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'The Residence' star Molly Griggs uses this trick for memorizationEntertain This!
‘The Residence’ star Molly Griggs uses this trick for memorizationEntertain This!
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‘The Residence’ ending explained: Who killed A.B. Wynter?
‘The Residence’: Molly Griggs on playing a ‘snobby, rich person’
Molly Griggs, one of the stars of Netflix’s “The Residence,” chats with USA TODAY’s Ralphie Aversa about her role and more.
Spoiler alert: This story contains details about the ending of Netflix series “The Residence” (now streaming).
NEW YORK ― It’s always the ones you least expect.
In Netflix’s murder mystery “The Residence,” fastidious Detective Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba) is tasked with snooping out the killer of the White House’s longtime chief usher A.B. Wynter (Giancarlo Esposito), who’s found dead upstairs during a state dinner at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. By the eighth and final episode, all evidence seems to point toward blustering chief adviser Harry Hollinger (Ken Marino) or aggrieved assistant usher Jasmine Haney (Susan Kelechi Watson).
But it’s Lilly Schumacher (Molly Griggs), the president’s cavalier social secretary, who was responsible for poisoning A.B. and bludgeoning him with a clock. A nepo baby and influencer, Lilly had grand designs of completely revamping the White House à la Jackie Kennedy. Her kooky antics could easily be passed off as comic relief, as she throws fits over everything from Harry Styles to her woo-woo wellness initiatives. But in the end, we learn that Lilly frequently clashed with A.B., who threatened to expose her shady financial dealings and callous mistreatment of her colleagues.
Lilly represents the tension between the old and new guard, flouncing into the White House with a profound disregard for tradition and a voracious desire to tear it all down.
“It’s us versus them: the staff who have been here regardless of administration, versus the people who come in with the new president,” Griggs says. “Lilly very much embodies ‘them’ because she’s the one pulling all the strings.”
Why did Lilly kill A.B. in Netflix series ‘The Residence?’
“The Residence” is executive produced by Shonda Rhimes and created by Paul William Davies (“Scandal”). With roughly a dozen suspects in the mix, Davies toyed with all sorts of potential outcomes, and even considered having Lilly be the victim and A.B. the murderer. But A.B.’s decades-long service made him a more likely target.
“I liked the idea that the chief usher could engender so much hostility from so many different people,” Davies says. “That’s what you need in order to keep the list of suspects viable: a lot of different people who might’ve interacted with the victim in a way that could turn ugly.”
Lilly, meanwhile, feels right at home in our current political landscape. The entitled daughter of a casino magnate, she doesn’t believe in the ideals of equity and teamwork, nor does she feel that rules apply to her.
“She has no fear of retribution; she’s like, ‘My lawyers will fix this,’” Griggs says. “Even when Lilly is being escorted out of the room to be arrested, I don’t think she feels like she got ‘got.’ When I think about it in the context of how our country works, and the people who have power and the people who don’t, there is that sense of, ‘I’m untouchable. I can have whatever I want and no one can stop me.’”
In the finale, Detective Cupp calls all the suspects together in a room, where Lilly breaks down crying as she tries to pin the murder on housekeeper Elsyie (Julieth Restrepo) and engineer Bruce (Mel Rodriguez), claiming that she tried to help cover their tracks because she felt sorry for them. Davies says he wrote that Hail Mary after casting Griggs, knowing “she had the skills to pull off” Lilly’s heel turn from seemingly compassionate to frightfully calculating.
Aduba was equally impressed by Griggs’ subtly devious work: “I thought it was genius,” says the three-time Emmy winner (“Orange is the New Black”). “She knew what Lilly represented. She gave a master class on gaslighting and how power can be utilized to disadvantage some.” The scene, ultimately, is “a thorough example of who gets believed and how easily they are.”
Davies plants Easter eggs that Lilly’s the killer in Episode 1: In a doll’s house view of the White House, eagle-eyed viewers can catch Lilly opening the door of the Yellow Oval Room, where she attempts to stash evidence. She also has a prolonged stare-down with Cordelia when they first meet, hinting at “the beginning of a showdown really early on,” Griggs says.
