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☆ ‘Home Again, and Home Again, America for Me’
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Peggy Noonan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Peggy Noonan is an opinion columnist at the Wall Street Journal where her column, "Declarations," has run since 2000. She has been a fellow at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics, and has taught in the history department at Yale University. Before entering the Reagan White House, Noonan was a producer and writer at CBS News in New York, and an adjunct professor of Journalism at New York University. She was born in Brooklyn, New York and grew up there, in Massapequa Park, Long Island, and in Rutherford, New Jersey. In November, 2016 she was named one of the city's Literary Lions by the New York Public Library.

☆ UK's Camilla donates Paddingtons left as tribute to Queen Elizabeth
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Camilla, the Queen consort, smiles while holding a Paddington bear as she visits Barnardo's Nursery in Bow, London, Britain November 24, 2022. Arthur Edwards/Pool via REUTERSLONDON, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Camilla, the wife of Britain's King Charles, personally delivered dozens of Paddington Bear toys to a children's charity on Thursday, giving a new home to the toys which had been left by well-wishers as a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth. Mourners placed more than 1,000 Paddingtons and other teddy bears among the mass of floral tributes and messages which were left outside palaces and royal parks in London and Windsor in the days of mourning following Elizabeth's death in September. The stuffed bears have been professionally cleaned, and on Friday Camilla, the queen consort, visited a Barnardo's Nursery in east London for a 'teddy bears picnic' featuring marmalade sandwiches, and to hand out some of the Paddingtons to vulnerable young children there. During the comic sketch, she told Paddington she always kept the character's favourite - a marmalade sandwich - in her ever-present handbag.

☆ DeSantis' scathing book about Obama shows his 'individual freedom' philosophy, his disdain for the media, and how he studies other politicians
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

DeSantis wrote the book during the Tea Party movement and before he ran for Congress. He did so throughout his 2011 book, "Dreams from Our Founding Fathers: First Principles in the Age of Obama." DeSantis wrote the book as he was coming of age in politics during the Tea Party movement. In one section of the book, DeSantis wrote that Obama lacked the humility of George Washington, the first US president. Obama, DeSantis wrote, "garnered flattering media coverage by a press thoroughly enamored with his progressive politics."

Many were especially wary of Penguin Random House — already by far the largest publisher in the United States — getting even bigger by absorbing a rival. Penguin Random House has about 100 imprints; together they publish more than 2,000 titles a year. The merger would have given it Simon & Schuster’s approximately 50 imprints, as well as the company’s vast and valuable backlist of older titles. “The market is already too consolidated,” said Mary Rasenberger, chief executive of the Authors Guild, an advocacy group for writers that opposed the purchase. The company’s recent performance has been strong, even as the results have sagged at other major publishers.

Persons: Simon, Schuster —, United States —, Schuster’s, ”, Mary Rasenberger, Simon & Schuster Organizations: Random, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Hachette, Penguin, United States, Justice Department, Guild, Simon & Locations: United

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried's mom once wrote an essay about fixing problems rather than assigning blame when 'something goes terribly wrong'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Sam Bankman-Fried's mother, a Stanford law professor, once wrote an article titled "Beyond Blame." Barbara Fried asked what would happen if the focus was on fixing problems and not assigning blame. Her son Sam Bankman-Fried co-founded FTX, which last week filed for bankruptcy. She has written pieces for the Boston Review, a quarterly political and literary magazine, arguing that attributing "personal blame" in times of crisis had "ruined criminal justice and economic policy," suggesting it was "time to move past blame." "The next time something goes terribly wrong, suppose that instead of immediately asking who is to blame, we were to ask: How can we fix this problem?"

☆ 'South to America' won the National Book Award for nonfiction—here are the past 10 winners of the literary prize
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Imani Perry's "South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation" has been named the National Book Award winner for nonfiction. The book chronicles the Princeton professor's journey to her native Alabama, putting forth the idea that to better understand America, one must first understand the history and culture of the American South. "'Bama has a National Book Award," Perry said while accepting her award in New York City on Wednesday evening. In her tearful acceptance speech, the 50-year-old award winner said that she writes for "my people." The winners in each National Book Award category receive $10,000, NBC News reports, with nominees chosen by a five-person panel with judges including authors, editors and booksellers.

