So does every other country's belief in its war history, of course. "Versions told by autocrats and family men trample diary entries and letters. Stories, or rather silences, around the Siege have haunted Leningrad-native Barskova her entire life." - LitHub
Apparently, some people can't predict when a Black woman-led (and directed) action film might truly perform at the theatre. But "The Woman King received rapturous reviews. More important, ticket buyers gave the PG-13 movie an A-plus grade in CinemaScore exit polls." - The New York Times
As the musical closes, the production team says they're proud of the work that the musical has done to bring teen mental health forward in pop culture. And they give tribute to the twin sisters who saw the show, everywhere, hundreds of times. - American Theatre
"The Native American activist, who endured decades of harassment after declining Marlon Brando's best actor prize at the 1973 Oscars ceremony, received a formal apology from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences." - CBC
"The academy is looking for more experienced TV veterans to steer the Oscars, which has been dogged by declining ratings for years, and hopes to establish an ongoing relationship with producers over multiple years." Then there was the Slap. - Los Angeles Times
The fire "was first reported shortly after 11 p.m. involving 10 trees at the location of Highland Avenue and the Hollywood Freeway, near the storied outdoor concert venue." No injuries were reported, and the fire was quickly extinguished. - The Hollywood Reporter
Shocker: Ninety-one percent of emoji users "like to employ them to 'lighten the mood of a conversation.' ... The presence of a little smiley face helps soften our tenth request that someone take out the trash that’s been sitting by the front door for two days 😉." - Hyperallergic
"Agile in its strangeness from the beginning, Atlanta never lacked for awe. It reveled in it. What gave the series its juice was its willingness to experiment while staying true to the intonations of Black storytelling." - Wired
It's a soft power wave. "My resigned teenage self could never have imagined that one day, my non-Korean friends would be recapping the latest hit K-dramas before I’d heard of them, or that I’d be shopping for Gotchu hot sauce ... in Brooklyn." - The Guardian (UK)
Gayl Jones and Jamil Jan Kochai are the only established names on a list that includes two filmmakers and several books of short stories - and that leaves off some expected nominees like Yiyun Li, Lydia Millet, and Andrew Sean Greer. - Washington Post (AP)
Gina Yashere knows. "I came here thinking I’m a great comic, I’m going to earn a living immediately, just from the comedy — until I get on TV." Instead, it's been a hard hustle from day one. - Los Angeles Times
Phantom "was the Hamilton of its day. To put its staying power in perspective, ... Into the Woods opened during the same season as Phantom. That fairytale-themed musical is currently playing its second Broadway revival and will shut its doors before Phantom ends its first run." - Playbill
It's more than just dunking on people who think (white) mermaids are real. "These new visions of classic fantasy worlds and characters are simply a reflection of our new, more multicultural world. And that's probably what most scares fans who are used to white-centered fantasy." - NPR
"I’m sometimes asked about fiction I wrote 50 years ago and it’s cheering to know that for readers there is no time dimension. Books live in a form of the perpetual present." - The Guardian (UK)
A new film, based on a real-life pair of twins, aims to upend the narrative of identical twins as creepy, potential serial killers. - The New York Times
