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Forward thinking

An entirely subjective look at the week ahead

PRAYER AND PROFITS

Major mall presence (like colonizing International Plaza) isn't the only tactic for promoting a kids' movie. Taking a page from the selling of The Passion of the Christ, Disney will show The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe on 13 screens for 20,000 members of a church in Lake Forest, Calif., on Thursday, a day before its official opening. Several Tampa Bay area churches and religious radio stations have advance showings also.

Anyone who doubts we've heard the whole story on the 9/11 attacks can get an earful at 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at Tampa Theatre. The debut of The New Pearl Harbor: Confronting the Evidence features a documentary video and a panel that includes local activist Jimmy Walter, World Trade Center survivor William Rodriguez and Air Force veteran Joyce Riley. See www.reopen911.org for information, and don't expect to find any hints that Saddam Hussein was behind the whole thing.

As New Orleans struggles to rise from the mire, some of its stellar array of musicians step up with a benefit CD to be released Tuesday. Our New Orleans features new recordings by such Crescent City treasures as Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, BeauSoleil and Dr. John; proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity's rebuilding efforts in the city.

Three of our finest and most versatile writers celebrate birthdays this week. Joan Didion, who just won the National Book Award for her harrowing memoir The Year of Magical Thinking, turns 71 today, and journalist, humorist and food writer Calvin Trillin turns 70. Novelist, poet and gourmand Jim Harrison will be 68 Sunday.

- COLETTE BANCROFT, Times staff writer, 727 893-8435 or bancroft@sptimes.com