Molly Griggs also stars in Broadway’s ‘John Proctor is the Villain’
“The Residence” marks a breakthrough moment for Griggs, 31, who has been a steady TV presence in Fox’s “Prodigal Son,” Apple TV+’s “Servant” and Peacock’s “Dr. Death.” (You may also remember her as Grace, Roman’s girlfriend, in Season 1 of HBO’s “Succession.”)
After making her Broadway debut in “Hello, Dolly!” in 2018, Griggs is back on the New York stage this spring in “John Proctor is the Villain,” a dark comedy starring Sadie Sink (“Stranger Things”). The story is set in the wake of the Me Too movement, following a Georgia high-school English class as they read Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible.”
“It’s made by women for young women, but it’s a play for everybody,” says Griggs, who portrays concerned guidance counselor Bailey. “It can help us continue to ask questions about these murky gray areas in our lives and what behavior is acceptable.”
Coincidentally, “John Proctor” began performances March 20, the same day “The Residence” arrived on Netflix. On her next day off, Griggs plans to have a watch party at home in Brooklyn with her husband, friends and pet pitbull Izzy. (Although, “she doesn’t really understand screens. I don’t think she’ll have any recognition it’s me, like, ‘Mommy killed A.B.?’”)
For any actor, “it’s a miracle to be doing one thing in this business, so to have two things at the same time feels special,” Griggs says. “My younger self would be so geeked. I feel really calm and excited right now – but talk to me in 24 hours!”
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Will there be a Season 3 of ‘Severance’? What we know so far
‘Severance’ star Adam Scott on why viewers are hooked on the show.
“Severance” star Adam Scott talks to USA TODAY about why audiences are can’t get enough of the mind-bending show.
Spoiler alert: This story contains details from Season 2 of “Severance.”
It was a packed finale of “Severance” Season 2 and to say it was dramatic would be an understatement. Though the season didn’t end in a cliffhanger like the previous, a conscious choice by executive producer Ben Stiller, it still left viewers with plenty of questions.
The good news, however, is that the series has been renewed for another season, which means “all appears to be well at Lumon Industries,” Apple TV+ said in the renewal announcement Friday.
Apple CEO Tim Cook and Stiller jointly announced the series renewal on social media, with Cook, writing “Season 3 of Severance is available upon request. Tim C.”
The Emmy Award-winning Apple TV+ show follows Mark Scout (Adam Scott) as he leads a team at Lumon Industries whose employees have undergone a severance procedure that surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives.
Season 2 of the series, which broke records as the most-watched series on Apple TV+, saw Mark and his friends learn “the dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier, leading them further down a path of woe,” according to the series description on Apple TV+.
Stiller, who directed five episodes this season, in a statement, said making “‘Severance’ has been one of the most creatively exciting experiences” he’s ever been a part of.”
“While I have no memory of this, I’m told making season three will be equally enjoyable, though any recollection of these future events will be forever and irrevocably wiped from my memory as well,” Stiller joked.
Scott, who plays the titular role of Mark Scout and also serves as executive producer, in a statement, said he “couldn’t be more excited to get back to work” with the “Severance” team, adding, “Oh hey also – not a huge deal – but if you see my innie, please don’t mention any of this to him. Thanks.”
Here’s what to know about Season 3 of “Severance,” including potential release date and cast.
Watch Severance on Apple TV+
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Will there be ‘Severance’ Season 3?
Yes. Apple TV+, on Friday, formally announced that “Severance” would be returning for Season 3. The announcement does not come as a surprise, given that the series is the top streaming series on Apple TV+.
Stiller appears to have a multiple-season endpoint in mind for the series and speaking to USA TODAY’s Gary Levin, the executive producer had said the ending (of Season 2) sets up even more questions and theories for a show already filled with them.
“Where’s it going, what is their fate, what’s going to happen in the next moment? That’s an intriguing way to end it,” Stiller said.
“Severance” has been created by Dan Erickson, who also serves as writer and executive producer on the show. Besides Stiller, Season 2 directors include Uta Bresiewitz, Sam Donovan and Jessica Lee Gagné.
When would ‘Severance’ Season 3 release?
