Next time you try to illegally copy a Hollywood movie from a videocassette outlet such as Blockbuster you can thank or alternatively curse John Ryan for the fuzzy end product. It was Ryan's invention that has prevented the widespread pirating of movie video cassettes produced by the Hollywood studios and in the process he has saved them billions of dollars and made himself a … [Read more...] about Protecting the Moving Image
Feature
The 100 Most Influential Irish Americans in Business: The Queen of Hearst
Cathleen Black loves a challenge. These days, the president of I Hearst Magazines is launching three books almost simultaneously. The third issue of Tina Brown's Talk magazine has just hit the stands. CosmoGIRL!, Cosmopolitan's little sister, is being test marketed, and Oprah's magazine is due out in the spring. "Oh, I love what I'm doing," laughs Black, "but I think I must … [Read more...] about The 100 Most Influential Irish Americans in Business: The Queen of Hearst
A Late Encounter with the Enemy
Few things are sadder than a missed opportunity. The story of the San Patricios, the Irish emigrants and their comrades of other ethnic groups who fought for Mexico during the U.S.-Mexican War of 1846-48, is rich and underexplored dramatic material. Complex and stirring issues of loyalty and heroism resound throughout the saga of the Saint Patrick's Battalion, which consisted … [Read more...] about A Late Encounter with the Enemy
Flatley’s Feet of Flames
The fastest feet in dance, Michael Flatley, has officially come out of retirement to launch a new turbo-charged dance show, Feet of Flames, which will be seen in the USA in October of next year. Flatley chose a quaint 14th-century castle in Germany as the venue for the launch of his new show, set to open in March near Frankfurt. In front of a few hundred journalists, … [Read more...] about Flatley’s Feet of Flames
Pat Conroy: The Prince of Tales
By Patricia Harty Editor-In-Chief In the fall of 1995, Pat Conroy, author of The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini, was back on the best-seller list with Beach Music. He talked to Patricia Harty about his work, his family, and his desire to find his Irish relatives. Pat Conroy was born on October 26, 1945, in Atlanta, Georgia, to a young career military officer from … [Read more...] about Pat Conroy: The Prince of Tales