"Weinstein had proved his skill at storytelling in the movie business. But trials are not movies, shot under controlled conditions and revised in the editing room." An excerpt from Ken Auletta's Hollywood Ending: Harvey Weinstein and the Culture of Silence. - The New Yorker
Alla Nazimova, a Jewish-born native of Crimea, was raised in Switzerland, studied at the Moscow Art Theater, became a renowned stage actress in New York, made enormous sums in silent movies, and had numerous affairs with men — until she met Mercedes "I can get any woman from a man" de Acosta. - Tablet
Verdi built Villa Verdi on land he owned in Sant’Agata di Villanova, a hamlet near his home town of Busseto in the Emilia-Romagna region, in 1848. It was initially inhabited by his parents before Verdi moved in with his second wife, Giuseppina Strepponi, in 1851, remaining there until his death in 1901. - The Guardian
"Her controlled, carefully evolving, global visibility has been one of the great demonstrations of durational performance art. It is a feat ... made possible by the Queen's powers of concentration, stamina and presence of mind. She has become a Marina Abramović for the ages." - The Art Newspaper
Ms. Brophy, who had written self-published romance novels, had once speculated in a 2011 blog post that a wife who kills her spouse must be “ruthless” and “very clever” because she is likely to become a prime suspect. - The New York Times
“I feel like I’m starting a new life as a writer,” he says to me. “What I have is a pleasure in writing that is greater than it used to be. That may be a rare occurrence for a writer. Most of the ones I know are kind of winding down. I don’t feel that I am.” - Saturday...
"I will voluntarily appear in the U.K. as soon as can be arranged and defend myself against these charges," said the disgraced actor in a statement, "which I am confident will prove my innocence." - ABC News
There's no way to sum up her influence, but: "Lewis was an artist, an activist, a historian, an author, a curator, a professor, a gallerist, a collector and a beloved mentor who helped document and elevate work by Black artists for almost eight decades." - Los Angeles Times
The actor died suddenly at 67 last week, and many people are remembering him for Goodfellas. But the true breakout was Something Wild, wherein he shone off the screen. "By all accounts, Liotta was a lovely man in person. On-screen, there was no one scarier." - Washington Post
"For her 10th birthday, Dervla Murphy received a secondhand bicycle and an atlas. As she rode up a hill near her home that day in Lismore, County Waterford, Ireland, she thought that if she pedaled long enough, she could get to India." - The New York Times
The sandwich, priced at $1.95, was made with fresh bread from a local Italian bakery, aged cheddar cheese and a substantial smear of butter to make it perfectly crispy — exactly how Kinnear liked it. - Washington Post
"Pembroke Dock town councilor William Gannon, age 58, was just elected earlier this month, but he couldn't quell rumors about his supposed illicit artistic activities in January, which he believes may have been started by his political opponents." - Artnet
"British prosecutors said Thursday they had authorized police to charge actor Kevin Spacey with four counts of sexual assault against three men, an announcement that came as the actor was in court in New York testifying in a different case." - AP
Best known for Something Wild, Field of Dreams, and Goodfellas, "in a decades-long, genre-spanning career, Liotta played criminals, cops, a baseball star, a preacher and even Frank Sinatra." - MSN (Los Angeles Times)
He had knowledge, taste, charm; two high-profile galleries; a beautiful partner and baby daughter. Now he's in prison for fraud, internationally reviled, and owes $86 million. As one friend-turned-victim puts it, through "a toxic mix of arrogance and alcohol, ... he's sabotaged his entire life for short-term greed. It's just stupidity." - The Guardian
