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Chicago Tribune
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Heidi Stevens: On long list of things being cut, art may seem inconsequential. It's not
In the past few months I've traveled to an extravagant, loveless wedding on the coast of Rhode Island, a midsize prep school outside Boston, a long, awful, gorgeous goodbye between two soulmates inside Graceful Shepherd Hospice, a retirement community in Maine, a beach-town rental on Cape Cod and a whole bunch of spots in Los Angeles, both gritty and glamorous. Not in person, obviously. All of my actual travel revolves, happily, gratefully, around my son's lacrosse team and my daughter's college schedule. My mind, on the other hand, travels (also happily, gratefully) in books. 'The Wedding People' by Alison Espach; 'Prep' by Curtis Sittenfeld (an oldie I was late to); 'We All Want Impossible Things' by Catherine Newman (one of the best books I've ever read); 'Tell Me Everything' by Elizabeth Strout; 'Sandwich' also by Catherine Newman; and 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' by Taylor Jenkins Reid, most recently. Stories are magic. They introduce me to new people and let me live in their heads and learn from their heartbreak and humor and terrible decisions and wisdom and fears and triumphs. Stories make my world bigger. They complicate easy narratives. They shrink my blind spots. They remind me to hope. 'The Sum of Us' by Heather McGhee taught me more about the United States than a lifetime of history classes. 'Mercy Street' by Jennifer Haigh gave me an entirely new lens through which to view reproductive rights. I think about 'A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius' by Dave Eggers at least once a week. Books do that. Art does that. And it is, like so many things that sustain us, under attack right now. Hundreds of arts groups across the country received notice that their National Endowment for the Arts grants were being withdrawn or terminated in May, the same day President Donald Trump called for eliminating the NEA altogether, as well as the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Library and Museum Services. It would be tempting to write this off as a minor outrage in the grand scheme of outrages unfolding right now. The budget bill that passed Thursday slashes Medicaid, Affordable Care Act and rural hospital funding, earmarks $45 billion for migrant detention facility beds, rolls back clean energy projects and adds at least $3.3 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. Among other things. But if the first six months of this administration have taught us anything, it's that we can be appalled by more than one thing simultaneously. And a society that doesn't cultivate and support and sustain art is an appalling thought. Art matters. It connects us. It softens us. It moves us. 'Everyone — no matter their belief system or politics — deserves art,' Anne Helen Peterson wrote in her July 2 newsletter. 'You deserve art you love and you deserve art that pisses you off and you deserve art that makes you think. 'We also deserve art,' she continued, 'that's not subject to the whims of capitalism or individual taste; if we only fund art that's pleasing or inoffensive, we end up with a bleak art world composed of Justin Timberlake's 'Can't Stop the Feeling' from the 'Trolls' soundtrack on repeat forever.' Which would not only be deeply unpleasant, it would stunt our growth. Rebecca Makkai, author of the phenomenal, Pulitzer Prize finalist 'The Great Believers,' wrote a stirring defense of the arts on the same day as the $40 million, taxpayer funded military parade in Washington, D.C. It was headlined, 'Your Kid's Art Class is Paying for This Parade.' 'It's not as if there's a trail of crumbs straight from the NEA cuts to this parade,' Makkai wrote. 'But when your priority is to defund the things that give people a voice and to fund the things that scare people into silence, it's hard not to see them as two sides of one coin.' Precisely. Makkai, as it happens, is one of the authors whose name appeared on an AI-generated summer reading list published in a handful of major newspapers recently. The list, which had no byline, recommended 15 new titles, only five of which actually exist. My book- and newspaper-loving heart shattered a little bit that day. There's an awful lot working against our humanity right now. But there are so many reasons to defend it. There are so many reasons not to give in — to cruelty, to fear, to lazy thinking, to shortcuts that take us to dark places. Art narrates those reasons. Art illuminates those reasons. Art creates empathy. And it's hard to think of a more precious, endangered resource than empathy right now.
