Although Stone feels personally compelled to pursue her humanitarian work and to use her celebrity status to help her in those efforts, she does not believe that other public figures should necessarily follow suit. When asked if she believes celebrity artists have a social imperative to help others, Stone replied “absolutely not. I don’t think artists have an imperative to do anything…They should be free to make art.”

Stone’s upcoming professional projects will merge her artistry with her activism. She is in the process of writing a book, the profits of which will go to fund AIDS research.

Additionally, Stone recently worked with socialite music producer Denise Rich to write the song “Come Together Now,” which will be recorded by a group of celebrities including Aretha Franklin, Lindsay Lohan, and Peter Gabriel for a CD to fund relief efforts for victims of South Asia’s recent tsunami.

The Harvard Office for the Arts (OFA) has invited Stone to return as a master teacher in the OFA’s Learning from Performers program, and at the luncheon there was some informal discussion of Stone returning to assist the First-Year Arts Program (FAP). Stone says she is very excited about both possibilities and hopes her schedule allows her to pursue them.

—Staff writer Marin J.D. Orlosky can be reached at orlosky@fas.harvard.edu