☆ I quit my job as a Goldman Sachs VP to write romance novels. It was scary but worth the career change.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Lindsay Macmillan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

She left Wall Street to pursue her passion during the Great Resignation. I left my job at Goldman Sachs to pursue my lifelong dream of being an author. In my last few years at the firm, I had an uncommonly good work-life balance for Wall Street, logging only about fifty hours a week. In the midst of the rejections and self-doubt in the years leading up to the book deals, I was grateful for my Wall Street job. In my first job at Goldman, I'd been the only woman investor on my NYC team of twenty men.

☆ 'Fleishman is in Trouble' review: Jesse Eisenberg and Claire Danes star in a Hulu series that ages like fine whine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —If you find yourself disliking everyone in Hulu’s too precious “Fleishman is in Trouble,” don’t worry, because it’s not clear they like themselves. Brodesser-Akner writes for the New York Times magazine, which becomes readily apparent in this Manhattan-centered story about the angst-ridden well to do, which approximates what the Times’ Sunday Styles section would look like if it sprouted legs. The initial focus is on newly divorced Toby Fleishman (Eisenberg), whose story is told by his college friend Libby (Caplan), serving as the relentless narrator of everyone’s innermost thoughts. The series periodically flashes back to Toby and Rachel’s younger days, showing how they met and how the relationship soured. “Fleishman is in Trouble” premieres November 17 on Hulu.

The increase in college tuition and predatory lending have created a situation where, unless you’re fortunate to get a full-ride scholarship or come from a lot of money, students are vulnerable. Though Biden’s debt relief focused on federal student loans, there have been problems with private lenders as well, including the suit against student loan giant Navient. Research has shown that student loans increase access to financing and add to student diversity, which is great, but data also shows that women and people of color are disproportionately more likely to have debt. Student debt relief is one way to let people be people, first and foremost, and loanees second. But we need to do these things because we choose to and not because our college system is broken.

☆ Maybe Republicans Will Finally Learn
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Peggy Noonan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

☆ Emma Thompson says she was ‘utterly blind’ about ex-husband Kenneth Branagh’s on-set relationships
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Toyin Owoseje | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Two-time Oscar-winner Emma Thompson has admitted she was “utterly blind” to her ex-husband Kenneth Branagh’s on-set relationships with other actresses and was left devastated when she found out. Helena Bonham Carter and Kenneth Branagh dated for five years. “I was utterly, utterly blind to the fact that he had relationships with other women on set,” Thompson told interviewer John Lahr. “What I learned was how easy it is to be blinded by your own desire to deceive yourself.”Branagh and Bonham Carter went on to have a five-year relationship. Reflecting on her life with Wise, Thompson said: “I’ve learned more from my second marriage just by being married.

☆ Lydia Maria Child Taught Americans to Make Do With Less
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Lydia Moland | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

In 1829, American women preparing their family’s Thanksgiving feast could turn for guidance to one of the country’s first self-help books: “The Frugal Housewife” by Lydia Maria Child, a beloved novelist and children’s writer. Child later immortalized her Thanksgiving memories by turning them into the poem “Over the River and Through the Wood,” but here she focused on practical advice. After winning success in Boston’s literary circles, she became distressed at the ostentatious luxury and idleness that she found among the rich. The “false and wicked parade” of luxury, she wrote, is “morally wrong, so far as the individual is concerned; and injurious beyond calculation to the interests of our country.” Proud of America’s promise, Child worried about its future. “We never shall be free from embarrassment,” she wrote, “until we cease to be ashamed of industry and economy.”

☆ Julie Powell, author of "Julie & Julia," dies at 49
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Mirna Alsharif | Mirna Alsharif Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Julie Powell, the food writer best known for her hit memoir "Julie & Julia," has died, her publisher said Tuesday. Powell's "Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously," released in 2005 and based on a series of her blog posts, was a bestselling hit. It chronicled a yearlong journey in which she cooked all 524 recipes in Julia Child's classic cookbook, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." The book was adapted into the popular 2009 movie "Julie & Julia," starring Meryl Streep as Julia Child and Amy Adams as Powell. She's written for the New York Times, Bon Appétit and Food and Wine and won the James Beard Award twice.

