The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 34

THE PRICE OF FRIENDSHIP NBC has agreed to pay Jennifer Aniston and the five other young stars of "Friends" $750,000 an episode. Tom Dorsey outlines the compromise deal on Page F2. S3p mxut'dmtml Tuesday, May 16, 2000 Ann Landers F4 Comics F4, F5 Snow Clock F6 Tom Dorsey F2 TV listings F2 Editor: Greg Johnson, gjohnson (alouisv02.gannett.com Phone: 582-4667 Fax: 582-4665 www.courier-journal.com A I III) Hil Ml Il You can 'abide' with novelist at Hawley-Cooke he Buzz mm mnuhn NEWS NONSENSE WARREN PAYNE Free rock show! Woo! The Enkindels are to rock what butter is to rolls they urn, I don't know where this is going. But whatever, dude. The Enkindels definitely rock, and they're giving it up for free A page-turner of romantic intrigue with a black gay twist, "Abide With Me" has Raymond's chances for a federal judgeship and his relationship with Trent threatened by an FBI investigation.

Meanwhile, Basil hatches a sexual plot to seduce Raymond tect lover, Trent Walters; bisexual, emotionally troubled sportscast-er Basil Henderson; and cabaret singer Nicole Springer. All were introduced in Harris' self-published debut novel of 1992, "Invisible Life," which he hawked from the trunk of his car to tion that reads in gold lettering: "Save the Date, July 18, 2000. Wedding Bells will be Ringing for Yancey Harrington Braxton John Basil Henderson." Such romantic twists and turns, plus the novels' gossipy narrative, nave propelled Harris into the pantheon of must-read African-American authors. He soaks up the adoration gratefully. He told Publishers Weekly last year, "I'm not into this new snobby buppie thing Who am I to be dismissive to my fans who come up to me on the street? I am very much aware that I am here because of them." Harris By LARRY MUHAMMAD The Courier-Journal Blockbuster novelist E.

Lynn Harris has attracted thousands of adoring, predominantly black female fans who sometimes call him in the middle of the night, send him roses or wait starstruck at his hotel rooms. It will be easier to spot Harris at 7 tomorrow night when he appears at Hawley-Cooke Booksellers in Shelbyyille Road Plaza with his latest sizzler about chic and successful black gays. It's titled "Abide With Me" (1999 Double-day hardcover, $25; Anchor Books paperback, $13). Fans of the prolific University of Arkansas journalism graduate (five novels in seven years) already know his main characters well high-powered Seattle attorney Raymond Tyler and his archi- at 7 tonight at ear X-tacy records, 1534 Bardstown Road. The occasion is a new album, "Can't Stop the Enkindels," which won't be released officially until next Tuesday.

ana oreak up tne couple's happy home. When Nicole lands a Broadway role, understudy Yancey Braxton feeds her laxatives to create her own big break. Yancey is new to the ensemble but will figure as the female counterpart to Basil in "Not A Day Goes By," Harris' forthcoming novel from Doubleday. It's due in July. Press material for "Abide With Me" includes an embossed invita beauty shops and neighborhood bookstores before it became an Anchor Books paperback original.

It has now sold more than 300,000 copies at $13 apiece. In 1994 came "Just As I Am" ($25 Doubleday hardcover, $13 Anchor Books paperback), the second volume in a trilogy concluded by "Abide With Me," which spent eight weeks on The New York Times best-seller list. lAlTnTl III Ill 1 1 II Brickey For more information on Harris' appearance tomorrow, call Hawley-Cooke at But you can buy it tonight while enjoying Louisville's most uninhibited frontman, Mark Brickey; there are no roadblocks between his brain and your mouth. That's not a typo. Consider tonight's show an appetizer for this weekend's Krazy Fest 3, a three-day festival of underground rock on the Belvedere Plaza downtown.

Brickey helped organize it. The Enkindels perform Friday night. Jeffrey Lee Puckett, The Courier-Journal Box office Russell Crowe is becoming a champion of the box office as well as of the Colosseum. His "Gladiator" stayed in first Ollltlllg 111 U1L OIUW ICUll To America's 'hyper-parents these authors say: Relax and live fx place its second weekend out by taking in an estimated $24.3 million. At No.

