"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
“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
“Steve Rubin did more for music criticism than anybody — first, in the searching articles he wrote as a young man; later, as a brilliant editor and meticulous judge of talent; and then as the founder and guiding force behind the Rubin Institute for Music Criticism." - San Francisco Classical Voice
"Bley was a force in jazz even before she made her first albums, her compositions recorded by notable modernists of the 1960s. … (She became) the pianist behind some of the most beloved compositions in the jazz canon, who recorded over two dozen albums between 1966 and 2019." - NPR
“In an era of cancellation and defenestration we sometimes forget that we cannot go on like this and that we have been here before. We know this because our greatest writers and artists have addressed this question in their own times." - Variety
The author of The God of Small Things gave a speech about Kashmir and the Indian government's counterinsurgency campaign there at a conference in Delhi in 2010. She's now "accused of making statements promoting social enmity, prejudicing national integration and inciting offences against the state and public tranquillity." - The Conversation
Dariush Mehrjui, 83, one of the founders of Iran's "new wave," and his wife/co-screenwriter/costume designer, Vahideh Mohammadifar, were discovered by their daughter with knife wounds in their necks. - AP
Dariush Mehrjui, 83, "one of the pioneers of Iranian cinema’s new wave movement, and his wife, Vahideh Mohammadifar, 54, a screenwriter and costume designer, were found dead by their daughter." - The New York Times
Laurie rebelled against the studio system, volunteered for the McGovern candidacy - and came back to perform in Carrie and Children of a Lesser God. - Los Angeles Times
Glück also won the Pulitzer in 1993. She "wrote about childhood, family, loneliness and death, drawing inspiration from Shakespeare, William Blake, ancient mythology and her own life as a teacher, mother, sister and spouse." - Washington Post
Pyotr Pavlensky was sentenced to six months' imprisonment and fined €20,000 for broadcasting sex videos of politician Benjamin Griveaux, this driving him out of the Paris mayoral race. (Background: Eight months after claiming political asylum in Paris, Pavlensky set fire to the Bank of France.) (in English) - Le Monde (France)
At one time, there was one Banksy who had a graffiti career and a famous “beef” in the subculture with London graffiti legend Robbo. That time is gone. Banksy is now a collective of artists who work together to produce thoughtful, provocative and subversive pieces and installations. - The Conversation
"What would be great is to collect all the myths that exist about me, because maybe they’re more interesting than my life!" Q: "Could it be that you yourself encourage these myths?" A: "Well let’s see …" (in English) - El País (Spain)
"He wakes up every day at 6 a.m., … checks his emails, and reads (several) newspapers before beginning his writing at 8 a.m. on the dot. He also jots down his daily schedule on a file card, crosses off each of his tasks when completed and then stores the card away." - CNN