☆ Stephen King makes for unlikely antitrust hero
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A U.S. judge blocked Penguin Random House’s $2.2 billion acquisition of rival Simon & Schuster on Monday after the Department of Justice argued it would unfairly limit pay for top authors such as Stephen King. Adding Simon & Schuster would give it 70% of the literary nonfiction market, according to NPD Book Scan. The Department of Justice drew a line in its challenge to Penguin, distinguishing highly paid writers from the rest. Follow @jennifersaba on TwitterloadingCONTEXT NEWSA U.S. judge on Oct. 31 ruled that a planned $2.2 billion merger of Penguin Random House and rival Simon & Schuster cannot go forward. German media group Bertelsmann, the owner of Penguin, agreed to buy Simon & Schuster from Paramount Global in 2020.

☆ Here's what the Day of the Dead means, and why it endures
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Albinson Linares | Noticias Telemundo | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

The "Day of the Dead Parade" in Mexico City on Oct. 29, 2022. Claudio Cruz / AFP - Getty Images"In Mexico, Nov. 1 and 2 are very special days because they celebrate All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, respectively," said Diana Martínez, an academic at the Institute of Anthropological Research at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, or UNAM. By the 13th century, the Roman Catholic Church established Nov. 1 as All Saints’ Day. People take part in the "Day of the Dead Parade" in Mexico City on Oct. 29, 2022. He's worked at the cemetery from a very young age and has witnessed many Día de los Muertos celebrations.

☆ Gerald Stern, prize-winning and lyrical poet, dies at 97
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Stern, New Jersey’s first poet laureate, died Thursday at Calvary Hospice in New York City, according to his longtime partner, Anne Marie Macari. He regarded “The One Thing in Life,” from the 1977 collection “Lucky Life,” as the poem that best defined him. Stern studied political science at the University of Pittsburgh and received a master’s in comparative literature from Columbia University. They had two children, Rachael Stern Martin and David Stern. Or get laid.”Besides Macari and his children, Stern is survived by grandchildren Dylan and Alana Stern and Rebecca and Julia Martin.

☆ Henry Cavill exits ‘The Witcher’ as Liam Hemsworth takes over lead role
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Henry Cavill is putting down his blades and moving on from “The Witcher” after three seasons as the leading man on the Netflix series. “As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam’s take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men,” Cavill wrote. “The Witcher,” which premiered on Netflix in 2019, is based on the fantasy book series by Andrzej Sapkowski and created for television by Lauren Schmidt. “It was something I wasn’t going to let pass me by without giving it my best shot,” Cavill said at Comic Con. They said, ‘They’re not ready.’”But now, Cavill is surely focused on reprising another iconic previous role on his resume.

☆ U.S. imposes sanctions on Iran-based foundation over Salman Rushdie bounty
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 28 (Reuters) - The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on an Iranian foundation it accused of issuing a multi-million dollar bounty for the killing of novelist Salman Rushdie, who was attacked at an event in August. Rushdie, 75, lost sight in one eye and the use of one hand following an attack on stage at a literary event in western New York in August, his agent said. Friday's action freezes any U.S. assets belonging to the foundation and generally bars Americans from dealing with it. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, then Iran's supreme leader, 33 years ago issued a fatwa, or religious edict, calling on Muslims to assassinate Rushdie a few months after his novel "The Satanic Verses" was published. Rushdie, who was born in India to a Kashmiri Muslim family, has lived with a bounty on his head, and spent nine years in hiding under British police protection.

☆ Fetterman Oz debate for Pennsylvania Senate seat sends message to stroke survivors
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Judith Hannah Weiss | Judith Hannah Weiss Is A Freelance Writer Whose Work Has Appeared In The Iowa Review | The Rumpus | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

John Fetterman suffered days before winning the Democratic Senate nomination in May. The stroke added a new wrinkle to a race that could determine which party takes control of the 50-50 U.S. Senate. The Oz campaign is clearly hoping that perception will hurt Fetterman. In one egregious example, Oz issued a list of “concessions” for their debate Tuesday night that many see as mocking. Benjamin Abella, a professor of emergency medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, criticized the Oz campaign for shaming a stroke survivor.

