Quentin Tarantino, Director of “Pulp Fiction”

A self-taught filmmaker who has nevertheless displayed a profound knowledge of film history, Quentin Tarantino has built an oeuvre upon sharp dialogue, gritty violence...

Niccolò Paganini, Violinist and Composer

Playing with a skill so dazzling and in so eerie a manner that it was seen as supernatural, violinist and composer Niccolò Paganini is...

Abraham Lincoln, “The Great Emancipator”

Abraham Lincoln worked his way from a log cabin to the White House, teaching himself law and earning the faith of the electorate through...

Eugene Debs, Labor Leader

Eugene V. Debs spearheaded labor movements, led the American Socialist Party and is remembered today for being an agitator who never shied from passionately...

Hetty Green, the “Witch of Wall Street”

Hetty Green was a successful American businesswoman who was as renowned for her Wall Street savvy and fantastic wealth as she was for her...

Rembrandt, Dutch Painter and Etcher

Arguably the most famous Dutch artist of the 17th century, Rembrandt van Rijn possessed a multitude of artistic talents, but is particularly well-known for...

Stanley Kunitz, American Poet

Stanley Kunitz was destined to be a poet. Kunitz once said, “There was so much joy in playing with the language that I couldn’t...

William Faulkner, American Novelist

William Faulkner, revered modernist writer, historian and sociologist, is known for capturing the raw beauty of the rural South in all its dark complexity....

Garrison Keillor, Radio Host and Author

Garrison Keillor is a radio host, author, advice columnist, three-time husband and father. Biographers speak of his wry humor, his stage presence, and his...

John le Carré, British Secret Agent and Spy Novelist

Preeminent secret-agent-turned-spy-novelist, John le Carré depicts the darker side of the lives of secret agents. John Le Carré's Early Days John le Carré was born David...