Gulf Today
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
I've already read 30 books this year – but this is the one I'm recommending to everyone
Maybe it's the high calibre of new releases in 2025, or perhaps it's that I keep deleting TikTok, but I've already read more than 30 books this year - and there's one that I've been recommending to everyone. I've been stuck into the "romantasy" genre with Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing series, enjoyed comedies including Alison Espach's The Wedding People and Sarah Harman's All The Other Mothers Hate Me, and been equal parts shocked and inspired by the real life stories of World War Two secret agent Pippa Lantour and former-Mormon Tara Westover in their beautiful memoirs, The Last Secret Agent and Educated. But it's Florence Knapp's new novel, The Names, that's a future classic. Curiously, her only other book is a non-fiction guide to English paper piecing, but her first foray into fiction is a masterclass. It's as devastating as it is life-affirming, which is a recipe for the perfect book. The novel is an utterly original take on the "sliding doors" concept. Beginning on the day a mother sets off to name her baby son, it follows three versions of a boy's life as dictated by his given name. An exploration of how small decisions can echo down the decades, the novel is a gripping and moving family drama. I tore through the book in two sittings while on holiday. The story might not be the typical easy-breezy beach book, but the novel is hugely readable, with beautiful prose and compelling characters. Debuting at number two in The Sunday Times bestseller list and with an average rating of 4.18 on Goodreads, it's one of those rare mainstream novels that live up to the hype. Whether you're packing for a summer holiday or looking for your next weekend read, here's why I'm recommending The Names to everyone. 'The Names' by Florence Knapp, published by Phoenix An utterly original concept, Florence Knapp's debut is structured around nominative determinism - how someone's name can set the trajectory of their life. Set after the Great Storm in 1987, it begins with Cora setting out with her nine-year-old daughter to name her newborn baby boy. She has three options. The first is Gordon, as demanded by her controlling and abusive husband, who wants him to be named after himself. The second is Bear, the nickname her daughter Maia has affectionately given him. Cora's own wish is for him to be named Julian, believing this name will set him free of any expectation and influence from his father. The chapters are divided into three sections - Gordon, Bear and Julian - with each following the ramifications of his naming and the boy's life as it unfolds over the decades. The novel is profound and moving in its exploration of how tiny decisions can change the path of your life. It's also an important portrayal of domestic violence and how it can impact a child through the decades, with one version seeing Cora leave her husband and another depicting years of continued abuse. Despite its darker themes, the novel has the same charm as cult hits like William Boyd's Any Human Heart or Min Jin Lee's Pachinko; you follow the characters through their entire lives, including their loves and their losses. Moments of tragedy will make you weep, but the family story of love and resilience is beautiful. It's an old-fashioned page-turner, too - I couldn't tear myself away from the page and read the novel in two sittings.
Buzz Feed
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
11 Surprising Facts You've Probably Never Heard Before
I recently read The Wedding People by Alison Espach — 10/10 by the way, highly recommend — and one of the chapters mentioned that when bugs land on your food, they vomit on it before eating it. After getting over the immediate shock and disgust, I immediately had to Google it to see if it was true. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it's very, very true. The longer they sit on your food, the more likely it is that they threw up AND pooped on it, particularly on solid foods. "Flies don't have teeth," according to an article from the University of Sydney. "They can't take a bite out of our food, so they have to spit out some enzyme-rich saliva that dissolves the food, allowing them to suck up the resulting soup of regurgitated digestive fluids and partially dissolved most instances, spotting a fly on your food doesn't mean you need to throw it out. While there is little doubt that flies can carry bacteria, viruses, and parasites from waste to our food, a single touchdown is unlikely to trigger a chain reaction leading to illness for the average healthy that land out of sight and wander about for a few minutes vomiting and pooping on your food or food preparation area are more of a concern. The more time passes, the greater the chance of pathogens left behind by the flies growing and multiplying on our food. That's when health risks increase." After finding that