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☆ Henry Taylor’s ‘B Side’ Is Full of Grade-A Paintings
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Roberta Smith | More About Roberta Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As long as there are artists like Henry Taylor around, painting is in little danger of dying. That is because Taylor, like most great painters, has reinvented the medium for his own purposes, reshaped it to his own particular needs. Those needs seem complex, encompassing and exceptionally empathetic. They are those of an ambitious artist attempting to give as full an account as he can of Black life in America, starting with his own, and spiraling out to family, friends and fellow artists (some of whom are white) as well as Black figures from politics and culture, and urgent issues like incarceration and racial violence. In “Henry Taylor: B Side,” a thrilling survey at the Whitney Museum, you will see paintings of the artist watching his toddler daughter feed herself; Barack and Michelle Obama sitting cozy on a couch; Philando Castile dying in his car after being shot by a Minneapolis policeman; a self-portrait based on a 16th-century portrait of King Henry V in profile wearing royal regalia; and the great Chuck Berry performing for a group of slightly dazed-looking white teenagers.

Persons: Henry Taylor, Taylor, “ Henry Taylor, Michelle Obama, Castile, King Henry V, Chuck Berry Organizations: Whitney Museum Locations: America, Minneapolis

☆ My family inherited a 900-year-old Italian castle. Here’s what it’s like living there
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Ludovica Uberta Sannazzaro NattaSannazzaro Natta moved into the 45-roomed, turreted, fairytale Castle Sannazzaro when she was four years old. “I would just run around the castle,” Sannazzaro Natta recalls. Ludovica Uberta Sannazzaro Natta“I didn’t really know how to tell people about living in a castle,” she says. Experience a slice of castle lifeA few rooms in Castle Sannazzaro are available as a vacation rental. Ludovica Sannazzaro NattaNow that she’s an adult, Sannazzaro Natta is increasingly aware of the costs and upkeep associated with castle living.

Persons: Natta, Ludovica, Sannazzaro, Sannazzaro Natta, “, couldn’t, Harry Potter, ”, she’d, “ It’s, “ I’m, Covid, decamping, ’, there’s, Sannzzaro Natta, she’s, Natta isn’t, –, it’s, Henry VIII Organizations: CNN, ”, CNN Travel, Netflix Locations: Los Angeles and New York, Italy, Giarole, Milan, Sannazzaro, Turin, Genoa, “, ”

☆ In Southern California, a Fresh Wave of Fandom for ‘Los Estrokes’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Eric Ducker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“What’s really cool is they’re taking the reins, not just in terms of being fans, but also fronting these tribute bands and producing their own music. They’re fully participating in every sense in these subcultures.”In 2022, the rising El Monte, Calif., band the Red Pears covered the Strokes’ “Automatic Stop” for Unquiet Live’s YouTube channel. But it was each band member’s individual love of the Strokes that helped bring them together and shape their sound. “In our city there was a lot of punk, ska and metal bands,” Vargas said in an interview. “We were the only ones that were branching out, trying out different stuff.”

Persons: Jose Maldonado, Morrissey, ”, “, They’re, El, Pears, Unquiet, Henry Vargas, ” Vargas Organizations: Smiths, California State University , Los, Calif, YouTube Locations: California State University , Los Angeles, Los Angeles, El Monte

Alchemation, known for the international hit "SIX," is among an increasingly established presence of musical theatre at the Fringe, which takes over the Scottish capital for the month of August. The company's "Hello Kitty Must Die," based on the novel by Hong Kong-born, U.S.-based writer Kate Kamen (formerly Angela S. Choi) is playing at Edinburgh's Pleasance until Aug. 27. It transferred to London's West End, where it was spotted by Alchemation, which took it to Broadway and beyond. It is the first time one of its diversity grants has supported a musical as the genre cements its presence. The Pleasance alone has 16 musicals this year, its most yet, it said, out of roughly 140 across the Fringe as a whole.

