NAMES & FACES

Saturday, February 25, 2006

A Pen Name Still Gets Ink

The San Francisco-based publisher of controversial author JT LeRoy will move ahead with the printing of LeRoy's latest novel, "Labour." And Last Gasp publisher Ron Turner said there never was any question about it.

Turner acknowledged that the author's identity has been scrutinized, but added, "We publish fiction as fiction, unlike some publishers."

LeRoy attained a cult following as a literary HIV-positive former drug addict and ex-prostitute, but that man never existed. LeRoy actually is 40-year-old Laura Albert , according to her former partner, musician Geoffrey Knoop .

"Labour," about a young boy who lives in a trailer with his mother and her boyfriend, is scheduled to be released in July.

Martha Stewart: You've Fired!

Donald Trump vs. Martha Stewart : Round 6!

The home decorating maven has finally fired back against Trump's constant barrage of criticism about her reality show, "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart," canned last year after less-than-stellar-ratings.

Trump's most recent attack was in an open letter submitted to the press on Tuesday that said: "Your performance was terrible in that the show lacked mood, temperament and just about everything a show needs for success. I knew it would fail as soon as I first saw it and your low ratings bore me out."

"He's a spoiled brat," Stewart griped during an appearance on her daughter Alexis's Sirius radio show, "Whatever With Alexis & Jennifer." Stewart complained that Trump sent the letter to the media before he sent it to her and called him "evil," "immoral" and "juvenile."

Broadcast News

Items from across the radio dial, passed on by The Post's Paul Farhi:

· Urban adult-contemporary station WHUR (96.3 FM), a perennial ratings powerhouse, has benched its morning drive team, Tony Richards , TC , George Willborn and Herman Washington of "The Real DC Morning Show." They will be replaced in the 6-to-10 a.m. slot by the syndicated " Steve Harvey Morning Show," starting March 6. A station rep declined to comment.

· Former senator Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.), an actor who played a senator until he actually became one (and is now an actor again), has lined up a new gig: radio personality. ABC Radio will announce next week that Thompson has signed on as a senior analyst and vacation replacement for the legendary Paul Harvey , 87. Thompson isn't quitting his day job as the district attorney on "Law & Order." He'll be heard twice in the morning (8:30 and 11:45 am) on WMAL (630 AM) when Harvey's out.

· The forthcoming station WTWP (107.7 FM and 1500 AM) has hired NBC White House correspondent Bob Kur as its afternoon-drive host. Kur, who has anchored on MSNBC, will run the 3 to 7 p.m. shift. WTWP begins airing March 30, featuring reporters from The Post. It's owned by Bonneville International, which also owns WTOP (103.5 FM), WGMS (104.1 and 103.9 FM) and WFED (1050 AM) locally.

End Notes

· A crowd of Danish-loving demonstrators gathered outside the Embassy of Denmark yesterday to show support for the Nordic country in the wake of controversy over cartoons featuring the Muslim prophet Muhammad that were first published in a Danish newspaper. Attendees brandished signs with Dane-friendly slogans such as "Kierkegaard Rules" and "Submit to Havarti."

"It was a relaxed and happy event, and of course we're happy there are people who like Danish products," said embassy official Soren Jensen .

· Aging rockers Bono and Bob Geldof were nominated for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize along with the president of Indonesia, a former Finnish president and former U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell . According to the Associated Press, 191 people were nominated.

· Singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow is recovering from breast cancer surgery earlier this week and "her doctors think her prognosis is excellent," her publicist said yesterday. The 44-year-old Crow has postponed a concert tour set to begin next month.

-- Korin Miller