'Crushed' by 2 papacies, John Paul I's death eclipsed life
Pope John Paul I is widely recalled not so much for his life but for the murky circumstances of his abrupt death, 33 days after being elected pontiff in 1978, Now, admirers of the so-called "smiling popeโ are using his approaching beatification to focus on the accomplishments of the pope instead of the intrigue surrounding his demise at age 65 which spawned best-sellers alleging he was poisoned or his health was neglected by detractors in the Vatican.
No sea serpents, mobsters but Tahoe trash divers strike gold
Scuba divers at Lake Tahoe are sorting through their haul after an unprecedented, yearlong effort to remove litter from the alpine lake's entire 72 miles of shoreline atop the Sierra Nevada.
New this week: Camila Cabello, Tony Hawk and 'Tokyo Vice'
This weekโs new entertainment releases include Camila Cabello's third album, a documentary about the life of professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, and Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe starring in โTokyo Vice,โ a HBO Max crime drama.
Reissues planned for 'Mambo Kings' and other Hijuelos novels
New paperback editions of โThe Mambo Kings Play Songs of Loveโ and other fiction by the late Oscar Hijuelos will be published over a 2-year period starting in 2023.
From masks to book banning, conservatives take on educators
A recent Wyoming school board meeting was yet again packed with opponents of mask mandates when things took an abrupt turn and a parent started reading out sexually explicit passages from a book available in school libraries.
![Hal Holbrook, prolific actor who played Twain, dies at 95](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/RuBmuhCFuE4-WumQIg6RMSKdRGg=/1600x1059/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/UO5R4LFRCVFOTD5JON2W47I5JM.jpg)
Hal Holbrook, prolific actor who played Twain, dies at 95
FILE - Actor Hal Holbrook appears during an interview in his New York apartment on Feb. 8, 1973. Holbrook died on Jan. 23 in Beverly Hills, California, his representative, Steve Rohr, told The Associated Press Tuesday. Holbrook died on Jan. 23 in Beverly Hills, California, his representative, Steve Rohr, told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Holbrookโs material is uproarious, his ability to hold an audience by acting is brilliant,โ said The New York Times. AdWhen he wasnโt portraying Twain, Holbrook showed impressive versatility.
![Obscure works by Chandler, Christie published this week](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/AF_i6TJGx5dzFLcqeWYsav3uSQs=/1600x1118/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/R7BRHTYMYJFBHJKI7E4RMFD7TE.jpg)
Obscure works by Chandler, Christie published this week
NEW YORK โ Two of crime fiction's most famous storytellers, Raymond Chandler and Agatha Christie, also knew how to get a laugh. According to Tony Medawar, producer of the International Agatha Christie Festival (in Devon, England), Christie likely drew upon her own childhood in setting a playful atmosphere, with the kids showing proper irreverence for the supposedly world famous detective. โChristmas Adventure" also is appearing in the upcoming Christie collection โMidwinter Murder,โ which comes out Oct. 20. "โChristmas Adventureโ is a particularly light-hearted story," Medawar says. Chandler's employer guide, according to Chandler scholar Dr. Sarah Trott, was likely written in the early 1950s, when Chandler hired a private secretary, Juanita Messick.
![Alexie, Pilkey books among most 'challenged' of past decade](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/R6ftYcgZWf93hKaCNgbci5l1qVk=/1600x1213/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/3XZ7AXUPSRGELELTOLPLZB3ZDY.jpg)
Alexie, Pilkey books among most 'challenged' of past decade
FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2016 file photo, author and filmmaker Sherman Alexie appears at a celebration of Indigenous Peoples' Day at Seattle's City Hall. Alexie is included in a list of authors who wrote books that were among the 100 most subjected to censorship efforts over the past decade, as compiled by the American Library Association. All wrote books that were among the 100 most subjected to censorship efforts over the past decade, as compiled by the American Library Association. The association does not formally count the number of times books are actually removed from a library shelf or from a school reading list. โThere are actually two lines of objections to the Anne Frank diary,โ Caldwell-Stone says.
![Mark Twain signature found in cave](https://sharedmedia.grahamdigital.com/photo/2019/09/26/Mark%20Twain%20signature_1569549908198.jpg.jpg.jpg_22332962_ver1.0_1280_720.jpg)
Mark Twain signature found in cave
Scholars authenticate a signature found on the wall of the Mark Twain cave that was scrawled by the author, whose real name was Samuel Clemens. Distributed by LAKANA. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
![13 fun facts about Friday the 13th](https://sharedmedia.grahamdigital.com/photo/2019/09/13/Friday%20the%2013th.jpg_22275232_ver1.0_1280_720.jpg)
13 fun facts about Friday the 13th
Whether you think it's unlucky or not, cross your fingers and check out these 13 fun facts about Friday the 13th and our collective aversion to the number 13. Taylor Swift thinks of 13 as her lucky number and has some connections with Friday the 13th: "I was born on the 13th. Frighteningly entertainingThe 13th film in the "Friday the 13th" franchise is being developed by Paramount Pictures, with a 2017 release date. The word for fear of the number 13 is "triskaidekaphobia." Tuesday is also terrifyingIn some Spanish-speaking countries, Tuesday (Martes) the 13th is considered bad luck.