VANITY FAIR

Volume 56

Number 8

August 1993

Features

k. d. lang Cuts It Close: Leslie Bennetts catches up with k. d. lang, the Canadian singer who leaves fans and music critics grasping for fresh accolades, and who isn't afraid to speak her mind. Photographs by Herb Ritts........ 94

Sultan of Spin: The Clinton administration stunned Washington when it brought in veteran media handler David Gergen to replace George Stephanopoulos as communications czar. Maureen Orth goes behind the scenes at the White House shuffle. Illustration by Risko....... 100

The House That Fred Built: Fred Hughes, who helped Andy Warhol create one of the most successful empires in the art world, was left in charge upon the artist's death. Now he is at war with those he hired to help him manage the vast estate. Bob Colacello, a longtime friend of the artist's and former editor of Warhol's Interview, speaks to Hughes and his adversaries........ 104

Dangerous Curves: Matthew Rolston spotlights Anna Nicole Smith, the Guess? jeans bombshell, who is living the sweet life........... 112

Pete and Joan: Between them, Wall Street's Pete Peterson and Sesame Street's Joan Ganz Cooney have amassed a formidable array of accomplishments and allies. Hilary Mills probes the passions of this glamorously kinetic couple. Photographs by Harry Benson...... 116

Tearing Off the Veil: Islamic fundamentalism shrouds millions of women in an apparent Dark Age of subservience—and it is spreading west. Ann Louise Bardach visits the front lines of a religious and political battle........ 122

Pop's Granddad: As Roy Lichtenstein approaches his 70th birthday and a retrospective at the Guggenheim, Martin Filler profiles one of the century's most accomplished, and enigmatic, artists. Photograph by Michel Comte........ 128

Bill Cosby's Big Adventure: Bill Cosby's not-so-secret bid for NBC is a 90s quest fueled by the social conscience of a TV star who can't help referring to himself in the third person. Nikki Finke gets at the truth of why he wants NBC—and why "the Street" is so interested....... 136

Columns

Cultural Elite: From the fiction of Henry Adams to Pamela Harriman's salon, Christopher Hitchens traces the influence of the British ambassador........ 44

Sport: Frank Deford visits Nike's Oregon campus to find Phil Knight, the man who started the sneaker company—and an international phenomenon....... 52

Vanities

Jason Priestley's progress; Hype and Glory; Moby spouts; red-hot and Horton; Joel Hershman and Rob Weiss—new directions; George Wayne has Elsa in his Klensch; John Woo beats some sense into the action picture......... 75

Et Cetera

Editor's Letter: Nike's might........ 8

Letters: Closing arguments......... 38

Credits......... 171

Planetarium: Leos, check your roar at the door....... 173

Social Study: Nell Scovell gets the scoop on Connie Chung......... 174