It’s hard to believe, but Simply Streep celebrates its 10th anniversary these days. I can’t recall the exact day of the site’s opening, but since it’s Meryl’s 60th birthday as well this Monday, what better opportunity is there to just join the party. So, Simply Streep is now officially 10! To celebrate both events, the website has received a complete make-over, including lots of new features.

From now on, you can search all news and updates and comment with others on the latest entries. The Image Library has received a new face as well. Some images have to be re-added, so be sure to keep an eye on gallery updates. And if you want to receive updates in real-time, join the brand-new Simply Streep Twitter! Some may wonder were the placeholder for the forum went to – the fact is that the discussion forum will not be re-opened any time soon. This is a personal question of time, and I feel that for now the spare time I have for this website is better invested in the main site. But since Simply Streep is a constant work-in-progress, be sure it will give you the interatcivity to communicate with others in time.

The site still has some tweaks that need to be fixed, and there will be some changes made, but so far the new launch is complete, and I hope you enjoy your stay at the new and improved Simply Streep! Feel free to use the comments function to submit your feedback!

New fantastic production stills from “Julie & Julia” have been added to the Image Library with many thanks to Tina!

Lots of new pictures have been added to the Image Library. First, many quality pictures of Meryl receiving her Princeton Honorary degree on June 2. Then, new on-set pictures from the still untitled Nancy Meyers project. Finally, the official theatrical poster for “Julie & Julia”. Thanks to everybody as always for your heads-up and special thanks to Tina for her help!

Princeton University awarded degrees to 1,128 undergraduates and 753 graduate students at its 262nd Commencement Tuesday, June 2. In addition, the University conferred honorary doctoral degrees upon five individuals for their contributions to civic engagement, performing arts, engineering and sustainability: Meryl Streep, Ernesto Cortés Jr., an influential community organizer; Ruby Dee Davis, a renowned actor and civil rights activist; Irvin Glassman, a leading figure in combustion and energy research and Princeton’s Robert H. Goddard Professor Emeritus of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; and Alice Waters, a celebrated chef and proponent of sustainable cuisine. Some pictures from the event can be found here with more to follow soon at Simply Streep. My most generous thanks to everybody who has sent in notes on this!

Academy Award winner Meryl Streep will take part in an upcoming by-invitation-only reading of Don Cummings’ A Good Smoke. Hare/Deux Productions will present the June 14 reading at the Public Theater. Show time is 7 PM. Actress Streep will be joined onstage by Henry Wolfe Gummer, Grace Gummer, Tony winner Debra Monk, Joe Paulik and John Rothman. Pam MacKinnon directs. “Mom isn’t the center of attention anymore,” according to A Good Smoke press notes. “Will she stop at nothing to regain that position? Mom drops her meds – cold-turkey – the day her daughter gives birth, resulting in severe drug withdrawal. As her daughter is wheeled into delivery, Mom is hauled off to the psych ward. Dad and their two sons are trying desperately to cope, but this family is functioning at its worst when it needs to be at its best.” Kevin Spirtas is producing manager of the reading. The Public Theatre is located in Manhattan at 425 Lafayette Street.

The last remaining category of the video archive, the Miscellaneous section, has been now updated with lots of videos that don’t fit any of the other categories, including excerpts from her voice work on film, footage and press conferences from various festivals and award shows as well as public service announcements hosted for her many supported charities. Enjoy the new clips.

Meryl Streep can be soon heard among Wes Anderson’s voice talents in the upcoming animated stop motion picture “The Fantastic Mr. Fox”. Based on the novel by Roald Dahl, the story is about a fox named Mr Fox. At night, he steals chickens, ducks, and turkeys from three mean, stinky and wealthy farmers – Boggis, Bunce and Bean – in order to feed his family. The farmers are fed up with this and try everything to kill him. One night they wait outside his foxhole in an attempt to ambush him. When Mr Fox emerges from his home, they fire at him but only succeed in blowing off his tail. Determined to catch him, the farmers use spades and shovels to dig their way into the foxes’ home, but Mr and Mrs Fox and their four children dig a tunnel deeper into the ground and manage to escape. George Clooney and Meryl Streep voice Mr. and Mrs. Fox, with additional voice work by Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Anjelica Huston, Willem Dafoe, Michael Gambon and Owen Wilson. The film will release UK screens on October 23, 2009, and US screens on November 13, 2009.

Entertainment Tonight could be retitled to Meryl Tonight since they are again airing an exclusive on their show, this time a set visit on Nancy Meyer’s still untitled comedy, starring Meryl, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. The report will be aired on Thursday! Thanks to the many people who sent me a note on this, very appreciated!

The Literature to Life program of The American Place Theatre will kick off its newest campaign, Project 451, with a celebrity gala to be held at Theater at St. Clement’s, May 17 and 18, where Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451, will be honored. A verbatim performance of this classic novel, directed by Wynn Handman, that has been developed by Literature to Life, will debut at the Gala, acted by Rich Orlow. The program will conclude with readings of very short passages from other works of great literature by distinguished guests. Celebrities such as actors Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin , Sam Waterston , John Hockenberry and Kathleen Chalfant, Eric Bogosian, Jessica Lange, Anna Deavere Smith, Chris Cooper and Marion Seldes and poet laureate Billy Collins will contribute to the Project 451 campaign by recording clips for the Project 451 Living Library. Following the Gala, guests will be given the opportunity to do the same. Tickets begin at $100. Call 212-594-4482 x 16. More info, including a video message by Meryl Streep, can be found at www.americanplacetheatre.org.

Meryl Streep will receive the Golden Marc’aurelio Acting Award at the Rome Film Festival. The announcement was made by the festival’s president, Gian Luigi Rondi. Meryl Streep will meet the public and the press in a special event when the festival runs from October 15 to 23. Exact dates and more info will come closer to its opening. Many thanks to Terry for the heads-up!