Persons: Lucas McMahon, Kitty, Kate Kamen, Angela S, Choi, Edinburgh's Pleasance, Anthony Alderson, Henry VIII, Alderson, Levi Roots, Ray Shell, Barbara Lewis, Sarah Mills, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Edinburgh Fringe, SIX, Scottish, Reuters, Edinburgh's, Pleasance Theatre Trust, Broadway, Thomson Locations: York, Hong Kong, U.S, Edinburgh, Cambridge, New York, London

☆ Beyond the City, Summertime Theater That’s Worth the Drive
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Laura Collins-Hughes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This company has a knack for magnificent vistas. Its new home is high above the Hudson River in Garrison, N.Y., with breathtaking views. Picnicking, should you care to, is very much part of the preshow experience, and performances are alfresco, under a sturdy, festive, big white tent. But productions here often use the landscape just outside for striking tableaus, with the tent’s wide, arced entrance framing bits of action on the sloping lawn. (hvshakespeare.org)

Persons: Henry V ”, Davis McCallum, Amanda Dehnert, André, Penelope ”, ”, Eva Steinmetz, Alex Bechtel, Grace McLean, Steinmetz Locations: Garrison, N.Y

☆ Why You Can’t Stop Reading About Sofia Vergara’s Split
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Remy Tumin | More About Remy Tumin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This week, the actors Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello announced their divorce after seven years of marriage. Ariana Grande and her husband, Dalton Gomez, also appeared to be on the outs. Fans were trawling the stars’ social media posts, looking for any clue about what was going on — on their ring fingers, in their facial expressions and even in the posts the stars liked. Because dealing with a breakup is one of the most relatable things a star can do. “Breakups are such an identifiable thing,” said Alicia Mintz, who hosts the podcast “Trashy Divorces” with her wife, Stacie Boschma.

Persons: Marilyn, Joe, Brad, Jennifer, Angelina, Elizabeth, Richard, Tom, Gisele, Kim, Kanye, Diana, Charles, Henry VIII, Sofia Vergara, Joe Manganiello, Ariana Grande, Dalton Gomez, ”, Alicia Mintz, Stacie, “

☆ Ancient regal tomb in Spain belonged to a revered female leader, archaeologists reveal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

While analysis of DNA is one factor, archaeologists have relied on other clues to gain insight, such as grave goods. European archaeologists made a “spectacular” find in 2008 of a tomb near Seville, Spain, that belonged to an ancient individual of great importance. The Ivory Lady, who possibly held a leadership role, was likely revered by her society for generations after she died. Defying gravityThe Perseverance rover snapped a new image of the Ingenuity helicopter on Mars on April 16. As Ingenuity and the Perseverance rover begin to explore more challenging terrain, obstacles can block communications between the two — and Perseverance is the only one that can “call” Earth.

Persons: CNN — Piecing, Ivory Lady, ”, Graves, Leonardo García Sanjuán, Tom Booth, James Webb, — Doodles, Henry VIII, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Research, University of Sevilla, University of Seville, SpaceX, Boca, NASA, JPL, Caltech, ASU, Mars, James Webb Space Telescope, CNN Space, Science Locations: Seville, Spain, Boca Chica, Texas, Wild, Hong Kong, Indonesia

☆ Scholar finds doodles by Henry VIII in ancient prayer book
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Toward the end of his life, England’s King Henry VIII left a series of doodles in a prayer book, revealing his anguish over his health and his past actions, new research shows. The Trustees of The Wormsley FundWhite told CNN Tuesday that she found the marginalia “totally unexpectedly” while looking at the book, and recognized them from her previous work on Henry VIII. The manicules have a distinctive shape that matches others known to have been drawn by Henry. Parr gave the book, which is currently housed in the Wormsley Library in Stokenchurch, England, to Henry as a gift. One passage in the prayer book says that God’s punishment has left the narrator “feeble,” and Henry was himself in bad health at the time.

Persons: England’s King Henry VIII, Henry, Katherine Parr, Micheline White, White, Henry VIII, “, ”, ” Henry, doodles, Parr, King, Anne Boleyn, “ He’s, —, He’s Organizations: CNN, College of, Humanities, Department of, Carleton University Locations: Canada, Wormsley, Stokenchurch, England, France

☆ A home Henry VIII gave Anne of Cleves as part of their annulment settlement recently went on sale. Take a look inside the $2.86 million house.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Gabbi Shaw | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Wings Place, formerly known as Ditchling Garden Manor, was recently sold. It was once given to Anne of Cleves as part of her annulment settlement from Henry VIII. Wings Place, formerly called Ditchling Garden Manor, first appears in records from 1095 and was given to Anne of Cleves by Henry VIII as part of their annulment settlement in 1540. It recently hit the market for £2.25 million, or $2.86 million. Keep reading to learn more about the history of Wings Place and to see inside this one-of-a-kind home.

