Johnny Depp, Literateur

Department of the Ultra-Cool: Historian/biographer Douglas Brinkley and Johnny Depp are preparing Woody Guthrie's 1947 novel House of Earth, completed but never published, for its first printing:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/books/review/woody-guthries-dust-bowl-novel.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all 

Bob Dylan is in on this, too; Brinkley and Depp shared the manuscript with him, and he was "blown away." I love it when writers, musicians, film people, artists cross their boundaries and promote each other's work. James Franco is a big literary type. Bruce Hornsby is an enthusiastic reader who recommends regional American novels in concert - I've heard him do it. Alec Baldwin is now the radio announcer for the New York Philharmonic and tweets often about his classical music listening. They should all be saluted. When we get tired of hearing about junk and trivia, it's nice to be lifted up by stories of people using whatever powers they have - and we all have powers - for the good.