On the page, her fabulous erudition was melded to a frankness that was so unaffected as to seem effortless. Actually—a very Joan word—simplicity is hard work, and Joan worked hard. She wrote her drafts in longhand and sent page proofs by fax. - The New Yorker
Scholars don't really know all that much about the 15th-century German who invented the movable-type printing press, but here's a rundown of what is known of Johannes Gutenberg and of the machine that ultimately led to mass literacy and changed European history. - The New York Times
In a five-decade career, "the Juilliard-trained Schickele generated agreeably melodic chamber music, vocal works, symphonic scores and film soundtracks. But he drew his greatest acclaim as a comedic maestro who created, performed, wrote about and lectured on the pseudo-classical and baroque music of the fictional P.D.Q. Bach." - The Washington Post (MSN)
The 75-year-old co-owner of the gallery Sikkema Jenkins & Co., which represents Kara Walker, Vik Muniz, and Jeffrey Gibson, among others, Sikkema was found dead in an apartment he owned in Rio de Janeiro with multiple stab wounds to his body. - Artnet
Clayton established herself as an innovator in the 1970s and ’80s, sparring with instrumentalists in avant-garde settings and using electronics to alter and extend her vocal palette well before the practice became common. - The New York Times
The current undersecretary for culture in the Giorgia Meloni government has been indicted for the alleged theft of a painting by Rutilio Manetti, a renowned 17th-century artist. - El Pais
At the Post from 1977-2010, "his column was widely syndicated, and his stiletto-sharp commentary on TV stars, trends and network executives brought him national attention and influence" — as well as a Pulitzer Prize in 1988. - The Washington Post (MSN)
The last surviving member of the classic sitcom's four leads, she played Trixie in skits on Cavalcade of Stars and The Jackie Gleason Show before The Honeymooners was spun off as a standalone series for the 1955-56 season. (She did not appear in the show's later iterations.) - The Hollywood Reporter
Ashton Taylor got her start alongside Edward R. Murrow at CBS Radio, then broke into broadcast TV in Los Angeles. "One of her favorite interviews, she noted, was with Albert Einstein, J. Robert Oppenheimer and Glenn Seaborg for a piece on atomic science." - The Hollywood Reporter
Though the French remain divided over the actor, long a symbol of France's movie industry (he's been in over 150 films), the mounting charges of sexual assault made against him are having roughly the same effect on the #MeToo movement in France that Harvey Weinstein had in the US. - Variety
From the estate of Lois Kirschenbaum, who spent decades attending opera and ballet and collecting autographs at Lincoln Center and elsewhere, "donations of $215,000 apiece have started to arrive, surprising groups like New York City Opera, American Ballet Theater, Carnegie Hall and the Public Theater." - The New York Times
"There was once a transgressive appeal to the Santos persona. … It was the inappropriateness of his high status that made him amusing. Now that he’s been brought low, viral fame supplies no tension for a Santos character. There is nothing transgressive about a grifter on Cameo." - The New York Times
Niblock made music from drones, microtones, and instruments such as cellos, bagpipes, hurdy-gurdies, and more. He remains best-known for the spare sounds he produced, but he also amassed a formidable oeuvre of photography, films, and videos. - ARTnews
"He presided over the newsroom as executive editor from 1994 to 2001, a period that coincided with the impeachment of President Bill Clinton and the chaotic presidential election night of 2000. … (His) tenure also coincided with the advent of digital media" and the launch of NYTimes.com. - The Washington Post (MSN)
It's been nearly six decades since then-toddler Jodie Foster played her first role. "Even minor celebrity is corrosive, and Foster’s fame is ridiculous. It has taken years of work, she says, not to be ruined by it." - The Guardian (UK)
