The Next Great Indie Bookstore Chain? Shakespeare & Co. Makes A Move

In addition to the flagship store on Lexington Ave., the company opened its first store in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square last October. A second New York City store, which opened the following month, marked Shakespeare & Co.’s return to the Upper West Side after a 20-year hiatus. A fourth store, which originally was to have opened in Greenwich Village late last year, is expected to open soon. – Publishers Weekly

How The LA Phil Turned A Beethoven Concerto Marathon Into More Of A Relay

This music story has more sports metaphors than most sports stories, but let’s just run with it: Lang Lang got injured and could only perform one of the five concertos, and now, ‘four pianists are pinch-hitting: Conrad Tao, Beatrice Rana, Yulianna Avdeeva and Javier Perianes.” The LA Times spoke with all of them to find out how they’re handling this unexpected experience. – Los Angeles Times

James Arkatov, Founder Of The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Has Died At 98

Arkatov was “a child from Russia who landed in San Francisco, befriended violinist Isaac Stern — whose fame was still to come — took up the cello and decided to pour his life into making music.” He lived long enough to see the LA Chamber Orchestra’s 50th anniversary after it lived through a lot of adversity (and some earthquakes). – Los Angeles Times

Shepard Fairey And 30 Other Artists ‘Transform’ An LA High School With Huge Murals

The buildings of Dr. Maya Angelou Community High School was drab gray and green until Saturday, when the artists got to work. “The Maya Angelou school project, which includes prominent artists such as the all-female collective ​Ni Santas, the artist known as Rabi of the collective Cyrcle and French artist JR’s Inside Out Project, has undergone rigorous planning during the last three years, organizers said. Students brainstormed themes for the artists to work with.” – Los Angeles Times

Hollywood Is Stressing Out Over The Elton John Biopic Because It’s ‘So Gay’

No pressure, but if this movie doesn’t do well, Hollywood might force itself back into its (extremely long lasting, tight, and transparent) closet, or at least that’s the threat. “Rocketman trails glitter — a million Swarovski crystals adorn the costumes and eyewear — and depicts gay sex, a first for a major studio.” (In 2019, y’all. 2019.) – The New York Times

After Trump Blacklists China’s Huawei, Google Suspends Some Business With The Company

Google said it’s reviewing the orders; meanwhile, it’s complying. “The move could hobble Huawei’s smartphone business outside China as the tech giant will immediately lose access to updates to Google’s Android operating system. Future versions of Huawei smartphones that run on Android will also lose access to popular services including the Google Play Store and Gmail and YouTube apps.” – Reuters