2 was John Travolta's critically drubbed "Battlefield Earth," which opened Friday. The science fictionScientology flick Erf -4V- 15 ,,) fMtWUIIIIIIIl 1 virtr" "'1 i made $12.3 million. At No. 3 was the World War II submarine drama "U-571," which took in $5.8 million, fol lowed by three movies tied for fourth Vf i place: "Center Stage," "The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas" and "Frequency," $4.8 million. Movies to look out for: Disney's "Dinosaur," which opens Friday, and a new screen version of "Hamlet." The latter, set in contemporary Manhattan and starring Ethan Hawke, is doing well in limited release.

Come out, come out! vtiw By LAURA SESSIONS STEPP The Washington Post It has become many a parent's mantra, a near-unanimous whine of the affluent who multitask: We are too busy! We aggressively pursue all of the activities we think will bring us and our families happiness. Empowered by cell phones and Palm Pilots, we can drive our daughter to a travel-team soccer match two hours away, reassure our boss we will meet our 6 p.m. deadline and confirm our doctor's appointment, all at once. So why aren't we satisfied? Two new books suggest why. In the midst of all this running, their authors say, we haven't stopped long enough to figure out what things are truly important to us and how we can enjoy more of those things.

As Katrina Kenison writes in "Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry" (Warner Books), "When we race through life we miss it." Ominously, we may be shortchanging, even damaging, our children as we run, according to Alvin Rosenfeld and Nicole Wise, authors of "Hyper-Parenting: Are You Hurting Your Child By Trying Too Hard?" (St. Martin's Press). "By the age of 18, 20 percent (of children) have suffered a major depression," they write. "Close to 9 percent of adolescents have been diagnosed with anxiety disorders Should our goal be preparing our kids to get into the college of their choice or to live the life of their choice?" Rosenfeld, a psychiatrist, and Wise, a journalist, are neighbors in Stamford, a wealthy suburb of Manhattan, N.Y. They hatched the idea of a book after chatting one day about some parents they knew who were going to extremes to raise perfect children.

"Hyper-Parenting" traces the reasons why, in the authors' view, the current generation of parents is so driven. One reason is that we can afford to be. "We are the most well-off, most well-educated generation ever," says Rosenfeld, 54 and the father of three. Past generations had enough to do providing food, adequate housing and decent schools. Fortunate parents today do not worry so much about physical resources, so they've turned their attention to what used to be the domain of children themselves: their hearts and minds.

As well-informed as many of these parents are, they question their ability to parent well, according to Rosenfeld. This makes them even more hyper. "We don't trust ourselves, partly because there are all these experts telling us we can't," he says during an interview. Parents also feel competitive with other parents. "Who can hear the soft voice of reason in the midst of a stampede?" he asks.

Kenison's book provides that soft voice of reason. A former book editor in Manhattan, Kenison, 41, left the publishing world to work at home in a Boston suburb when her first child, Henry, was born. She was moved to start writing "Mitten Strings for God" at her parents' home in Florida, while reading "The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life" by Thomas Moore. In that book, Moore suggests that See TO Page 4, col. 1, this section 1 Ot Hi I 1 i i' 14 i ah Sean Hayes is concerned about being typecast.

The 30-year-old actor, who plays the flamboyant and funny Jack McFarland on NBC's "Will Grace," tells this week's issue of TV Guide that, i '-'rmr 'i i vm umioiiV THE WASHINGTON POST "Some days seem to offer their own quality of space and ease. Other times I have to switch gears midway through that I can pull my children out of the swift current of a day and guide them into a calm pool instead. Katrina Kenison, author of "Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry" "with the society that we live in today, I don't want to put anything into anybody's mind." Hayes, who doesn't discuss his sexuality, adds, "I am definitely never going to play a cop or fireman. But I would love to play someone like Mozart or Sid Vicious. I didn't become an actor to play one role." David Walton, The Courier-Journal Stage effect Cruising controversy is one more example of our troubles i The best play of the New York season is Michael Frayn's "Copenhagen." So says the Drama Desk, a group of theater journalists and critics.

Some of the other major awards: musical, actor-play, Stephen Dillane, "The Real actress- ri jj pi Ziemba Police conduct is being discussed at public hearings this week and last, but the mayor should be having his own. That he is not is evidence that he doesn't get it. Col. Ronald A. Ricucci, director of public safety, does get it.

He says any plan that failed citizens failed. "Anytime we inconvenience our citizens, it's a problem," he said. "They're our customers. And when customers aren't happy, we have to do something. Even if major incidents were avoided, it doesn't outweigh that." "We had good intentions," he said.