out, I was inspired to share some other interesting facts. So, without further ado, here we go: Jared Leto gave Margot Robbie a rat as a Suicide Squad gift. Margot and Jared starred in the 2016 David Ayer's film Suicide Squad, based on the popular DC comics. The two got into character to portray the villainous lovers, Harley Quinn and Joker. To show his appreciation, Jared gave Margot a special present."When we shot Suicide Squad, not The Suicide Squad, Mr J (Jared) gave me a rat and he became a beloved pet," Margot said on Jimmy Kimmel Live. "We called him Rat Rat. He liked beer and bath time. Then the landlord of the place I was renting found out I had a rat and said Rat Rat had to go. And so then Jai Courtney, who plays Captain Boomerang, said, 'I'll take Rat Rat.' And then his landlord wasn't cool with that either, and so then one of the costumers on the job took Rat Rat. And then she had to give Rat Rat away, and Rat Rat - she gave him to Guillermo del Toro's daughters [who] apparently have rats." The ice cream used for commercials, TV, and movies, might actually be a completely different food. Oftentimes, when you see ice cream used on the big and small screen, it's actually mashed potatoes. As anyone who has ever eaten ice cream in life knows, the popular dairy product melts very quickly, especially when it's being used under hot studio lights. Companies instead use mashed potatoes because they give a similar look, they don't melt, and by adding food dye, they can easily mimic any ice cream color. Mashed potatoes have also been featured as substitutes for meat.*Bonus: Shaving cream is sometimes used instead of whipped cream and glue is used instead of milk. Leonardo DiCaprio used to be a breakdancer with a unique nickname. Remember those moves he pulled out for The Wolf of Wall Street? Well, that wasn't something he learned for the 2013 film. In fact, Leo was actually a breakdancer when he was younger and was given the nickname The Noodle from his community of breakdancers due to his flexible limbs. He even competed in a breakdancing competition in Germany and placed second. If you haven't seen The Wolf of Wall Street, here's a glimpse of Leo in action: There are "Asian unicorns" in it's not what you think. There's a rare mammal species known as the Saola, native to the Annamite Range in Vietnam and Laos. The Saolas are also known as spindlehorn, Asian unicorn, or infrequently, Vu Quang bovid. The species was first documented in 1992, and they've been rarely seen since. They are reportedly "critically endangered." They're recognized for their sharp parallel horns and white markings on their face. Despite resembling antelope, they're actually related to cattle. Toto the dog was paid more for The Wizard of Oz than some of its human costars. In the iconic 1939 film, Toto was played by a Cairn Terrier named Terry. The canine earned $125 per week. That's nearly triple of what the actors who played the Munchkins were paid. They were only given $50 a week. Ketchup was once used as medicine. Before it became a staple at restaurants, cookouts, and homes around the world, ketchup was once used to cure a string of ailments. That's right, the second most popular condiment on Earth was once prescribed by doctors to cure things like indigestion, diarrheumatism, and jaundice in the 1834, Dr. John Cooke Bennett invented tomato ketchup as a cure and it took off. This was during a time when the Cholera outbreaks swept through communities around the world. In 19th-century America, tomatoes were thought to be deadly and poisonous, but after many tests, tomato ketchup prevailed. It became so popular that Dr. Bennett even made tomato pills. Some of the dinosaur sounds you hear in Jurassic Park are actually animals mating. Creating sounds for an extinct species can be hard. So, Gary Rydstrom, a Lucasfilm sound designer, decided to get creative. The noise the velociraptors make in Jurassic Park is actually the sound of tortoises having sex. Chainsaws were invented to help aid women during childbirth. The hand-cranked chainsaw was invented by Scottish doctors John Aitken and James Jeffray. It was specifically used during a procedure called symphysiotomy, where doctors cut the pubic cartilage to widen the pelvis and create more room to deliver the child. It reportedly provided a "quicker" and "safer" way to perform the procedure versus using knives and bone saws. According to Business Insider, "Two doctors invented the chainsaw in 1780 to make the removal of the pelvic bone easier and less time-consuming during childbirth. It was powered by a hand crank and looked like a modern-day kitchen knife with little teeth on a chain that wound in an oval." Keanu Reeves has a private foundation that he doesn't want his his name connected to. Known for his kind and generous demeanor, Keanu funds a foundation that specializes in cancer research and aids children's hospitals.'I have a private foundation that's been running for five or six years, and it helps aid a couple of children's