Ai’s trajectory is impossible to understand without knowing about his late father, Ai Qing. Regarded as one of China’s greatest poets, Ai Qing was a leftwing hero, having been imprisoned in 1932 for his links to communism. - The Guardian
The director half of the Merchant Ivory filmmaking duo (and the oldest person ever to win an Oscar) says he and Ismail Merchant weren't public about their coupledom because of Merchant's Indian family but had little problem in their industry. (Ivory's also unusually frank about sex.) - The Guardian
He became a comedian’s comedian—venerated by other comedians, especially those old enough to know that they wouldn’t be doing what they were doing if it weren’t for him—but he never quite kept up with the shifting times. - Slate
It was via Butler's 1977 film Pumping Iron that the charismatic Austrian bodybuilder came to the world's attention. Notable among Butler's other docs were Going Upriver, about John Kerry as Vietnam vet-turned-peace activist, and The Lord God Bird, about the last ivory-billed woodpeckers. - MSN (The Washington Post)
The scope of Morgan’s outreach was both personal and institutional, both public and below the radar. He made the Oakland Symphony a meeting ground and collaborative partner for all kinds of local musical organizations. - San Francisco Chronicle
He became famous for walking to the microphone with a newspaper and riffing on whatever stories he found there. (Time magazine called him "Will Rogers with fangs.") As actor-filmmaker Albert Brooks put it, "Every comedian who is not doing wife jokes has to thank him for that." - AP
You went to a Haitink concert fully aware of what to expect, only for those expectations usually to be surpassed. Haitink was able to make music emerge as if it was entirely uninterpreted — without it becoming anonymous... personal, even as it felt impersonal. - The New York Times
His brief period at Morehouse College included his acting debut, his involvement in the civil rights movement, and an unorthodox bit of speech therapy. - Literary Hub
When he resumes activity, MTT will first lead the New York Philharmonic (Nov. 4–7) and then return to San Francisco (Nov. 12–14), where he is music director laureate, following a 25-year tenure with the SF Symphony. - San Francisco Classical Voice
His creations have turned the former scofflaw graffitist into an illustrator and visual artist sought after by a growing list of global brands, including Adidas, Converse, Warner Bros., Google, Red Bull, EBay, Fendi, Ballentine and Mercedes-Benz. - Los Angeles Times
Weyermann (the NYT obit is here) is remembered by Ai Weiwei: "Her passing a huge loss to like-minded people; like a bridge of hope and imagination washed away in the storm." - The Guardian (UK)
Hutchins, killed by a prop gun, was finally on her way up. One director wrote, "She worked tirelessly for eleven years, and her career just started to take off this year. And it ends like this? ... Why does this industry take forever to notice a talent?" - Washington Post
Pinkney, "a legend in the world of children's publishing," won the Caldecott Medal, numerous Coretta Scott King Awards, and the recognition of millions of children and adults for his covers and illustrations. - NPR
Only 12 days before her death, Henry gave her last performance as the character “A” — an older, dying woman — in Stratford’s production of Edward Albee’s “Three Tall Women.” - Toronto Star
