Stories

Actor Bill Nighy Is Somehow More Charming Than You Might Even Have Imagined

Here is the actor, answering readers’ questions in a way that one can practically hear. Just wait for the phone book reading section. - The Guardian (UK)

A Perfectly Written Rejection Letter For Gertrude Stein

Sure, this is a work that would later become The Making of Americans, but in 1912, it was an experimental poetry manuscript rejected out of hand, and with snark, by London publisher Alfred C. Fifield. - Open Culture

If You Really Want To Reach Those ‘Book Goals,’ Here Are Some Strategies

Make it a community affair - or read in a new spot in your town or city. Adjust your genre plans. Or, you know, just dump the goals and have a good time. - NPR

What Singers At DC’s Black Opry Think Of Beyonce’s New Album

"No matter how you feel about Cowboy Carter, this is a historic moment. Not only is Beyoncé using her enormous platform to deliver an artistic statement and raise the profile of other Black country artists, the highly-hyped album could help reframe the way audiences feel” about country. - Washington Post

Book Ban Fans Are Targeting Public Libraries In Different Ways Than School Libraries

But make no mistake: They’re coming at, and for, public resources as well. "Sometimes destruction from the inside via library boards is aided in part by city or county politics and sometimes, it’s those city or county politics that overtake the board and library altogether.” - Book Riot

Lorraine Graves, Who Dazzled As A Groundbreaking Harlem Ballet Principal, Has Died At 66

"Graves broke barriers — not only as a celebrated dancer for a multiracial company that showcased African American excellence in a traditionally European art form, but also, at a towering 5-foot-10 ½, as an exceptionally tall one." - The New York Times

Facebook Is Cutting Its News Tab For Those In The US And Australia

The feature debuted in 2019, and has already been cut in France, Germany, and the U.K. "The change comes as tries to scale back news and political content on its platforms following years of criticism about how it handles misinformation.” - Chicago Sun-Times (AP)

A 30-Year Quest To Find The Author Of A Book Picked Up For One Egyptian Pound

The author of the book died by suicide in 1963. "All she left was a note by her bed for her son, Abbas, that read: 'I do love you, it’s just that life is unbearable. Forgive me.' After her death, her writing fell into oblivion.” - The New York Times

Chance Perdomo, Star Of Gen V And The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina, Has Died At 27 In A Motorcycle Crash

Perdomo, in a “Breakthrough Brit” video, talked about the power of art and acting. "There’s no point in just ranting at someone. … But if you can connect with them emotionally and have them think outside their peripheral vision to somewhere else, then that can change perspectives." - Los Angeles Times

In The This Seems Fine Department, AI Only Needs A 15-Second Sample To Clone Your Voice

"OpenAI suggested several steps that it thinks could limit the risks around tools like these, including phasing out voice-based authentication to access bank accounts, policies to protect the use of people’s voices in AI, greater education on AI deepfakes, and development of tracking systems of AI content." - The Verge

For Arts Ecosystems, Dance Is A Harbinger Of Health

The infrastructure necessary for dance to succeed requires development - and support. That’s why "the fall of the Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts in downtown Minneapolis is worrying. Not just for dance but for the whole Minnesota arts scene.” - The Star-Tribune (Minneapolis)

The OED Goes Japanese In Its Latest Update

Most of the new Japanese words relate to food, but there’s also art, including “kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by joining pieces back together and filling cracks with lacquer dusted with powdered gold, silver, or platinum, highlighting the flaws in the mended object." - The Guardian (UK)

Instead Of Ridding Buildings Of Graffiti, Landlords Are Now Cashing In

Because of course they are. For instance: "Spray painters still add political messages to the mosaic of artwork in east London. But they are nestled between more commercial interests: hand-painted campaigns sponsored by L’Oréal, Sky and Adidas." - The New York Times

Lewis Carroll Apparently Had Terrible Insomnia

Of course, the author of Alice in Wonderland embraced the joys of sleeplessness. “For Carroll, waking and dreaming were not quite the opposites they seem to be. And since he believed dreaming to be a source of creativity, it follows that to him, sleeplessness might also be useful." - Slate

We’re In A Golden Age Of Campy TV Shows

“We are positively drowning in shows about the glitzy world of the well-to-do that I can only—facetiously, of course—describe as being catnip for a gay man with a streaming subscription." - Slate

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