author : Sharon WaxmanSharon Waxman is a former culture correspondent for The New York Times and holds a master’s degree in Middle East studies from Oxford University. She covered Middle Eastern and European politics and culture for ten years before joining The Washington Post and then The New York Times to report on Hollywood and other cultural news. She is the author of Loot: The Battle over the Stolen Treasures of the Ancient World and Rebels on the Backlot: Six Maverick Directors and How They Conquered the Hollywood Studio System. She lives in Southern California.