"Polanski, who fled the U.S. decades ago after admitting to the statutory rape of a 13-year-old, will no longer face trial over an alleged assault of another minor after reaching a settlement. … (This case) had been due in civil court in Los Angeles next August, but has now been withdrawn." - France 24
"Filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee and Ken Burns and singers Missy Elliott and Queen Latifah were among 20 recipients of National Medals of Arts, while the 19 recipients of National Humanities Medals included playwright-screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and historian Jon Meacham." - AP
"A dancer, singer, actress and comic impersonator since childhood, Ms. Gaynor was much admired for her stamina and versatility over more than seven decades in show business" — ranging from movie musicals (most notably, South Pacific) to Las Vegas revues to TV variety shows to cabaret. - The Washington Post (MSN)
“She said that with the wars raging between Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, with deaths being reported every day, she could not hold a celebratory press conference,” Seung-wo told Korean reporters. - LitHub
"Gates’s business dealings and art making are not at odds: Salvage from the buildings goes into his art installations; proceeds from his art sales fund his building renovations and community programs. … He hopes to demonstrate "an open model for what an artist can be.'" - T — The New York Times Style Magazine
"Fan Bingbing, once one of China’s most famous film stars, is returning to the screen after a more than five-year hiatus following her alleged involvement in a massive tax evasion scandal." - The Guardian
No writer who heard it would touch it. From bookstores to biographers to journalists, the literary world had everything to gain from an untarnished Alice Munro. Open secrets require closed doors. - The Walrus
"The attempted murder trial of (Hadi Matar,) the man charged with severely injuring author Salman Rushdie in a 2022 knife attack was put on hold Friday while judges consider a request to move it to another county. Jury selection had been scheduled to start on Tuesday." - AP
But he finally realized there was no avoiding it. "There is this moment of incredible tension and excitement before going on stage, you know, before appearing. And then when you're there, everything is amazing. Everything is just incredible. So I think I'm the best version of myself." - NPR
Lowe’s "passion for historic preservation — and in particular for the Beaux-Arts mansions, museums and towers of the Gilded Age — helped stem the tide of urban renewal that was leveling large swaths of American cities in the decades after World War II.” - The New York Times
“Paramount didn’t want me to play Michael Corleone. They wanted Jack Nicholson. They wanted Robert Redford. They wanted Warren Beatty or Ryan O’Neal.” - The Guardian (UK)
Dick was a master Chilkat weaver "(Kwakwaka’wakw, Haida, Tlingit, Kootenay), whose artistry fused traditional carving, weaving, and beading practices that she learned from family members and shared with her local Haida Gwaii community.” - Hyperallergic
On Monday night, Met director Peter Gelb returned fire, strafing the Gray Lady — and its chief classical critic, Zachary Woolfe — and claiming there was “an agenda” behind the brutal review. - New York Post
"Over a career that lasted more than 30 years, Abeshouse made hundreds of records with some of classical music’s biggest stars," many of whom gathered at his home last month for a goodbye concert. "He won two Grammy awards, including Classical Producer of the Year in 1999." - NPR
The Finnish eccentric, known for his long white hair and beard, rotund figure and quirky personality, composed 371 symphonies, most single-movement works with colorful titles. While he guest-conducted widely when younger, in later years he kept most of his work on the podium within Finland but attracted devoted followers via recordings. - Gramophone