☆ 12 queer icons to channel this Halloween
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Ellie Rudy | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

Without further ado, here is a selection of queer icons and pop culture favorites — in no particular order — whom you can channel for Halloween (a.k.a. For a relatively stress-free Halloween ensemble, throw on a tux, top hat, a pocket square and some fierce red lipstick. To channel Ms. Kahlo this Halloween, you’ll need her signature unibrow (eyeliner or an eyebrow pencil should do the trick), a flower crown, red lipstick, a colorful blouse and a floor-length skirt. For this costume, you’ll need a fedora, a (preferably pastel) dress shirt, a tie matching the hat and, if you’re really feeling the fantasy, a color-coordinated sweater vest. If you dress up as any of these queer icons and pop culture favorites for Halloween, tag @NBCOut on Twitter or Instagram in a costume photo!

☆ Agent says Salman Rushdie has lost use of eye and hand following August attack
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

After the attack, Rushdie was treated at a Pennsylvania hospital, where he was briefly put on a ventilator to recover from what Wylie told El Pais was a “brutal attack” that cut nerves to one arm. Wylie told the newspaper he could not say whether Rushdie remained in a hospital or discuss his whereabouts. The attack was along the lines of what Rushie and his agent have thought was the “principal danger ... a random person coming out of nowhere and attacking,” Wylie told El Pais. Wylie told the newspaper it was like Beatles member John Lennon’s murder. In a jailhouse interview with The New York Post, Matar said he disliked Rushdie and praised Khomeini.

☆ Salman Rushdie lost sight in one eye following attack, agent says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 23 (Reuters) - Salman Rushdie lost sight in one eye and the use of one hand following an attack on stage at a literary event in western New York in August, his agent said. Wylie described the author's wounds as "profound," and noted the loss of sight of one eye. Khomeini's successor, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was suspended from Twitter in 2019 for saying the fatwa against Rushdie was "irrevocable." He is being held without bail in a western New York jail. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Maria Caspani, Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ author Jeff Kinney shares his book picks for middle readers
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Megan Thomas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —When author Jeff Kinney started writing the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series more than 15 years ago, he set out to create a comic that would resonate with adults and live in the humor section of book stores. “I’m really glad that I didn’t know that I was writing for kids because I think that oftentimes when an adult writes a kid’s book, they start with the lesson in mind. And so the priority of the book becomes the lesson,” Kinney recalled in a recent interview with CNN. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” has sold more than 275 million copies, according to its publisher, with book number 17 in the series, “Diper Överlöde,” releasing Oct. 25. Kinney's next "Wimpy Kid" book, "Diper Överlöde," releases on Oct. 25.

☆ Decade-old Tesla Roadsters are selling for over $100,000 as Elon Musk's earliest cars become hot collectibles
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Now Tesla's earliest cars are becoming hot collectibles, skyrocketing in price in recent years as Elon Musk's empire has exploded. Tesla made roughly 2,450 Roadsters between 2008 and 2012, selling them for around $100,000 and up. A 2011 Tesla Roadster 2.5 Sport that sold in January for $190,000. In January, a 2011 Roadster Sport sold for $190,000. A 2011 Tesla Roadster 2.5 Sport.

☆ Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka wins 2022 Booker Prize
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Marie-Louise Gumuchian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan writer Shehan Karunatilaka won the Booker Prize on Monday for his second novel "The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida," about a dead war photographer on a mission in the afterlife. Set in 1990 Sri Lanka during the country's civil war, Karunatilaka's story follows gay war photographer and gambler Maali Almeida, who wakes up dead. This year's shortlist of Booker Prize contenders included British author Alan Garner's "Treacle Walker", Zimbabwean author NoViolet Bulawayo's "Glory", "Small Things Like These" by Irish writer Claire Keegan, U.S. author Percival Everett's "The Trees" and "Oh William!" "It is an entirely serious philosophical romp that takes the reader to 'the world's dark heart' - the murderous horrors of civil war Sri Lanka," MacGregor added. Past winners of the Booker Prize, which was first awarded in 1969, include Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie and Yann Martel.

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