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Matthew Perry, Comedic Heart Of ‘Friends,’ Has Died At 54

Perry, who played the sweet and not so smart Chandler on the popular show, was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home. - Los Angeles Times

Trying To Explain The Messy New Yorker Fight With Comedian Hasan Minhaj

Minhaj's career was halted by a New Yorker piece, but the online tide seems to be turning. Why, exactly? - Slate

Joanna Merlin, Who Made Her Mark Onstage And Off, Has Died At 90

Merlin originated the role of Tzeitel in Fiddler, and starred in Beckett with Sir Laurence Olivier - but after she left the stage to raise her children, Hal Prince called her up for a new role: Broadway casting director. - The New York Times

Conductor Zdeněk Mácal Is Dead At 87

After fleeing Czechoslovakia following the 1968 Soviet invasion, he made an international career. He was music director/chief conductor of the Cologne Radio Symphony (1970-74), the NDR Radiphilharmonie in Hannover (1980-1983), the Milwaukee Symphony (1986-1995), New Jersey Symphony (1993-2002), and, in a triumphant return to his homeland, the Czech Philharmonic (2003-2007). - NJArts.net

Comedian Hasan Minhaj Responds To New Yorker Story Suggesting That His Stand-Up Act Is Full Of Lies

“To everyone who read that article, I want to answer the question that’s probably on your mind: Underneath all that pomade, is Hasan Minhaj just a con artist who uses fake racism and Islamophobia to advance his career? Because after reading that article, I would also think that.” - The Hollywood Reporter

Artist Robert Irwin, 95

Within the contemporary art world, Mr. Irwin’s work on human attention and perception — he called it, with a nod to scientific research, an “inquiry” into perception — was highly influential; he won a MacArthur “genius” award in 1984. - The New York Times

Richard Roundtree, Star Of “Shaft”, “Man Friday”, And “Roots”, Is Dead At 81

"Dubbed the first Black action hero, Roundtree became one of the faces of the 1970s blaxploitation movement when he starred as the street-smart New York sleuth." He appeared in more than a dozen other features and several television series. - The Hollywood Reporter

The Wealthy San Francisco Matron Who Transformed Modern Study Of The Aztecs

"(Zelia Nuttall) was the first to decode the Aztec calendar and identify the purposes of ancient adornments and weapons. She untangled the organization of commercial networks and transcribed ancient songs. … Having taught herself Nahuatl, she was the first to transcribe and translate ancient manuscripts." - Smithsonian Magazine

Steven Lutvak, Composer Of “A Gentleman’s Guide To Love And Murder,” Is Dead At 64

"Over the years, Mr. Lutvak wrote several musicals that were staged in regional theaters and Off-Off-Broadway. But none were nearly as successful as A Gentleman’s Guide.' … The show opened in November 2013 and ran for 905 performances over more than two years," winning four Tony Awards. - The New York Times

Ex-Prime Minister Berlusconi Bought 25,000 Junky Paintings On TV. His Heirs Are Having Difficulty Getting Rid Of Them

The former Italian prime minister, who died in June, bought many of the paintings and sculptures from late-night telesales programmes. Managing the extensive collection is proving a headache for his descendants. - BBC

Jack Anderson, Longtime NYT Dance Critic, Has Died At 88

Anderson wrote approximately 4,000 pieces for the Times. He "combined a historian’s learnedness with an enthusiast’s ardor for what was new and surprising." - The New York Times

The Problem With French Cinema

Justine Triet, director of Anatomy of a Fall, spoke out against French film funding after she won the Palme d'Or at Cannes - and then her film wasn't chosen for France's nominee to the Academy Awards. - The Observer (UK)

The Swiftie Universe Expands Yet Again (To Film). What’s It Mean?

Swift is that rare artist who’s been rolling along, picking up new fans and keeping the old, during her long career. Just as Taylor has reinvented herself, giving some lyrics little tweaks in her re-recordings, different iterations of me, and everyone, have had our own evolutions. - Washington Post

Vincent Patrick, Author Of “The Pope Of Greenwich Village”, Is Dead At 88

"The son of a Bronx pool-hall owner and numbers runner, Mr. Patrick was raised in a milieu sprinkled with the grifters, hustlers and mobsters who would eventually become characters in his novels, which also included Family Business (1985) and Smoke Screen (1999)." - The New York Times

At 89, What Keeps Wole Soyinka Going Strong? Being A “Closet Masochist”

“I should be slowing down, I know, but each time I try to slow down something happens, and I have to get on the trail again. You see, I am deprived of that sense of inner tranquility once I turn my back on a situation." - Literary Hub

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