Apple TV+, in the announcement, did not specify when Season 3 would release.
Previously, Season 1 of “Severance” premiered on Apple TV+ on Feb. 18, 2022, while Season 2 dropped after almost three years on Jan. 17. Based on this, it is likely that Season 3 will also release in the first few months of the year, either 2026 or 2027.
Stiller, during a recent appearance on “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce,” assured fans that they would not have to wait another three years for the next season to release.
While on the episode, when Travis asks Stiller if fans would have to wait another three years for the next season of “Severance,” Stiller replies: “No, the plan is not. Definitely not.”
“We got hit with the strike – there was a writer and actor strike, and it took us a little bit to regroup,” Stiller said on the podcast, explaining the long gap. “We shot for 186 days on Season 2. Editing takes a while but thank goodness the audience was there when we came back.”
Work on the next season is reportedly already underway with a writers’ room in Los Angeles, Stiller told The Hollywood Reporter in February interview (before the new season was announced), adding he “hopes not to keep audiences waiting three years this time.”
Stiller also revealed on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” that the “Severance” team already knows how the series will end.
“We know what the ending is, but how we’re getting there, is the creative process,” Stiller said on the show.
‘Severance’ cast
While Apple TV+, in its announcement, did not divulge any cast details, it is likely that much of the main cast would be returning for the new season.
Here’s a list of actors and their characters in Season 2 of “Severance”:
- Adam Scott as Mark Scout
- Patricia Arquette as Harmony Cobel
- John Tuturro as Irving Bailiff
- Britt Lower as Helly Riggs
- Zach Cherry as Dylan George
- Dichen Lachman as Gemma Scout
- Jen Tullock as Devon Scout-Hale
- Tramell Tillman as Seth Milchick
- Michael Chernus as Ricken Hale
- Christopher Walken as Burt Goodman
One actor not expected to return is Sarah Bock as Miss Huang, who fans said goodbye to in the penultimate episode of the season.
How did ‘Severance’ Season 2 end?
In the final scene of “Severance” Season 2, Mark and Gemma race through those hallways toward an exit, but in a crushing turn of events, innie Mark pushes Gemma out the door, hesitates and then decides to stay behind. As Gemma pleads with him from outside the door, he turns around and spots Helly at the other end of the hall; he turns, embraces Helly and they run once more down those endless white hallways, holding hands. The season ends in a freeze frame as “The Windmills of Your Mind” plays on the soundtrack.
“We knew that was going to be the ending for a while,” Stiller says. “We sort of played with the idea of ending on Mark looking between the two, but it felt clear, after having this cliffhanger ending in Season 1, I didn’t want to do that to the audience. It always felt this was the natural way that Mark’s innie would go. And what we wanted to do in the second season was set up in (the Gemma-focused) Episode 7 enough of a reason that you would feel some heartbreak and you would feel torn, and part of the audience would be going, ‘Yeah, I’m with him; go with her,’ and part would go ‘I can’t believe he’s doing that.’
Scott approves of the decision not to torture viewers with more uncertainty. “It would be cruel and unusual to end it on something like that. I’m so glad that we ended where we did, because I love the sequence of Mark and Helly running through the hall and the music; it’s really fun.”
How to watch Season 2 of ‘Severance’
With the finale now streaming, the entire Season 2 of “Severance” is available to watch on Apple TV+ with a paid subscription.
Watch Severance on Apple TV+
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Contributing: Gary Levin, Greta Cross, Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
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All the major differences from the animated movie
‘Snow White’: Rachel Zegler sings in title role of Disney film
Rachel Zegler stars as the title character and Gal Gadot is the sinister Evil Queen of Disney’s live-action musical redo “Snow White.”
Spoiler alert! We’re discussing major plot details about the ending of “Snow White” (in theaters now), Disney’s live-action reimagining of the 1937 animated movie.
Magic mirror on the wall, what is the biggest change of all?
After years of Disney adults yelling online, the new “Snow White” is finally here – and it’s among the very best of the Mouse House’s live-action remakes. The harmless and heartfelt film stars Rachel Zegler as the titular princess, while Gal Gadot takes up the scepter of the Evil Queen.