Persons: Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII, —, Toby Whittome, it's Organizations: Service, Wings Locations: Sussex, East Sussex, England

☆ MLB: London Series takes over the UK
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Thomas Schlachter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The Cubs dominated the London Series opener storming home to a 9-1 victory. Daniel ShireyMLB Photos/Getty ImagesA UK twist“It’s a thrill to be here,” Cardinals fan Karen Asher-Relf told CNN Sport. “I think it’s awesome [the London Series], I love baseball and I’m slowly converting him,” said Karen. DeCap, a Cardinals fan, and Crain, a Cubs fan, flew over to the UK for a vacation that incorporated watching the game. Since the last London Series event, the MLB has introduced a pitch clock designed to make matches shorter – a far cry from the mammoth four hour and 42-minute game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox during the 2019 London Series.

Persons: Jack, it’s, Daniel ShireyMLB, Karen Asher, Relf, Paul, Karen, didn’t, “, ”, Paul’s, –, Jimmy Anderson, Nathan Lyon of, Winston Churchill, King Henry VIII, Freddie Mercury, Churchill, Caroline ”, Neil Diamond, Henry VIII, Andrew Couldridge, John DeCap, Scot Crain, Crain, “ We’ve, ” Crain, DeCap, We’ve, Hector Echevarria, Echevarria, Louis, Lars Nootbaar, ” Willson Contreras, Louis Cardinals, Nick Offerman, Swanson, Offerman, Ron Swanson, John Goodman, Kate Long, I’ve, Zac Goodwin, Sadiq Khan, Rob Manfred Organizations: London, London CNN, Major League Baseball, Chicago Cubs, Louis Cardinals, Premier League soccer, West Ham United, Cubs, Cardinals, CNN Sport, King’s Guard, Guard, Covid, MLB, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Soul Symphony, Recreation, Inc, ”, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets Locations: London, British, St, Louis , Missouri, Nathan Lyon of Australia, Toronto, Canada

☆ 'Firebrand' puts spotlight on Henry VIII's sixth and final wife
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film "Firebrand" (Le jeu de la reine) in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 21, 2023. Cast member Jude Law poses. REUTERS/Sarah... Read moreCANNES, May 21 (Reuters) - For Brazilian director Karim Ainouz the prospect of making a film about King Henry VIII's court was particularly exciting, partly because it focuses on Catherine Parr, the wife who survived Henry. "Firebrand," which is competition for the Palme d'Or, stars Alicia Vikander as Catherine, Henry's sixth and last wife as she navigates Tudor court politics towards the end of his life. "The pain he was suffering was excruciating," said Jude Law, who plays the king.

☆ The Cannes Film Festival
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Melissa Kirsch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The Cannes Film Festival began this week with Maïwenn’s “Jeanne du Barry,” starring Johnny Depp as Louis XV, and ends on May 27 with a new Pixar film, “Elemental.” In between, there will be many screenings, many awkward standing ovations, many awards bestowed. Wes Anderson also has a new one, “Asteroid City,” about a junior stargazing convention. It features many members of the Andersonian repertory — Jason Schwartzman, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody and others. In “Firebrand,” from the Brazilian director Karim Aïnouz, Alicia Vikander plays Catherine Parr, the sixth and final wife of Henry VIII, who’s played by Jude Law. Hirokazu Kore-eda, whose film “Shoplifters” won the Palme d’Or in 2018, has a new film, “Monster.” It stars Sakura Ando from “Shoplifters,” and the composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, who died last month, did the score.

☆ Opinion | Same Old Same Old: Banish That Cliché!
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

To the Editor:Re “A Litany of Clichés,” by Michael Massing (Opinion guest essay, April 30):Michael Massing and I are on the same page when it comes to the quotidian and over-the-top use of hackneyed language. Most scribes profess to avoid clichés, but in this day and age those who deliver on their promises are few and far between. The fact of the matter is that when all is said and done, at the end of the day most writers take the easy way out, and avoid the road not taken. I suppose it is what it is. Henry Von KohornPrinceton, N.J.

