Frank Rich was named associate editor of THE NEW YORK TIMES in January 2003 and began writing a weekly essay running as a column on the front page of the paper's Sunday Arts & Leisure section that March. Prior to that, he served as a columnist on the op-ed page, and was the paper's chief drama critic beginning in 1980. The first show he covered was the explosive opening night of David Merrick's "42nd Street." Before joining the TIMES, Rich was a film and television critic at TIME magazine. In addition, he has written about culture and politics for many other publications. His latest book, a childhood memoir titled GHOST LIGHT, was published in 2000 by Random House. A collection of Rich's drama reviews, HOT SEAT: THEATER CRITICISM FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES, 1980-1993, was published by Random House in October 1998.