With the exceptions of “Heigh-Ho” and “Whistle While You Work,” all of the original movie’s songs have been cut and replaced by a slew of catchy musical numbers by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (“Dear Evan Hansen”). Here’s what else is new and what has stayed the same:
Snow White gets a much more meaningful backstory
The original Disney film begins with a few short sentences about how Snow White was forced to work as a scullery maid for her vile stepmother, the Queen. The new movie, meanwhile, devotes ample time to Snow White’s childhood: showing how her royal parents ruled with kindness and often baked pies for the villagers. It also depicts how the wicked Queen weaseled her way into power after Snow White’s mom died, and how the princess continued to advocate for the commonfolk, despite her own dire circumstances.
Snow White still has a love interest in the remake – but he’s no prince
In the animated movie, Snow White immediately falls in love with a dashing prince, who overhears the fair maiden singing at her wishing well and begins to serenade her. But in the new film, the unnamed swain has been replaced by a Robin Hood-style heartthrob named Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), who leads a defiant group of bandits that steals from the monarchy and gives to the poor.
Snow White and Jonathan meet at the castle when he’s caught thieving potatoes. He urges the young princess to stand up to the Queen and to follow in her father’s footsteps of being “fearless, fair, brave” and “true.” The two are later reunited in the forest, where Jonathan helps open Snow White’s eyes to the plight of ordinary people under oppressive rule.
Dopey and the other dwarfs are magical creatures after all
Despite rampant speculation about how Disney would handle the seven dwarfs, the beloved characters appear almost identical to their hand-drawn animated predecessors (albeit this time, they’re brought to life using uncanny visual effects).
But the live-action movie introduces some magical new elements for the dwarfs, who assert they have known each other for nearly 300 years. The miners’ hands mystically light up as they hunt for gems underground, and Doc (voiced by Jeremy Swift) nurses Jonathan back to health using a potpourri of minerals, after he gets shot by a crossbow while trying to save Snow White.
There’s also a touching subplot for the clumsy, muted Dopey (Andrew Barth Feldman), who’s regularly the butt of the other dwarfs’ jokes. Snow White helps give him the courage and confidence to speak, and by the end, we learn that Dopey was narrating the film all along.
Yes, Snow White is still awoken by true love’s kiss
As he does in the animated film, the Huntsman (Ansu Kabia) backs out of murdering Snow White, although instead of tricking the Queen with a pig’s heart, he merely puts an apple in a box and hopes she doesn’t notice. The Queen eventually takes matters into her own hands, disguising herself as an old hag and showing up at the dwarfs’ front door with a poisoned apple for her stepdaughter.
In this version, Snow White still takes a bite and falls into a death-like sleep. Rather than a glass coffin, the dwarfs place the princess on a stone slab adorned with flowers in the middle of the woods, keeping vigil until Jonathan shows up one day, having escaped the Queen’s dungeon. He plants “love’s first kiss” on the dozing Snow White, who awakens emboldened and ready to fight back against the Queen.
Snow White leads a kindness revolution ‒ and the Evil Queen gets a different death
After poisoning the princess, the Queen reveals that she killed Snow White’s father, who disappeared from her life with little explanation. With the dwarfs and bandits by her side, Snow White vows to reclaim her parents’ home and restore peace to her impoverished kingdom.
When she arrives at the castle gates, the Queen orders her guards to seize Snow White and kill her once and for all with a dagger. But in the nick of time, Snow White recalls her mother’s advice to always remember people’s names. And so, the princess appeals to the guards’ good graces, recounting fond memories of who the men were before they joined the Queen’s wicked regime.
Now with no one on her side, the Queen flees to her throne room, where she smashes her magic mirror and gets sucked into its enchanted vortex. It’s a much less gnarly ending than the animated movie, which climaxes with the Queen plunging to her death after attempting to crush the dwarfs with a giant boulder.
Despite so much revolting toxicity from online trolls, this live-action “Snow White” makes timely, thoughtful changes that are rarely heavy-handed. And in Zegler’s capable hands, the original Disney princess gets a happily ever after that feels beautifully earned.
