To print this page, select "Print" from the File menu of your browser salon.com > People Nov. 13, 1999 URL: http://www.salon.com/people/col/reit/1999/11/13/npw1113 Hackman's prose, models pose, King of Pop now King of Poe? Gene hacks out novel without a ghost; photos you don't want to see of the organ you're sick of hearing about; Cindy, Rebecca and Daisy on the trials and tribulations of being paid to stand. Plus: Michael Jackson IS Poe! - - - - - - - - - - - - By Amy Reiter This week began with a conversation with actor-turned-novelist Gene Hackman, but by Tuesday had descended to the apparently profitable, once clear cut, nether region of John Wayne Bobbitt. By Wednesday, it was on to the onerous burden of beauty and -- through some kind of cosmic logic-- by Thursday the Gloved One's scariest role yet (or is it the least scary one?) was the topic. Is it any wonder that Nothing Personal had to take a break on Friday? - - - - - - - - - - - - Monday: "The prose of Hackman, the passion of Hillary" Gene Hackman, novelist? Yep, the actor and his diving buddy, underwater archaeologist Daniel Lenihan, have just released a deep-sea swashbuckler called "Wake of the Perdido Star." (Not ghost-written, they promise.) "We got back from the first edit a number of pages that I insisted meant 'Excellent!' when they made this giant X across the whole page," says Hackman, "but Dan persuaded me that that was a cut." Read the entire Nothing Personal Column for Monday, Nov.8. - - - - - - - - - - - - Tuesday: "John Wayne Bobbitt: From chopping block to auction block I guess eBay's rules against selling sex online don't extend to the sale of "rare photos" of a notorious sex organ. Or perhaps the eBay powers that be simply haven't heard yet that their site is now the place to purchase pics of John Wayne Bobbitt's reattached schlong. Bobbitt promoter Robert Yates has put up for auction graphic photos of his client's penis reattachment (comes complete with medical records!) and subsequent enlargement surgery. If interest seems a little flaccid at the moment, Yates is confident that bidding will perk up once Bobbitt's Japanese fans -- who, Yates maintains, regard his client as something of a folk hero -- get a load of the offer. Read the entire Nothing Personal Column for Tuesday, Nov.9. - - - - - - - - - - - - Wednesday: "Model behavior" You think supermodeling is easy? Cindy Crawford, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and Daisy Fuentes beg to differ. For instance, the flattery can be oh so tiresome. "During a shoot, people are shouting, 'Rebecca, you're beautiful. You look beautiful. You look beautiful,'" says Romijn-Stamos in an upcoming Mademoiselle interview with all three models. But, finishes Crawford, "It's not about you." What's more, too much gorgeousness can ruin a person's appetite. "If my husband and I are having dinner with another couple," says Crawford, "I don't go as a supermodel. I put on less makeup. I wear a ponytail. And nothing tight. I don't want that to get in the way of a woman being open to me as a person." Read the entire Nothing Personal Column for Wednesday, Nov.10. - - - - - - - - - - - - Thursday: "Blood on the dance floor?" Edgar Allan uh-oh? Michael Jackson has signed on to play the neurotic 19th century poet in the big-budget indie flick "The Nightmare of Edgar Allan Poe." Filming will start next year in Montreal. Quoth the raven: "What the ...?!" Read the entire Nothing Personal Column for Thursday, Nov.11. - - - - - - - - - - - - Friday: Extra! Extra! Nothing Personal takes a rare day off! I'll return next week -- tanned, rested and ready to dish. salon.com | Nov. 13, 1999