Stephen M. Silverman, according to the Wall Street Journal, “is a veteran journalist and historian of popular culture who writes with verve and mischief.” He has written 13 books and is currently working on his 14th. These include his 900-year history of the amusement park, a vibrant chronicle of the Catskill Mountains, and the internationally acclaimed biographies of legendary film directors David Lean (who made 1962’s “Lawrence of Arabia”, and 1965’s” Dr. Zhivago”) and Stanley Donen (who made 1952’s “Singin’ in the Rain” and 1957’s “Funny Face”). He was the founding editor of People Magazine’s website and previously was Chief Entertainment Writer of the New York Post. In addition to teaching at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, he has written for Vogue, Esquire, Smithsonian, Harper’s Bazaar, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, and The Times of London.