John Waters

Baltimore's bawdy John Waters and teenage heartthrob Justin Bieber have a little something in common. Facial hair. Justin's, of course, hangs over his eyes — those famously floppy bangs. Waters' creeps across his upper lip. And now, young Justin, one of the hottest stars on the planet, has let the world know he covets the filmmaker's trademark, pencil-thin mustache. The two shared the sofa last week as guests on Britain's "The Graham Norton Show. " Bieber was there being a heartthrob, while Waters promoted his book "Role Models.

You know you're the face of Establishment Baltimore when you're on the cover of the Calvert School alumni magazine, even when that face belongs to John Waters. The filmmaker, once regarded as terribly naughty, is featured on the fall issue of "Reflections,' reminiscing about his days as a Calvert School elementary student, from 1952 to 1958. This is John Waters on his very best behavior, mind you, talking in the magazine piece about the importance of learning to write in general, and learning to write thank-you notes in particular.

You know you're the face of Establishment Baltimore when you're on the cover of the Calvert School alumni magazine, even when that face belongs to John Waters . The filmmaker, once regarded as terribly naughty, is featured on the fall issue of "Reflections," reminiscing about his days as a Calvert School elementary student, from 1952 to 1958. This is John Waters on his very best behavior, mind you, talking in the magazine piece about the importance of learning to write in general, and learning to write thank-you notes in particular.

When Joshua Grannell, 36, was growing up in Annapolis, he didn't realize how supportive his parents were when he was being "a little creative dictator. " Most wouldn't have encouraged his creation of extravagant haunted houses, much less dress up in costume and sell tickets (as his mother did) or pursue a little-girl actor with a chainsaw (as his father did, after removing the chain). Now they have the satisfaction of seeing Grannell's drag alter-ego, Peaches Christ, become a cultural hero in San Francisco and beyond.

Busting unions, destroying Main Streets. That's the stuff Walmart usually gets accused of doing. But director John Waters warns that the world's largest retailer could be up to something even more sinister: killing a latent hipster vibe. "Walmart will kill Remington from ever being a hipster neighborhood," Waters told The Baltimore Sun's Michael Sragow in the course of an interview on Waters' new book, "Role Models." "I hate Walmart," Waters said. "I know it gives people jobs, which is a good thing, but I don't think it treats its employees well, and it's one of the biggest censors of R-rated or NC-17 movies, or cutting-edge CDs, in the world."

Your John Waters coverage on Sunday was excellent ("The education of John Waters," May 23). Mr. Waters continues to be a state institution and makes his mother and drag queens proud. A minor quibble: I was surprised by Mr. Waters' uncharacteristic elitism displayed in his negative comments about Remington getting a Walmart. Mr. Waters admits that it will provide needed jobs but then attacks Walmart for low salaries and censoring movies and CDs. He contends that it will prevent Remington from ever being a "hipster neighborhood.

The Sundance Kid himself will be among the slew of glitterati stopping off in Baltimore next month to speak at the annual convention for Americans for the Arts. Robert Redford is among a roster of famous folk including filmmaker John Waters, avant-garde theater and opera director Peter Sellars, and blog founder Arianna Huffington scheduled to attend the convention sponsored by the advocacy group, Americans for the Arts, from June 24-27. Unfortunately, fans will have to be content with spotting the stars from the distance.

You might think you know John Waters, but until you read his latest book, "Role Models" - well, to quote Jeremy Irons' Claus von Bulow, "You have no idea. " Waters avidly links his "Baltimore heroes," like the lesbian stripper Lady Zorro ("My kind of burlesque queen"), to far-flung friends and influences. They include "genius fashion dictator" Rei Kawakubo, who once brought him to Paris to model her work, and "outsider pornographers" like David Hurles. They also include artists and entertainers as popular as Johnny Mathis and as widely acclaimed as the psychological novelist Lionel Shriver ("We Need to Talk About Kevin")

You might think you know John Waters, but until you read his latest book, "Role Models" — well, to quote Jeremy Irons' Claus von Bulow, "You have no idea." Waters avidly links his "Baltimore heroes," like the lesbian stripper Lady Zorro ("My kind of burlesque queen"), to far-flung friends and influences. They include "genius fashion dictator" Rei Kawakubo, who once brought him to Paris to model her work, and "outsider pornographers" like David Hurles. They also include artists and entertainers as popular as Johnny Mathis and as widely acclaimed as the psychological novelist Lionel Shriver ("We Need to Talk About Kevin")