The co-artistic director says that “the cast members’ travel documents were scrutinised for three hours, with the group returning the next day to be told that one of the actors, Syed Haleem Najibi, would be unable to travel as the officials claimed they had never heard of the Home Office Certificate of Travel that he was carrying.” – The Stage (UK)
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If A Western Isn’t Focused On Male Violence, Is It Even Part Of The Genre?
Well, yes, it can be. If you want to see a Western that focuses on women without being cutesy or trite about it, look abroad. The form is still legendary; now it lives better in places where “it’s no longer a throwback.” – Los Angeles Review of Books
Charles Dickens Attempted To Banish His Wife To An Asylum When He Was Having An Affair With A Young Actress
Yuck. New letters show his cruelty – and though Dickens tightly controlled his image during his life and burned more than 20 years of correspondence (including that with his wife), the new letters have caused some consternation in the literary world. “Reading the material was quite difficult to be honest. … Dickens is a literary great who I have studied and admired for many years but some of the letters made very uncomfortable.” – The New York Times
The Woman Who Designed Wakanda
Hannah Beachler, the production designer for Black Panther, was the first Black person nominated for the award. She and director Ryan Coogler took their time creating the sets for the visually magnificent movie. “‘The rocks, the moss on the rocks, how the rocks were formed, how they were layered, the color of them — everything around me that was nature I took pictures of,’ Beachler says. Beachler also took note of the architecture, clothing, food, transportation and ways of life.” (Alert: This all paid off, and she won at the Academy Awards on Sunday night.). – NPR
Bestselling Novelist W.E.B. Griffin Has Died At 89
Sure, the man had millions of novels of his own in print – but millions more under other pseudonyms (Griffin is also a pseudonym for William E. Butterworth III), not to mention the numbers of books he ghostwrote. “His fast-paced novels, rooted in history and chockablock with technical details, combined action, sex and patriotism and had a devoted readership.” – The New York Times
Dolly Parton Walks The Line
The famous singer of “9 to 5” (and star of the movie) speaks about the #MeToo movement, the new 9 to 5 musical (opening in London), and more. “I mean, I must be if being a feminist means I’m all for women, yes. But I don’t feel I have to march, hold up a sign or label myself. … I’m just all for gals.” – The Guardian (UK)
Dear Americans, Please Stop Acting Like Work Is Everything (It’s Killing You)
How did we get to this idiotic point? Workism. What’s that? “It is the belief that work is not only necessary to economic production, but also the centerpiece of one’s identity and life’s purpose; and the belief that any policy to promote human welfare must always encourage more work.” – The Atlantic
The Newest ‘Complete’ Schubert Symphony No. 8, This One Finished By Artificial Intelligence
Not that the AI could do it alone: It “analysed the timbre, pitch and meter of the first and second movements, using this data to generate melodies replicating Schubert’s style. Huawei then employed Emmy-winning composer Lucas Cantor to arrange those melodies into a hypothetical completed Symphony No 8.” – Irish Examiner
Who Won An Oscar Last Night?
Here’s the complete list of winners. – Variety
Here’s A Documentary About The Actual Green Book
Ahem. You know, there really was one, and it really was key for Black people traveling in the South (and elsewhere) for decades. Something you might watch as counter-programming tonight? Hmmm. – The Atlantic