Dena Ross: November 2008 Archives

I recently got the chance to speak to singer Joan Osborne, who--even if you aren't a fan--you probably know from her hit 1995 single, "One of Us." [Oh, you know the words: "What if God was one of us/Just a slob like one of us/Just a stranger on the bus/Trying to make his way home."]

Well she hasn't disappeared. She's actually out in full force with a new album, "Little Wild One," which I highly recommend you check out. My favs are the title track, "Hallelujah in the City" and "Sweeter Than the Rest." I'll have a complete interview with Joan up on Beliefnet soon, but for the time being here is a sampling:

What are you most thankful for this year?

My daughter is always at the top of my list of things that I'm thankful for, since she was born a few years ago. She's always the number one person on that list. But, I guess I would probably broaden that to include my family in general.

I [left] my hometown and came [to New York City] years ago and was very focused on thoughts about my career and what I wanted to accomplish and what I wanted to contribute as an individual in the world.

And a lot of my attachments to family seemed very easy to leave behind. And perhaps since my daughter was born, or perhaps just because I'm getting a little older, I feel that pull of family and that awareness of family and how important it is and how precious it is a lot more than I use to.

Do you have any special holiday traditions?

I try to take my daughter to the Big Apple Circus right after Thanksgiving every year. That's kind of become a new tradition. It's great to sit beside her and watch her experience this kind of a show, through her little 3-year-old eyes. It's really beautiful. .

And also, in Kentucky [her hometown], we have a Christmas Eve tradition. Usually we'll do a big Christmas Eve dinner at my cousin's house, and then one of the older cousins will get dressed up as Santa Claus and come down the stairs--not the chimney, but the stairs.

The little kids are just squealing and totally beside themselves and he gives out some presents. To see that through your own child's eyes is pretty special.

Stay tuned for the complete interview, where Joan talks about her Catholic upbringing and her spiritual life now.

   

In "Fanboys"--coming to theaters February 6, 2009--a group of friends obsessed with Star Wars plot to break into George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch to steal an early copy of "Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace." The movie stars Dan Fogler, Sam Huntington, and Kristen Bell.

Related Features:

Quiz: The Religion of 'Star Wars'

The Force is With...Everyone

10 Greatest Spiritual Characters in Science Fiction

In post WWII Germany, a teenage boy and a mysterious older woman begin an affair and become a part of each other's lives in ways you would not expect. The film stars Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes and it opens December 10th.

Whew! I think I might be able to sleep tonight. I just read that Stephen Baldwin will not be leaving the country after all, now that Barack Obama has become president, something my fellow Idol Chatter blogger Esther Kustanowitz has been wondering about too.

According to Page Six of the New York Post the born-again Christian and star of Bio-Dome was just kidding when he told Fox News that he wouldn't be cool with an Obama presidency.

"The liberal Democrats who didn't get that I was joking need to lighten up. Obama is obviously talented and intelligent, and I have great respect for the man. He's got my full support, and I'm gonna be praying for him and his administration," said Baldwin. Though the conservative star added, "If they legalize gay marriage in all 50 states in my lifetime, I'll get a Billy Ray Cyrus tattoo on my butt to go with the Hannah Montana one."

In this Disney animated film--which hits theaters on Friday--a dog who plays a superhero on TV goes on a cross-country adventure. The movie stars the voices of Miley Cyrus and John Travolta.

In this scene from the just-released WWII movie, a young German boy witnesses his Nazi officer father viewing a propaganda film about concentration camps....

In this Danny Boyle-directed British drama, a poor young man goes on India's version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" in an attempt to reconnect with an old girlfriend. He does so well that he's suspected of cheating. Check...

In this scene from the upcoming movie "Twilight"--which hits theaters November 21--main character Bella Swan has a confrontation with an evil vampire....

Tuesday evening an obsessive Paul Abdul fan, Paula Goodspeed, committed suicide by drug overdose, in front of the "American Idol" judges' home. Goodspeed, who had tried out for the hit reality show before---and was completely panned by Simon, Randy, and...

Recently a wonderful book came across my desk called "Awearness: Inspiring Stories About How to Make a Difference," by clothing designer and humanitarian Kenneth Cole. The book is a compilation of essays by such well known celebrity-activists as Elton John,...

This upcoming romantic movie stars Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson as two strangers who strike an unlikely connection and help each other change their lives. The film opens December 26....

In this scene from the upcoming vampire movie "Twilight"--which opens in theaters on November 21st--main character Bella Swan has a lunchroom encounter with the mysterious Edward Cullen....

Writer/director Frank Miller ("Sin City," "300") talks about why he decided to bring the comic book character "The Spirit" to the big screen. The film stars Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, and Eva Mendes and opens Christmas Day....

Check out this clip from the upcoming Lions Gate Christian horror film, "House" based on the novel of the same name by Ted Dekker and Frank E. Peretti. The movie is about a homicidal maniac who claims to have "killed...

The worldwide sensation Celtic Woman has just released their new CD/DVD "The Greatest Journey: Essential Collection." If you're a fan of Celtic music, you will absolutely love this group (if you don't already!) Beliefnet has 5 copies of the CD/DVD...