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‘He just got out of a Hot Topic’
Billy Corgan and Bill Burr rumors reignited after awkward interview
Are Bill Burr and Billy Corgan half-brothers? It’s unclear, but in an awkward new interview, it appears they’ve developed a real brotherly bond over one thing—their shared beef with Howie Mandel.
Grunge
Bill Burr’s “Drop Dead Years” press tour has become an Elon Musk roast.
The comedian, who has made a number of media appearances to promote his new stand-up special on Hulu, has picked apart the Tesla founder and Department of Government Efficiency leader, calling him and other tech billionaires “nerds” and “heartless.”
“Why does Elon Musk dress like he just got out of a Hot Topic? I am so sick of that guy trying to rewrite his origin story like he was Matthew McConaughey pulling into the high school,” Burr told Jimmy Fallon during an appearance on “The Tonight Show” Tuesday, referencing the actor’s “Dazed and Confused” character who hangs around younger kids.
“Like you were a (expletive) nerd, nobody banged you and now you have hair plugs in your laminated face,” he continued. “Everybody is afraid of these nerds, I don’t get it. They’re horrible, heartless people. And then, for some reason, if you say that, you’re like a communist, and then we’re in bed with the Russians.”
Burr was far from done. When he joined “The View” on Thursday, co-host Joy Behar asked him if anyone was “getting your ire up these days,” with Burr taking the opportunity to double down on his gripe with the SpaceX founder.
“The nerds that own the politicians. All these tech nerds that want to build robots because they don’t know how to talk to hot women,” he said. “And I think Elon has got the rockets going because they realize there’s other earths out there. And they’re going to trash this one, because they don’t have any concern for it, and they’re going to move on.”
With NPR earlier this month, he referenced Musk’s inauguration salute and attacked liberals for fleeing the country.
“I just refuse to believe that it was an accidental two-time Seig heil. And he does it at a presidential inauguration,” he told the broadcaster, referencing the Nazi salute. “This is why I hate liberals. It’s like liberals have no teeth whatsoever. They just go, oh, my God. Can you believe – I’m getting out of the country.”
He continued: “I’m just like, you’re going to leave the country ’cause of one guy with dyed hair plugs and a laminated face who runs – who makes a bad car and has an obsolete social media platform?”
And in a Boston Globe profile published Friday, Burr lamented the SpaceX founder’s treatment of workers.
“They’re so upset with this country and the way it’s working, it’s like, you guys are multi-billionaires, what is the problem? I feel like it’s working for you,” the Massachusetts native told the outlet. “You know what’s not working for you? All of these tech nerd billionaires who don’t want to pay anybody.”
Asked why he’s been vocal about his anti-Musk sentiments lately, Burr replied: “Why isn’t everybody?
“These super rich people want to keep the water boiling, which I don’t think is what we need right now,” he said of the political climate. “This is such a great country. Are we really going to ruin it because five guys are competing to be the first trillionaire?”
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Disney’s ‘Snow White,’ stream ‘O’Dessa’
Rachel Zegler on Disney films
“Snow White” star Rachel Zegler tests her Disney movie knowledge in this fun trivia game with USA TODAY
Love movies? Live for TV? USA TODAY’s Watch Party newsletter has all the best recommendations, delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now and be one of the cool kids.
Heigh-ho, let’s go!
A new “Snow White” is out, and although I’m not whistling while I work, I am jamming out to Rachel Zegler’s “Waiting on a Wish” from the musical revamp of Disney’s classic “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Or perhaps you might prefer the country-fied tracks of the rock opera “O’Dessa,” starring a guitar-slinging Sadie Sink. That’s one of many new movies hitting streaming that you’ll want to watch – like a certain witchy blockbuster with a pretty good soundtrack. But now’s also the time to plan for a busy spring of must-see TV. (Those fungal zombies of “The Last of Us” can’t return too soon.)
Now on to the good stuff:
See Rachel Zegler belt tunes as Disney’s new ‘Snow White’
Disney’s live-action remake of “Snow White” has been the subject of online backlash and real-life controversy. It’s also arguable that we even need a redo of the 1937 film in the first place. Somehow, though, the latest “Snow” actually proves to be pretty decent: Rachel Zegler is great as the kind scullery maid who befriends critters, bandits and miners (who range from Dopey to Grumpy), and Gal Gadot is camptastic as the super-nasty Evil Queen. The new songs and narrative changes are rather good, too, but the seven short CGI dudes are instantly forgettable. (Peep my ★★★ review.)
