ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

PEOPLE

Kristin Chenoweth On The Backlash To Her Tweet On Charlie Kirk’s Death

“It was tough on me, but I’m not going to answer any questions about it because I dealt with it. It nearly broke me, and that’s all I’m going to say. You probably know my heart, so you probably know. … Anybody that knows me knows how I believe.” - The Hollywood Reporter

Actress Diane Ladd, Three-Time Oscar Nominee, Has Died At 89

She received nominations for Best Supporting Actress for Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Wild at Heart, and Rambling Rose; she performed in the latter two (and several other films) alongside her daughter, Laura Dern. Ladd appeared in a dozen or so other movies as well as scores of television shows. - The Hollywood Reporter

South African Author Zoe Wicomb, Who Wrote From Self-Exile, Has Died At 76

Wicomb, who was born just after apartheid was formalized, said, “I was transported from the vulgarity of apartheid by books — books opened up different worlds, and brought freedom from an oppressive social order.” - The New York Times

Fluxus Artist Alison Knowles, Who Made Art From A Tuna Sandwich, Has Died At 92

“She invited friends — and later hungry museumgoers — to join her for the ordinary-seeming meal, and she documented some of the feasts in journals and Polaroids.” - The New York Times

Why So Many People, Including New York’s Governor, Mispronounce Zohran Mamdani’s Name

John McWhorter: "Mispronouncing someone’s name certainly can be a form of ridicule or dismissal. … But malice is not the only possible explanation for these flubs. As a matter of pure linguistics, it would be surprising if people didn’t have trouble with the name Mamdani.” - The New York Times

W.H. Auden Became Close Friends With The Sex Worker Who Robbed Him

“A ‘once in a century’ discovery of a cache of long-lost letters has revealed how the English poet WH Auden developed a deep and lasting friendship with a Viennese sex worker and car mechanic after the latter burgled the author’s home and was put on trial.” - The Guardian

Nobel-Winning Writer Wole Soyinka Says He’s Been Banned From The US

“The Trump administration has revoked the visa for Wole Soyinka, the acclaimed Nigerian Nobel prize-winning writer who has been critical of Trump since his first presidency. … Soyinka previously held permanent residency in the United States, though he destroyed his green card after Donald Trump’s first election in 2016.” - The Guardian

Misty Copeland Speaks About Her Next Act

Two days after confetti rained down on Copeland, she spoke about her career at Ballet Theater and what comes next. - The New York Times

Prunella Scales, Star Of “Fawlty Towers,” Is Dead At 93

In addition to her role in what many consider the greatest British sitcom in history, Scales’s 60-odd-year career ranged through TV series from Coronation Street to Great Canal Journeys and films from Hobson’s Choice to Howard’s End — not to mention Dotty the Demanding Shopper from a set of Tesco commercials. - The Independent (UK)

Drummer Jack DeJohnette, 83

Able to bring dynamic, highly musical playing to open-minded free jazz, R&B-leaning instrumental grooves and everything in between, DeJohnette is perhaps best known as the drummer in Miles Davis’s fusion period, contributing to albums such as Bitches Brew, Jack Johnson and On the Corner. - The Guardian

Alison Williams Is An Adult Now

“After Girls, she more or less abandoned romantic heroines, in part to show her range and also because Marnie (and through her, Williams) became a target for online outrage. A little space seemed healthy.” - The New York Times

June Lockhart, Beloved TV Mom, Has Died At 100

Lockhart played Timmy’s mom - and Lassie’s human, too, on Lassie; and then she starred in Lost in Space as well. Lockhart started her career onstage at the Metropolitan Opera at age 8 and acted in movies and streaming TV well into her 90s. - The New York Times

Benita Valente, Bel Canto Soprano Who Brought Joy To The Met For Decades, Has Died At 91

Valente “was acclaimed for the faultless technique and intelligence of her performances in operas, recitals and chamber music, but inexplicably failed to gain a wider following among classical music audiences.” - The New York Times

Francis Ford Coppola Is Reduced To Selling Off His Watch Collection

“The filmmaker announced he will auction off seven watches, ranging in value from $3,000 to $1 million, ...  in an effort to rebuild his wealth after investing $120 million into the 2024 box-office flop Megalopolis.” - San Francisco Chronicle (Yahoo!)

Sculptor Jackie Ferrara, A “Lumberyard Poet,” Is Dead At 95

“In an era when sculptors were turning out factory-fabricated objects with shiny metal surfaces, … (she) stacked lengths of wood into objects that resembled pyramids, stairways and towers, imbuing the sleek forms of Minimalism with an aura of ancient mystery.” - The New York Times

Our Free Newsletter

Join our 30,000 subscribers

Latest

Don't Miss

function my_excerpt_length($length){ return 200; } add_filter('excerpt_length', 'my_excerpt_length');