hospitals and cancer research,' Keanu told Ladies Home Journal in 2009 per Vogue, adding, 'I don't like to attach my name to it, I just let the foundation do what it does.'And if that wasn't pure enough, Keanu also auctioned off a 15-minute Zoom date with him in June of 2020 to benefit Camp Rainbow Gold, an Idaho-based children's cancer charity. The bidding went up to a whopping $16,600. Belgium used to have a feline-based mail delivery service. In the 1870s, cats were used to deliver mail in Belgium, but the system didn't last long because it proved to be unreliable."Belgian authorities, who in the 1870s recruited 37 cats to deliver mail via waterproof bags attached to their collars. It was an idea posited by the Belgian Society for the Elevation of the Domestic Cat, which felt cats' natural sense of direction was not being fully exploited. During a trial, the cats were rounded up from their villages near Liège, taken a few miles away, and burdened with a note in a bag - with the idea that the cat would return home complete with missive." Lastly, the inventor of the Pringles can is buried in his creation. Pringles can inventor Fred Baur died in 2008 at the age of 89. He made a very interesting request when it came to where his ashes would be preserved."At his request, some of Baur's ashes were buried in the very container that helped launch a billion-dollar snack food," NPR's Scott Horsley reports. Do you know any wild, cool, bizarre or super interesting facts that a lot of people don't know? Share them with me below!
Los Angeles Times
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
The week's bestselling books, April 27
1. James by Percival Everett (Doubleday: $28) An action-packed reimagining of 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.' 2. Audition by Katie Kitamura (Riverhead Books: $28) An accomplished actor grapples with the varied roles she plays in her personal life. 3. The Wedding People by Alison Espach (Henry Holt & Co.: $29) An unexpected wedding guest gets surprise help. 4. All Fours by Miranda July (Riverhead Books: $29) A woman upends her domestic life. 5. Strangers in Time by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing: $30) Two London teens scarred by World War II find an unexpected ally in a bereaved bookshop owner. 6. Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez (Forever: $28) After one perfect date, a couple navigates family crises and long distances. 7. Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Knopf: $32) The story of four women and their loves, longings and desires. 8. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Riverhead Books: $30) Worlds collide when a teenager vanishes from her Adirondacks summer camp. 9. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (Entangled: Red Tower Books: $30) A dragon rider faces more tests in the 'Fourth Wing' sequel. 10. Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (Simon & Schuster: $29) A love triangle unearths dangerous secrets. … 1. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins (Hay House: $30) How to stop wasting energy on things you can't control. 2. Everything Is Tuberculosis (signed edition) by John Green (Crash Course Books: $28). The deeply human story of the fight against the world's deadliest infectious disease. 3. Fahrenheit-182 by Mark Hoppus and Dan Ozzi (Dey Street Books: $33) A memoir from the vocalist, bassist and founding member of pop-punk band Blink-182. 4. Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster: $30) A call to renew a politics of plenty and abandon the chosen scarcities that have deformed American life. 5. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad (Knopf: $28) Reckoning with what it means to live in a West that betrays its fundamental values. 6. How to Work With Complicated People by Ryan Leak (Maxwell Leadership: $30) Strategies for working effectively with even the most challenging individuals. 7. The Creative Act by Rick Rubin (Penguin: $32) The music producer on how to be a creative person. 8. Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton (Pantheon: $27) A meditation on freedom, trust, loss and our relationship with the natural world. 9. The Next Day by Melinda French Gates (Flatiron Books: $26) The former co-chair of the Gates Foundation recounts pivotal moments in her life. 10. Who Is Government? Michael Lewis, editor (Riverhead Books: $30) A civics lesson from a team of writers and storytellers. … 1. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (Vintage: $18) 2. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper Perennial: $22) 3. Orbital by Samantha Harvey (Grove Press: $17) 4. North Woods by Daniel Mason (Random House Trade Paperbacks: $18) 5. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster: $19) 6. Table for Two by Amor Towles (Penguin Books: $19) 7. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (Vintage: $19) 8. Wild and Wrangled by Lyla Sage (Dial Press Trade Paperback: $18) 9. Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (Grand Central: $20) 10. The Husbands by Holly Gramazio (Vintage: $18) … 1. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder (Crown: $12) 2. The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron (TarcherPerigee: $20) 3. The Art Thief by Michael Finkel (Vintage: $18) 4. The Wager by David Grann (Vintage: $21) 5. All About Love by bell hooks (Morrow: $17) 6. Catching the Big Fish by David Lynch (Tarcher: $20) 7. The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan (Knopf: $36) 8. Eve by Cat Bohannon (Vintage: $20) 9. Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: $18) 10. Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman (Picador: $19)