Also, because a lot of kids are going to be into seeing this movie, I put together a guide to what parents need to know for their little ones while old-school fans will want to check out Patrick Ryan’s breakdown of what’s changed from the OG classic to the redo.
Stream the rock opera ‘O’Dessa’ with Regina Hall, Kelvin Harrison Jr.
Now streaming on Hulu, the post-apocalyptic rock opera “O’Dessa” is a trippy take on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, with Sadie Sink as a guitar-slinging farm girl (and maybe musical messiah). My pal Ralphie Aversa talked with stars Regina Hall and Kelvin Harrison Jr. in our New York City studio about the movie, which is partly a love story between Sink’s O’Dessa and Harrison’s sex worker character Euri. “I haven’t seen something like this before,” Harrison says. “It’s definitely fantastical. But there was a sincerity about it, too.”
“O’Dessa” is one of several movies new to your favorite streaming services this month. I rounded up a guide of what you can see right now, including theatrical releases like “Anora” and “Wicked” plus original flicks such as “Tyler Perry’s Duplicity” and “The Parenting.”
Plan your spring of streaming TV shows
If you like eccentric detectives such as Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot or Benoit Blanc, then you’ll dig Uza Aduba’s oddball, bird-watching crime-solver Cordelia Cupp in the Netflix limited series “The Residence.” When the chief White House usher (Giancarlo Esposito) is found dead during a state dinner, Cordelia is called in to investigate. TV critic Kelly Lawler is mixed on the Shonda Rhimes murder mystery, writing in her ★★ review that the impressive ensemble cast – including Randall Park, Jane Curtin, Susan Kelechi Watson and Bronson Pinchot – is stifled by “a disappointingly flimsy and flaccid story.”
Kelly’s more excited about some other shows that she features in her spring TV preview, like the anticipated second seasons of HBO’s “The Last of Us” and the Disney+ “Star Wars” show “Andor” as well as notable debuts like “The Bondsman” and “Sirens.”
Even more goodness to check out!
Got thoughts, questions, ideas, concerns, compliments or maybe even some recs for me? Email [email protected] and follow me on the socials: I’m @briantruitt on Bluesky, Instagram and Threads.
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At Back Cove Books in Portland, booksellers are your neighbors
Independent bookstores are the heartbeats of their communities. They provide culture and community, generate local jobs and sales tax revenue, promote literacy and education, champion and center diverse and new authors, connect readers to books in a personal and authentic way and actively support the right to read and access to books in their communities.
Each week we profile an independent bookstore, sharing what makes each one special and getting their expert and unique book recommendations.
This week we have Back Cove Books in Portland, ME.
What’s your store’s story?
Back Cove Books was founded in the fall of 2022 and is Portland’s newest indie bookstore. We are women-owned and community focused with a layout and atmosphere that invites you to come in and stay awhile.
What makes your independent bookstore unique?
Our mission is deeply rooted in being a community hub. We offer diverse inventory across genres and ages and have cultivated an atmosphere centered around the feeling of belonging. Visitors will find many opportunities to settle into the space: a couch and chairs in our central fiction area, a reading nook in the kids’ corner, an old bank vault that is now home to bookshelves and a reading chair and more.
Back Cove Books also focuses on partnering with local authors, artists and businesses. Our walls feature permanent murals from Rachel Gloria Adams and Bevin Holmberg, and we frequently offer our space to local artists to display their work to patrons. Our events offer a wide range of opportunities to gather.
We are a proud Little League sponsor, and donor to many local and national organizations including but not limited to Portland Maine Public Schools, Mechanics’ Hall, the Book Industry Charitable Foundation.
One percent of all annual sales from our children’s section are donated to the Center for Grieving Children, a local nonprofit that provides a safe space, loving peer support, outreach and education to grieving children, teens, young adults, families and the community.
What’s your favorite section in your store?