☆ Factbox: What will the royal family do at King Charles' coronation?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File PhotoLONDON, May 6 (Reuters) - All eyes will be on the British royal family this weekend as they are joined by about 100 heads of state and global dignitaries for the coronation of King Charles. KING CHARLESKing Charles became monarch of the United Kingdom and 14 other realms on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, in September. QUEEN CAMILLA AND HER CEREMONYCamilla, the second wife of Charles, will go through a simpler, mini-coronation as queen during the service. Their eldest son Prince Archie, the sixth-in-line to the throne, turns four on the day of the coronation. PRINCE ANDREWPrince Andrew, the third child of Queen Elizabeth, will attend the coronation but will not have an official role.

☆ Royal castles to luxury getaways: How to spend King Charles III's coronation weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | Rob Goss | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The king has pledged a more scaled-back affair than that celebrated by his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, in 1953. Here's CNBC Travel's top picks for how to spend the coronation weekend. Watch the ceremonial processionThe coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey on May 6 in a service conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Buckingham Palace, London residence of the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, is open for tours outside of the coronation weekend. Picnic in the Royal ParksLondon's Royal Parks offer a more low-key way to absorb the royal atmosphere over the coronation weekend.

☆ Opinion: Texas judge’s stunning ruling caps extraordinary week
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. Tennessee legislators targeted three members of the state House for joining a gun control protest in the chamber, expelling two young Black men while failing to oust a 60-year-old White woman. (He gave the Biden administration a week to appeal the ruling before it goes into effect. Thus, the week that began with Trump facing a judge in Manhattan ended with a Trump-appointed judge overturning more than two decades of medical practice. “They go far too fast to be safe on the sidewalk” and aren’t right for bike lanes or roads either.

☆ In the 'Garden of England', loss-making orchards are cut down
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Sarah Young | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The fruit that helped give the "Garden of England" its name hundreds of years ago no longer makes money so farmer James Smith is tearing down his orchards. Turning a profit from selling red apples to supermarkets has been a struggle for years, he said. In Kent, Smith is removing 80% of his orchards. Last year growing apples lost him 150,000 pounds ($186,000), a loss which would have been higher had it not been cushioned by other income streams from his land. He's also planting a vineyard and is growing small amounts of cherries, the fruit which legend has it prompted King Henry VIII to first call Kent the "Garden of England".

☆ Staying in British castles may be easier — and cheaper — than you think
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Lucy Handley | Chris Dwyer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Storied Collection is a travel website that lists heritage hotels and homes — including private castles — so vacationers who love history can easily find accommodations that suit them. The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa is located inside the Royal Crescent, a row of terraced houses built between 1767 and 1775. Hauge and Goldin, with the help of former CEO of Best Western UK Rob Paterson, launched Storied Collection in 2022. Surnames of previous owners include Cooper, Bingham and Synge, according to Storied Collection. The drawing room of the Sir Percy Blakeney Suite at the Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa in Bath, England.

☆ Britain's coronation throne gets revamp ahead of King Charles' crowning
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Michael Holden | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] The inside of Westminster Abbey in central London is seen in this general view taken April 20, 2011. Charles will follow some of his famous forebears, such as King Henry VIII, Queen Victoria and his own mother Elizabeth II, in being crowned on the chair. It has featured in coronation ceremonies since 1308, and has been the chair used to crown monarchs since Henry IV in 1399, the Abbey says. "The coronation chair is extremely fragile. It has a complex layer structure which means that the gilding layers on it often flake off," Blessley said.

☆ World's oldest Hebrew Bible could fetch up to $50 million at auction
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Aleksandra Michalska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermidNEW YORK, Feb 15 (Reuters) - The world's oldest and most complete Hebrew Bible will go on display in London next week before an auction in May where it could sell for up to $50 million, Sotheby's said on Wednesday. Billionaire investor Kenneth Griffin set the record in 2021 when he paid $43.2 million at a Sotheby's auction for a first-edition copy of the U.S. Constitution. The document offers a critical link bridging Jewish oral tradition to the modern Hebrew Bible. The Hebrew Bible contains 24 separate books organized into three parts — the Pentateuch, the Prophets and the Writings. Starting with the book of Genesis and ending with Chronicles, the Hebrew Bible is foundational to Judaism, as well as Christianity and Islam.

