Category: People

Relatives of Pablo Picasso are discovered in Cuba. “Today, the black Picassos, as they call themselves, are thrilled about the discovery of their connection with the artist whose name from a clipping, cousin Luis Picasso, has kept for years in his wallet, simply because he found the coincidence of the spelling amusing.” – CNN

Steven Spielberg is to be knighted in London. “Although theatricality might seem appropriate, there will be no “Arise, Sir Steven Spielberg”. As he is not a British citizen, the director will not kneel or be tapped on each shoulder with a sword, nor will he be able to call himself “Sir”. He will, however, be able to place the letters KBE after his name.” – The Times (UK)

Vincent Palumbo, the last of the Washington Cathedral stone-carvers, died last week at the age of 61. “At his funeral in the nave on Wednesday, Palumbo was remembered as ‘the last of the classically trained stone carvers’, one who learned from his father, who had learned from his father and so on.” – Washington Post

“Mr. Robards, 78, started out as a stage actor in the 1950s, gaining critical acclaim for his performances in Eugene O’Neill plays, including ‘The Iceman Cometh’ and ‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night’.”-  Washington Post

Danish pianist/clown Victor Borge died in his sleep this weekend. He was 91. – The Age (Melbourne)

PHONETICALLY FUNNY: “Mr. Borge always preferred to write his own material. Many of his best lines began as ad-libs that he then worked into his act.” – New York Times

An analysis of Queen Elizabeth’s accent and speech patterns between the 1950s and now indicates a change. “While Her Majesty is not about to refer to ‘My ‘usband and I’, she now speaks in a way ‘more typically associated with speakers who are younger and lower in the social hierarchy’, the Australian analysts write in Nature.” – The Times (UK)

Twenty-seven years after his sudden death at the age of 32, Bruce Lee continues to attract a cult following. If you think this has only to do with his film career, look again. There are a shocking 55 websites dedicated to his martial art stylings, and the seven books of his writings that have been published posthumously have sold over 500,000 copies. – Boston Globe

Oscar Wilde’s headstone in Paris is being destroyed – by kisses. “Marker-pen graffiti can be cleaned off and anything that is scratched into the tomb can be rubbed down with sandpaper, but lipstick contains animal fats which sink in to the stone and also leave horrible marks.” – Daily Mail & Guardian (South Africa)

Charlotte Church may be selling a ton of recordings and making a fortune, but she’s still a kid:” I suppose, yeah. I’m not evil. I’m not that much of a devil. (Turning to mother) Am I acting a little more devilish as I get older, Mum? She says sometimes. There’s a lot she doesn’t know.” – San Francisco Chronicle

“Wisdom in the record business (if that phrase is not yet an oxymoron), for example, holds that a performer’s drawing power drops precipitously after his or her death.” But Leonard Bernstein seems to be a name that still draws considerable interest in the music world. – New York Times