Arts & Life

Smile: The Story of a Face, by Sarah Ruhl

Books
Arts

Writer with Bell's palsy ponders how to experience joy when expression is limited

1:41pm October 06, 2021

by Kristen Martin

Smile records Sarah Ruhl's coming to terms with her new face and the conundrums it presents — after the playwright wondered for ten years whether the story deserved to live on the page.

The original Poohsticks Bridge, featured in A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh books, has gone up for auction. It's estimated to sell for around $54,000 to $81,000.

Books
Arts

The 'Poohsticks Bridge,' made famous in Winnie the Pooh, has gone up for auction

12:05pm October 06, 2021

by Sharon Pruitt-Young

As far as bridges go, the bridge is Roo-sized, measuring less than 30 feet long. But as Winnie the Pooh would say, "Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."

480 Otis, who is believed to be around 25 years old, emerged from hibernation looking very thin and facing health problems. But he deftly navigated both inter-bear relationships and a salmon-rich river to put on much-needed weight.

Fat Bear Week has a champion: All hail 480 Otis

10:41am October 06, 2021

by Bill Chappell

Who is the fattest bear of all? For the fourth time, the answer is 480 Otis, a brown bear who didn't let his lack of two canine teeth stop him from packing on the pounds.

Dave Chappelle performing during his new special, "The Closer.

Arts

For Dave Chappelle, punchlines are dares. His new special, 'The Closer,' goes too far

10:18pm October 05, 2021

by Eric Deggans

In his new Netflix special, Dave Chappelle tries — and often fails — to justify button-pushing jokes about gay people, transgender people and feminists.

Books
Arts

For Stanley Tucci, food is like religion — and cancer almost took it away

6:38pm October 05, 2021

by Dave Davies

Tucci's entire world, since childhood, has revolved around food. He was devastated when treatment for cancer put him on a feeding tube for six months. Now cancer-free, he has a new memoir, Taste.

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Left: Shelly C. Lowe, nominee for the chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Right: Maria Rosario Jackson, nominee for the National Endowment for the Arts chair

Arts

Here are the White House's picks to lead the National Arts and Humanities Endowments

5:09pm October 05, 2021

by Elizabeth Blair

The White House has announced its nominees for the next Chairs of the National Arts and Humanities Endowments. If confirmed, the NEH pick would become the first Native American to become chair.

Jeanna de Waal plays Diana, the princess, in Diana, The Musical.

'Diana, The Musical' mixes camp with sincerity. Here's where every song ranks

3:55pm October 05, 2021

by Linda Holmes

The songs in the widely panned Netflix musical that sings and dances its way through Princess Diana's tragic life are not all alike — and we're here to put them all in their proper place.

Arts

'Sopranos' prequel gives Tony a backstory — without the grace notes of the original

1:58pm October 05, 2021

by David Bianculli

The Many Saints of Newark centers on a teen version of mob-boss Tony Soprano. Despite standout performances by its stars, the film offers a confusing narrative, without any real sense of clarity.

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A selection of the 2021 National Book Award finalists

Books
Arts

Here are the finalists nominated for a 2021 National Book Award

12:33pm October 05, 2021

by Andrew Limbong

Writers in the final round include Lauren Groff, Hanif Abdurraqib and Anthony Doerr. The prize recognizes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translated literature and young people's literature.

Arts

Woman who lost her eyesight finishes her first marathon

7:44am October 05, 2021

Laura Sosalla was determined to stay active and reached out to an organization that helped her finish her run with a guide.