Many people know that the iconic film critic, Roger Ebert has been battling cancer for a few years because he left his television show "At the Movies" (that he started with Gene Siskal in 1982). What many people do not know is the extent of the illness and the extraordinary life Ebert is leading these days. He has lost parts of his jaw and his ability to speak, eat or drink. For a very candid and personal look into the man's life, I highly recommend reading Chris Jones' piece in Esquire magazine, "Roger Ebert: The Essential Man". By internet standards it is a very long article, but definitely worth the read.

Ebert is also set to appear in an interview with Oprah, and with the help of a new speech device made by Scottish company CereProc, may be able to speak as he once did. I was unable to find out when this interview will air, but I will keep looking for it. Apparently Oprah and Ebert are long time friends and on a DATE (!) in the early 1980s, Ebert encouraged Oprah to pursue a career in television.