She burst through the sex barrier, and could reel off gag lines with the best of the boys
remembrance
The Death of the Original Cosmo Girl: Helen Gurley Brown (1922–2012)
A journalistic legend, she saw and realized the commercial potential of the female libido in the magazine-publishing industry
The Tao of Cooper: Why High Noon Still Matters
I discovered what a really good actor my father, Gary Cooper, was on the set of High Noon, when I watched the filming of the movie’s memorable wedding scene. We did not visit my father at work often. He found it distracting to …
An Andy Griffith Tribute, with Song Lyrics
The news that Andy Griffith died this morning, at the age of 86, provoked an odd combination of feelings at our office: sadness at his death, wistfulness for the simple black-and-white world he represented and, in spite of all that sorrow, a strong desire to whistle. You don’t have to have been a fan of The Andy Griffith Show to whistle …
Tuned InTelevision
Dick Clark, America’s Party Chaperone, Dies at Age 82
The sentence “Dick Clark died today” seems like a contradiction in terms. If there was someone who was supposed to be forever young, untouched by time, it was him: if not immortal, then at least amortal. He was a contradiction: one of TV’s longest-serving colossi, best known for shows that celebrated eternal youth (American Bandstand) …
Tuned InRemembrance
Andrew Breitbart, 1969-2012
Maybe the most telling thing about the news that conservative blog impresario Andrew Breitbart had died was that as word spread on Twitter this morning, many people passed it along with the caveat that it might not be true, …
The Voice: Whitney Houston (1963-2012)
One of the greatest voices in the history of American popular music has been silenced. An appreciation of the talents of Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston’s Best — Her 10 Most Memorable Songs
Requiem for Mr. Tough Guy
Ben Gazzara, born a street kid in Manhattan, died there on Friday, at 81, of pancreatic cancer—one of the few opponents tougher than he was.
Don Cornelius and the Legacy of Soul Train
A photographic look at the seminal dance program and its late creator.
Johnny Otis, the Greek Godfather of R&B, Dies at 90
His “Willie and the Hand Jive” was a 1958 summer sensation, but this white impresario was prouder of launching Etta James, Hank Ballard, Littlle Richard and other black artists into the musical mainstream
2011′s 50 Newest Members of Rock ‘n’ Roll Heaven
Along with the widely observed deaths of Amy Winehouse and Gil Scott-Heron, a number of lesser-known musical figures passed away in 2011. They didn’t get as much recognition, perhaps, but they made valuable contributions to …
Dragonsong: The Unforgettable Anne McCaffrey
(Lev Grossman writes about books here every Wednesday. Subscribe to his RSS feed.)
Anne McCaffrey died a week and a half ago, on November 21. I never met her — she lived in Ireland in a house called Dragonhold that she …
