People: May 11, 1998

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AND FOR MOTHER'S DAY...

Have we been too hard on foreign despots? Inside of what appears to be a heartless tyrant like MUAMMAR GADDAFI is there really a sensitive thinker and environmentalist struggling to get out? Pierre Salinger thinks so. J.F.K.'s former press secretary has written the introduction to Gaddafi's first published work of fiction, just arrived in translation in the U.S. Cheerily titled Escape to Hell and Other Stories, Gaddafi's book mostly covers things that chafe him, including football, rock music and especially cities: "Flee from the lethargy and waste, the poison and boredom and yawning. Flee from the nightmare city," he writes. People, also, are a problem: "Your breath chases me like a rabid dog, its saliva dripping in the street of your modern city of insanity." Movie rights, apparently, are still available.

HARMONY AND ME

After the critical lancing MACAULAY CULKIN took for his past few acting efforts, who could tempt the young star back before the cameras? Perhaps only he who has been through the same inflation and puncturing process. At 23, writer-director HARMONY KORINE has already been lauded for the movie Kids, denigrated for the movie Gummo and received mixed reviews for his new book, A Crackup at the Race Riots. On the wholesome-to-jaded spectrum of American artistic endeavor, his work is as far from Culkin's as one could go. But he may have persuaded the young millionaire to appear in a video for Sonic Youth. The deal ain't over until Kim Gordon sings, but it could mark Culkin's first step into adult roles. Or at least keep his agent happy.

NEXT: OZZY OSBOURNE BUYS H. & R. BLOCK!

There was a time when banks liked to present themselves as staid old conservative places. Not anymore. First, Citibank sponsored an Elton John tour. (So it's not the Foo Fighters--it's a start.) Now three show-biz types have bought a bank. MAGIC JOHNSON, JANET JACKSON and former head of Motown Records Jheryl Busby have spent about $3 million on a controlling share in the California-based Founders National Bank. They hope to use their contacts and drawing power to get the African-American elite to plunk their savings there. They also hope to be able to attract more African-American businesses to apply for loans. Johnson, whose other investments include movie houses, shopping centers, even a few Starbucks, told the Wall Street Journal, "This is not a charity case. Hopefully we can knock down some doors and take the bank to the next level." And if they really need new customers, they could always work as loan officers for a day.

LIFE IMITATES FRENCH MOVIE

GRETA SCACCHI has added a new twist to the phrase "in the family way." The actress, last seen on these shores in the movie Emma, is pregnant by her first cousin, according to the British press. She and Carlo Mantegazza, whose mother is the sister of Scacchi's father, have been living together since last year. To complicate matters further, when Mantegazza first moved in, his ex-wife of seven years, Sian Houston, was living with Scacchi as well. Houston has since moved out, but is overjoyed for the new parents. "I'm very happy for them," said Houston. "Greta and Carlo only got together fairly recently. I think it was a surprise to both of them." And to a lot of other people, actually.