Ricucci said police will use the feedback from public hearings to create a better plan for next year that may include stickers for cars to get into their own neighborhoods and less blocking off of West Louisville streets, which was designed to keep cruisers out of those neighborhoods. But Ricucci also wants the public to know that police were successful in dealing with the cruisers, which climbed to 150,000, out-of-town so-called freaks this year. "We're going to be releasing the tapes showing the behavior," he said. "I've got one tape if they weren't having sex, they were simulating sex right out in the car. I haven't heard too many complaints about arrests.

We made nearly 200 citations and towed about 100 cars." And, Ricucci said, if some officers were rude, they still knew better than to be violent. "If somebody gets a scratch, they're going to the press. I'm not hearing that, he said. "Our officers are cognizant of the use of force." Ricucci also may be an internal saving grace at City Hall, where the problem with race relations in Louisville has been focused on only since the police chief was fired. "I think we've got some racial divides," Ricucci said.

"I've been here five years, and let me tell you what: When I was talking to county police chiefs who worked on the busing riots, they told me some really tragic stories. To me, all this business with firing the chief and marches emphasizes: Has anything changed since busing?" "We as a community we've got to come together. I don't understand why there's no Chow Wagon in the West End. I was told it wasn't profitable. I don't accept that." The mayor shouldn't either.

We've got bigger problems to solve than fix ing traffic. This is only the beginning. play, biiceu ncvnaiij "The Waverly actor-musical, Brian Stokes Mitchell, "Kiss Me, actress-musical, Heather Headley, featured actor-play, Roy Dotrice, "A Moon for the actress-play, Marylouise Burke, "Fuddy featured actor-musical, Stephen Spinella, "James Joyce's The featured actress-musical, Karen Ziemba, "Contact." Andrew Lippa received best-music honors for "The Wild Party," and Stephen Sondheim won for his lyrics to "Saturday Night." Speaking of Broadway, "Cats" got a new life. The musical was slated to close next month, but the box office is doing so well, the run has been extended to Sept. 10.

Quote of the day "My mother kept an extra roll of toilet paper that had a little knit hat and a pompon. The dog had a sweater, and the couch had little fabric toupees. I never felt the need to try drugs; my reality was already altered." Jerry Seinfeld, to Hollywood On-Line. It has finally dawned on some of the city's black elected officials and many of its black voters that when Mayor David Armstrong fired Police Chief Gene Sherrard, it had nothing to do with them. It was about politics.

Plain and simple. So we got marches, protests, rallies and visits from Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. Then comes the Kentucky Derby, and we got Derby night cruising: the lewd, loud, dangerous car partying that takes over Broadway and other streets. And West Louisville residents got a plan to combat traffic that stranded them, or sent them in circles or generally made their lives miserable all because of the gap between the police and the mayor, and some black people and the mayor, who by the way, did not see a huge problem with what happened, according to his over-used spokeswoman, Alicia Sells. "He did not feel the plan failed," she said.

"He felt there were some parts that needed modification He felt that courtesy to citizens needs to be addressed for next year." You don't say. So now the mayor is bunkered at City Hall with the police mad at him, black constituents mad at him and some black elected officials joining the Fraternal Order of Police in calling for his resignation, the first thing they've agreed on in months. And he's left to explain why he shot down a a proposal for an alternative activity for cruisers Derby night. Sells said waterfront concerts weren't an option because they would have disturbed sleeping passengers on steamboats in for the Derby. (She really said that.) But anything would have been as good as using hundreds of officers to direct traffic that wasn't moving.

mi fmm R0CHELLE RILEY Anything mud have been as good as using hundreds of officers to direct traffic that wasn't mrti inn 1 it CO Birthdays i i i i i uiuvuiy. i MII Rochelle Riley's columns appear on Sundays and Tuesdays in Features and I Fridays in The Zone. You ca: call her at (502) 582-4674. Si. email to riley525aol.com Read her columns at www.courier-journaI.con Actors: George Gaynes, 83; Harry Carey 79; Pierce Brosnan, 47; Debra Winger, 45; Mare Winningham, 41; Tracey Gold, 31; David Boreanaz, 29; Tori Spelling, 27.

Musicians, singers, Billy Cobham, 56; Janet Jackson, 34; Ralph Tresvant, 32; Rick Authors: Studs Terkel, 88. Am BY KEITH WILLIAMS, THE COURIER-JOURNAL The Louisville Police blocked 28th Street at Greenwood Avenue to keep cruisers from getting to Broadway after the Kentucky Derby on May 6..