☆ ‘Samuel Pepys and the Strange Wrecking of the Gloucester’ Review: The Nearly Sunk and Future King
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Henry Hitchings | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

There are three million shipwrecks scattered across the ocean floor. Only a tiny number of these have been explored. This 117-foot craft had sunk in May 1682 after hitting a sandbank, while carrying the Duke of York, the future King James II of England. But only in June last year was the wreck formally identified—and hailed as the most significant maritime discovery since Henry VIII’s warship the Mary Rose was raised in 1982. Another find is a silver teaspoon, with an engraving that suggests it belonged to one of James’s huntsmen, Thomas Jory, a “saucy fellow” who hid under a seat on a rescue boat as the Gloucester went down.

☆ A heart-shaped pendant linked to Henry VIII was dug up on an English farm, pointing to a more romantic side to the Tudor king
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An amateur metal detectorist found a gold necklace linked to Henry VIII and his first wife. The locket is engraved with "H" and "K", the initials of the Tudor king and Katherine of Aragon. The heart-shaped locket is engraved with "H" and "K", the initials of the Tudor king and his first wife Katherine of Aragon. It is not known if the pendant belonged to Henry VIII, Katherine, or a courtier. Henry VIII is famous for his six marriages.

☆ ‘Wildheart’ Review: Saga of a Scots Pine on PBS
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( John Anderson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Making a single tree the star of a wildlife special wouldn’t seem like the path to electrifying programming, but “Wildheart”—titled after the 500-year-old Scots pine at the center of this “Nature” presentation—is not just enchanting in its approach to the flora, fauna and history of the Scottish Highlands, but a novel way to get into the subject, even if the process does take anthropomorphism to new heights. The tree in question, treated as a character in its own drama by narrator Thoren Ferguson , has been a mute witness to history since Mary Queen of Scots was a child; in a fanciful bit of dramatic recreation, the tiny royal tosses a pine cone, which takes root in the country where she was crowned at nine months of age, betrothed to the son of Henry VIII of England and, after treaties fell apart and tension mounted, secreted away in what the Romans had dubbed the Caledonian forest. By 1549, when the pine had attained a height of about two feet, Mary was already in France, temporarily safe from dynastic battles and French-English-Scottish politics.

☆ These teachers think ChatGPT can help them spend less time on writing reports – and more time with their students
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Tools such as ChatGPT could help teachers reduce the workload of grading and writing reports. They're still dealing with the educational fallout after the pandemic shuttered many schools and they say they're working long hours to help students catch up. He thinks ChatGPT could help teachers spend less time on tasks including grading papers, writing reports, and responding to emails, and spend more time actually teaching students. He also thinks ChatGPT could help answer students' questions and let help teachers "avoid getting bogged down in the infinite loop of late-night email exchanges." Ultimately, Cohen told Insider, "ChatGPT has the potential to support teachers' sanity and protect the sanctity of their time."

☆ Henry VIII military letter, handwritten Mozart music on offer at auction
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A person holds a rare signed letter from King Henry VIII to his Lieutenant-General in France before the English victory at the Battle of the Spurs and autograph music manuscript by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, at Christie's in London, Britain December 7, 2022. REUTERS/Maja SmiejkowskaLONDON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - A military letter from King Henry VIII and a sheet of music written in Mozart's own hand at the age of 17 are among lots being offered at auction house Christie's "Valuable Books and Manuscripts" sale in London next week. The letter has an estimate of 25,000 pounds to 35,000 pounds ($30,702 - $42,983). "Whereas we do occasionally see Henry VIII letters coming up, what’s particularly rare about this one is that it’s a campaign letter, it’s about war, it’s about his strategy," Mark Wiltshire, specialist in the books and manuscripts department at Christie's London, told Reuters. It has an estimate of 80,000 pounds - 120,000 pounds.

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