natalie Portman And Judd Apatow To Attend Charity Gala For 826LA

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:30:00 +0000

Judd Apatow and Natalie Portman will attend the 826LA 5th Anniversary celebration gala in Los Angeles on April 24.

826LA is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. The event will also feature Dave Eggers, comedy by Aziz Ansari and a performance by Richard Thompson.

The event takes place at the home of Jodie Evans and Max Palevsky in Beverly Hills at 6pm, and immediately follows the LA Times’ Festival of Books. Admission is $250 dollars, with tickets and more information available here.

Dave Eggers Still Committed To The Lost Boys Of Sudan

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 11:30:00 +0000

A southern Sudanese creation story: At the beginning of the world, God made two men: the northern Arabs and the southern Dinkas. God said, “I wish to give you one gift. I can give you the cattle that you see before you, which can provide for you in many different ways, or I can give you the What.”

The Dinkas, with their good climate and fertile lands, chose the cattle and for thousands of years prided themselves on making the right choice. The ‘unknown’ went to the Arabs.

Interview: Death Cab for Cutie Talks to Look To The Stars

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 15:30:00 +0000

Summertime in Seoul, South Korea, like in many other big cities, is the time for music festivals. Being a new columnist on the interview beat here in Seoul means I had the chance to attend a few of those festivals and was able to interview some of the artists, too.

During Seo Tai-ji’s 2008 ETP Festival I sat down and talked to two of the members of Death Cab for Cutie – bassist Nick Harmer and drummer Jason McGerr – before their set. I asked them a few questions about their charity work and causes they support both as a group and as individuals.