An
expanded version of Peter's sixties memoir, SLEEPING WHERE I FALL,
is being released by Counterpoint Press on July 1st.
Originally published in 1998, the new edition will
include a 25-page afterword with additional photos.
Eleven years ago Library Journal gave the following
review: "Coyote not only survived the excesses of the Sixties and Seventies
but emerged from years of journeying through the counterculture to
achieve success as an actor. Considering the numerous casualties
among radicals, who, like Coyote, were heroin junkies living on the
edge of society, this is a rare feat. In this frank yet sensitive
memoir of those years, Coyote contradicts romantic notions of
communes by recalling the discord and petty disagreements typical in
his own communal living experiences at Olema ranch and Red House. He
describes the chaos created by the Diggers, an antiestablishment
group of which he is usually considered a founding member and
leader, famous for their stores where everything was given away
free, and he remembers his stoned life in Haight-Ashbury.
Eventually, he surfaced to work with the San Francisco Mime Troupe,
for which he received a special Obie Award. Coyote's thoughtful,
articulate writing displays a compassionate wisdom that puts this
chronicle in a class above the typical actor's autobiography. Highly
recommended for relevent subject collections in academic as well as
public libraries."
You
can add another documentary to Peter's long list of
National Geographic films that he has narrated over the
past twenty years. This month The National Geographic
Channel presents "Easter Island Underworld",
produced and directed by Geoff Luck. Deep beneath the
legendary Easter Island, a team of National Geographic
explorers undertook a groundbreaking expedition: to map
a vast cave system that became the last refuge of the
people who carved these iconic statues. Protected by
sheer cliffs, narrow labyrinths and underwater
entrances, these caverns have been forgotten for
centuries. Now, these adventurers discover human remains
and telltale artifacts that reveal an astonishing and
brutal breakdown of a once utopian society.
Last
November Peter was cast in LAST WILL, which also
stars James Brolin, Tom Berenger, Tatum O'Neal, Patrick
Muldoon, William Shockley, Brigitte Nielsen, Jeffrey
Dean, Moon Unit Zappa and Shawn Huff. Principal
photography took place in Missouri in 20 locations
around the Kansas City area. The film was directed by
Brent Huff from a screenplay by Alan Moscowitz. The
suspenseful drama involves a beautiful woman named
Hayden Emery (O'Neal) who is framed for the murder of
her wealthy husband Frank (Berenger). With all the
evidence stacked against her, Detective Sloan (Brolin)
arrests Hayden who finds herself in the fight of her
life as she tries to uncover the truth. Set against the
backdrop of a wealthy Midwestern city, LAST WILL tells a
story of deception, corruption and misguided family
loyalties. Peter has the role of a crooked judge named
Michael Garner.
May 10,
2009
You
can now purchase A SINGLE WOMAN on DVD at
this link. This movie brings to life the
adventures of Jeannette Rankin, the world’s first
female Congresswoman who also co-founded the
American Civil Liberties Union. Rankin was a
suffragist, and peace activist, inspired by Gandhi.
Elected to Congress twice, with over two decades
between her terms, she was the only Congressperson
to vote against both World Wars. A lifelong advocate
for peace, she led a campaign against the Vietnam
War in 1968, when she was 87 years old. The film is
a unique fusion of traditional biography, stage play
and historical collage. The film stars Jeanmarie
Simpson as Jeannette Rankin and is narrated by
Martin Sheen. Its inventive use of modern green
screen technology juxtaposed with stunning classical
line drawings, animated sequences, stock footage,
narrations by well-known actors (including Peter)
and popular music deliver an exciting and accessible
experience.
April 22, 2009
The following video interview was shot on March 17th at
Peter's Marin County home office. It was conducted by
Michael Nolan with the Ideas in Motion crew of John
Rogers and Jim Mayer on behalf of the National Campaign
to Hire Artists to Work in Schools and Communities.
ADOPT
A SAILOR continues to make the film festival
circuit with recent screenings at the California
Independent Film Festival and the Sonoma International
Film Festival, where star Ethan Peck captured the Best
Actor award. Here are a couple more photos from the
film: