Michael T. Starks

Category: Heroes

  • Judi Dench

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    A moment in the movie Shakespeare in Love took my breath away. During a performance of one of Shakespeare’s plays, some guy wants to shut it all down. He talks about what Queen Elizabeth would want. Then, Judi Dench, playing the role of Queen Elizabeth, stands up and says, “Have a care with my name.…

  • Sir Ian McKellen

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    Sir Ian McKellen is not only one of my favorite actors; he’s been one of my heroes for over 25 years. I actually had the chance to meet him in person after the Denver premier of Richard III. I was working at the Mayan movie theatre in 1995. One of the benefits of working there…

  • Elton John

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    I’m unsure why I’ve waited so long to write about Elton John, another of my heroes. He is an outstanding piano player, composer, musician, singer, and performer! If I could only ever listen to one person’s music for the rest of my life, I would choose to listen to Elton John’s music. I love the…

  • Free Play (v2)

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    For years, I’ve talked to people about the value of playing make-believe as a kid. Growing up, I invited friends from the neighborhood to my tree house. It became a yacht navigating the world’s oceans, a spaceship taking us to distant stars, the headquarters of a vast network of spies, and a temporary home in…

  • Ethan Hawke

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    Ethan Hawke is one of my heroes who I’ve met in person. He was on a panel with Greta Gerwig at the Telluride Film Festival, probably in 2019. As he left the courthouse, I told him how much I admired his work. He was kind as he engaged in a short conversation with me before…

  • Revenge of the Tipping Point

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    As promised, here are some thoughts regarding Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book, Revenge of the Tipping Point. Instead of updating his first book, The Tipping Point, Gladwell explores different questions with this sequel, twenty-five years later. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the book, as narrated by the author. (That’s why I provided the Audible link above.)…

  • Bernie Taupin

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    I know Bernie Taupin through his collaboration with Elton John. He writes amazing lyrics and is one of my heroes. Here are some of my favorite songs that feature his lyrics. I didn’t realize that Bernie Taupin has continued to write lyrics for Elton John through the years. In fact, they did a sequel to…

  • Jimmy Buffett

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    I’ve enjoyed listening to Jimmy Buffett songs most of my life. I’m proud to say he’s one of my heroes. I have good memories of my Aunt Mae listening to Jimmy Buffett. I think she’s the one who first introduced me to his music. I love so many of his songs. The ones I’ve listened…

  • Arthur C. Clarke

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    I probably started reading Arthur C. Clarke’s books when I was in grade school. Here are some of my favorites. His short stories have been compiled into The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke. I remember reading a smaller collection of his stories called The Nine Billion Names of God, which is not so easy…

  • Marcel Proust

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    I’ve never made it all the way through Proust’s epic, Remembrance of Things Past, aka A la Recherche du Temps Perdu. Still, I consider Marcel Proust one of my heroes. His insights into the human condition are nothing short of extraordinary. Here is one of my favorite quotes from the translation by C.K. Scott Moncrieff…