Memories Were Made of This

What do actors, singers, writers, directors, and novelists do in their leisure time? They check out other actors, singers, writers, directors, and novelists — and often, they like what they see (or hear, or read). We asked some of show biz's best, brightest, and funniest to tell us what entertainment they'll remember most from 1991. Here's what they told us:

''Camille Paglia's Sexual Personae, the Iron John book, and Sam Keen's Fire in the Belly. For me, it was a year of reading and inward contemplation. I continually go back to those three books and read passages. I'm amazed at how appropriate they are for where I am now as a man.''
Kyle MacLachlan
Agent Cooper on Twin Peaks

''When Pee-wee Herman came onstage at the MTV awards and said, 'Heard any good jokes lately?' I thought that was brilliant. Pee-wee's been a friend of MTV for all these years, and this was MTV's way of standing behind him and saying, 'Come home. We love you.' I was very proud to be an employee of MTV that night.''
Martha Quinn
MTV VJ

''The special effects in Terminator 2 — everything from where the guy was melting and turning into all kinds of shapes to When Arnold drove the motorcycle off the wall.''
Travis Tritt
Singer, It's All About to Change

''The premier episode of I'll Fly Away on NBC because it is the first really honest emotion I've seen on TV in 10 years.''
Stephen King
Author, Needful Things

''The highlight of 1991: In Living Color's version of 'Gypsy Woman.' The best album: Prince's Diamonds and Pearls, the only one I bought.''
Crystal Waters
Singer, Surprise

''The Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings. It was certainly the best drama of the year. But they should have put Anita Hill on the Supreme Court — that would have been a better ending.''
Julie Salamon
Author, The Devil's Candy

''Seeing the Gipsy Kings perform live this past summer in Atlanta — they were amazing!''
Martina Navratilova
Tennis star

''Anything on A&E or Discovery. I love documentaries about things like the lives of lions. But I'm really looking forward to the Rudolph Christmas special.''
Darren E. Burrows
Ed on Northern Exposure

''Lying in the sun, in Mougins (in France), reading the manuscript of Gay Talese's new book, Unto the Sons, which will be out this winter.''
Nancy Friday
Author, Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women's Sexual Fantasies

''Rereading (William) Burroughs' book Junkie after about five years. When I first read it, I thought, 'Okay, how cool, that's how it is, all right.' Now, five years later, I can only think, 'Jesus, what was I doing to myself back then, man?'''
Nikki Sixx
Bassist and cofounder of Mötley Crüe

''The success of Boyz N the Hood. We (my brother Reginald and I) believe it demonstrates that you can make a film that is politically and culturally uncompromised and generates a broad audience: a real turning point for the black cinema movement.''
Warrington Hudlin
Producer, House Party

''Watching the World Series.''
John Grisham
Little League coach and author, The Firm