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The Author Of “Gomorrah” Is On Trial For Criminal Defamation Of Italy’s New Rightist Prime Minister

"Roberto Saviano, Italy's best-known anti-Mafia author, went on trial for libel on Tuesday for calling Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni a 'bastard'.  If convicted, he could face up to three years' imprisonment, but under Italy's legal system a fine of around €500 euros or a suspended sentence are more likely." - Reuters

US Patent Office: No, Mariah Carey Can’t Trademark “Queen Of Christmas”

While Carey might’ve filed a petition to be the one and only “Queen of Christmas,” that royal title will remain free for anyone to claim this winter. - Washington Post

Conductor David Robertson Returns To Composing

My composition chops were extremely rusty and needed buckets of WD-40 put on them. What was interesting is how once you get started, you actually get in the zone; all of a sudden wonderful things start occurring to you. - Van

Roberta Flack, Stricken With ALS, Can No Longer Sing

The 85-year Grammy winner, whose biggest hits were "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "Killing Me Softly With His Song," has been diagnosed with the neurological syndrome amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ("Lou Gehrig's disease"). - AP

Jay Leno Hospitalized With “Serious Burns”

The former longtime host of NBC's The Tonight Show, who is now 72, reportedly suffered burns to his face in a gasoline fire which broke out in the garage where he keeps his collection of vintage cars. - The Hollywood Reporter

Jeff Bezos Says He’ll Give Away Most Of His Money. So How?

“The hard part is figuring out how to do it in a levered way,” he said. “It’s not easy. Building Amazon was not easy. It took a lot of hard work — a bunch of very smart, hard-working teammates, and I’m finding — and I think Lauren is finding the same thing — that charity, philanthropy, is very similar.” -...

Maurice Sendak’s Dance Between Art And Music

Music was an essential ingredient in Sendak’s creative process. “The work can’t happen without music,” he said in 1994. “I think everything I’ve done is a collaboration with a composer.”  - ArtForum

Alan Rubin, Co-Founder Of Washington’s Biograph Theater, Has Died At 85

Rubin was a geologist before he discovered the joys of art films in San Francisco. "For nearly three decades before it went dark in 1996, the 270-seat Biograph was an oasis for a small but devoted class of film buffs." - Washington Post

Gal Costa, Who Popularized Brazil’s Tropicalia Songs, 77

"Costa was a leading exponent of música popular brasileira. ... She never considered herself a traditional protest singer, or even politically motivated until the last few years when she spoke out against Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro." - Washington Post

What Will Emma Thompson Do Next?

The actor, comedian, and writer is set to become ... a director of a musical on the West End? - The New Yorker

Brian O’Dougherty, Artist And Art Critic, Has Died At 94

As an art critic at The New York Times, O'Dougherty "championed emerging artists like Eva Hesse and established names like Mark Rothko. ... A restless spirit, Mr. O’Doherty left The Times after just three years, eager to make his own work." - The New York Times

A Gentler Spotlight On Artist Maya Lin

"Lin's works continue to grab the public's attention — and, she also hopes, the public's activism. But she might never get truly used to living in the public eye." - NPR

Filmmaker And Screenwriter Paul Haggis Ordered To Pay Millions In Rape Case

Haggis was ordered to pay $7.5 in damages and may end up owing more in punitive damages related to the 2013 sexual assault. Five women have accused him of assault and rape, dating back to 1996. - BBC

Jury Finds Filmmaker Paul Haggis Liable For A Rape In 2013

"The jury deliberated for nearly six hours and the unanimous panel of four men and two women awarded the plaintiff, Haleigh Breest, $7.5 million in compensation and recommended punitive damages, which will be decided Monday." - Variety

Vandals Who Spraypainted Graffiti On Ancient Nevada Petroglyphs Sentenced To Prison

“No restitution or repair can undo the damage done by those who would vandalize such a sacred and historical site as White River Narrows, but this ruling demonstrates that such crimes will not be met with a slap on the wrist.” - Hyperallergic

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