Los Angeles Times
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
The week's bestselling books, March 30
1. James by Percival Everett (Doubleday: $28) An action-packed reimagining of 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.' 2. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones (S&S/Saga Press: $29) An historical horror novel about a vampire who haunts the Blackfeet reservation looking for justice. 3. Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Knopf: $32) The story of four women and their loves, longings and desires. 4. The Wedding People by Alison Espach (Henry Holt & Co.: $29) An unexpected wedding guest gets surprise help. 5. The Antidote by Karen Russell (Knopf: $30) A Dust Bowl epic about five characters whose fates become entangled after a storm ravages their small Nebraska town. 6. The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami (Pantheon: $29) A woman fights for freedom in a near-future where even dreams are under surveillance. 7. Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros (Entangled: Red Tower Books: $30) The third installment of the bestselling dragon rider series. 8. The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue (S&S/Summit Books: $27) A historical novel about an infamous 1895 train station disaster. 9. All Fours by Miranda July (Riverhead Books: $29) A woman upends her domestic life in this irreverent novel. 10. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Riverhead Books: $30) Worlds collide when a teenager vanishes from her Adirondacks summer camp. … 1. Everything Is Tuberculosis (Signed Edition) by John Green (Crash Course Books: $28). The deeply human story of the fight against the world's deadliest infectious disease. 2. Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams (Flatiron Books: $33) An insider's account of working at Facebook. 3. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins (Hay House: $30) How to stop wasting energy on things you can't control. 4. Abundance by Ezra Klein, Derek Thompson (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster: $30) A call to renew a politics of plenty and abandon the chosen scarcities that have deformed American life. 5. The Tell by Amy Griffin (The Dial Press: $29) The investor's memoir explores how far we will go to protect ourselves. 6. Notorious by Maureen Dowd (Harper: $32.50) A collection of the New York Times columnist's celebrity profiles. 7. The Creative Act by Rick Rubin (Penguin: $32) The music producer on how to be a creative person. 8. The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer and John Burgoyne (illustrator) (Scribner: $20) Gratitude, reciprocity and community, and the lessons to take from the natural world. 9. Who Is Government? ed. by Michael Lewis (Riverhead Books: $30) A civics lesson from a team of writers and storytellers. 10. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad (Knopf: $28) A powerful reckoning with what it means to live in a West that betrays its fundamental values. … 1. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (Vintage: $18) 2. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (Vintage, $18) 3. North Woods by Daniel Mason (Random House Trade Paperbacks: $18) 4. Orbital by Samantha Harvey (Grove Press: $17) 5. Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (Grand Central: $20) 6. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper Perennial: $22) 7. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman (Transit Books: $17) 8. Funny Story by Emily Henry (Berkley: $19) 9. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (Penguin: $18) 10. Yellowface by R.F. Kuang (William Morrow Paperbacks, $18) … 1. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder (Crown: $12) 2. All About Love by bell hooks (Morrow: $17) 3. The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan (Knopf: $35) 4. The Art Thief by Michael Finkel (Vintage: $18) 5. Eve by Cat Bohannon (Vintage: $20) 6. The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron (TarcherPerigee: $20) 7. The Wager by David Grann (Vintage: $21) 8. Grief Is for People by Sloane Crosley (Picador: $18) 9. Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli by Mark Seal (Gallery Books: $21) 10. All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley (Simon & Schuster: $19)