The star of our store is our kids’ corner, featuring ample space to get comfy, explore the stacks and read alongside your little ones.
Board books and picture books are located on the lowest shelves, so our youngest readers can access them independently. Murals from local artists adorn the walls, creating an atmosphere of bright, enveloping whimsy. Diversity of character, experience and author are paramount in our children’s inventory so that every visitor has an opportunity to see themself in a story.
What book do you love to recommend to customers and why?
The absolute beauty of bookselling is that it is so individualistic based on what the customer is looking for in terms of atmosphere, emotion, humor, depth and genre – the list goes on. With that said, one of our favorite books of 2024 was “Beautyland” by Marie-Helene Bertino.
Bertino’s writing is unforgivingly emotive, effective, and moving. Somehow she turns a story of a girl who sends missives to her alien world on an old fax machine into one of the most human stories I have ever read.
What book do you think deserves more attention and why?
“Rootless” by Krystle Zara Appiah is one of those books that you start with one school of thought and by the end you have developed an entirely new way of thinking.
In a world where people are so quick to categorize one another into “good” and “bad,” this novel forces us to recognize that the truth about human nature is always more nuanced. Heroes and villains often overlap more than we’d like to admit. This story is the perfect example of being thrown headfirst into a story and watching the narrative’s complexities unfold before your eyes.
Especially in a world where mothers and partners – especially those of color – bear so much emotional and mental labor, this book forces us to consider the toll it takes, on not only the individuals, but also women as a whole in our society.
Why is shopping at local, independent bookstores important?
Shopping indie first is the best way to keep your local communities thriving with jobs, community events, downtowns, places to gather and more. We recognize you when you visit and are thrilled when your kiddo finds a book or series that they can’t put down. In a world that continues to be divisive and with social media changing the ways in which we connect, we provide a place to gather in person and be among community. We encourage you to spend time with us whether or not you are purchasing something this visit. Our staff are your neighbors (not homogenized algorithms) with personalized recommendations for you and your loved ones.
When supporting local businesses (not just local bookstores) you ensure that nearly 70% of the money you spend stays within your local community, compared to 43% when you shop at a chain.
What are some of your store’s events, programs or partnerships coming up this quarter that you would like to share?
Not only do we partner with authors for traditional author events, we also host story times, book clubs, knitting nights with Work in Progress Art Studio, an annual poetry festival, writing nights, holiday events and more.
We are scheming up plans for local artists and illustrators to decorate our windows in real time on Indie Bookstore Day, Saturday, April 26.
We’re also welcoming back Lynn Steger Strong for her release of “The Float Test” in May. She will be in conversation with her dear friend, Rebecca Traister, author of “Good and Mad.”
Check out these books recommended by Back Cove Books:
- “Stag Dance” by Torrey Peters
- “Cranky Makes a Friend” by Phuc Tran
- “Black Flame” by Gretchen Felker-Martin
- Tracey Deonn’s “Legendborn” series
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Selena Gomez went to Taylor Swift party with Benny Blanco too early
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco arrive at the Oscars
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco arrive at the Oscars red carpet in style.
Entertain This!
One thing about Selena Gomez, she’s punctual.
Riding in a convertible with her fiancé Benny Blanco for Spotify’s “Countdown To” podcast released Wednesday, he asked the actress and singer to recall their first party together. In response, Gomez revealed what she considered to be an embarrassing commitment to being early.
“I don’t know if this was the first, but it was actually really funny. As a couple, we went to Taylor’s party after some awards show,” she said, referencing gal-pal Taylor Swift. “I don’t know, it was kind of cute, but I was mortified. Apparently, cool people don’t show up to parties on time.”
Blanco then took a playful dig at his prompt lover. “We’re the first people at every single party when I go with you,” he said, making Gomez sheepishly grimace. “You show up when like my mother shows up to a party.”
The giddy couple, who released their collaborative album “I Said I Love You First” on Friday, revealed their engagement in December after first revealing their relationship a year prior.
In a Time interview published in May, Gomez opened up about how their romance started, saying that though she’d only considered him a friend at first, she’d discovered her feelings were romantic after attending a birthday party to meet his friend. “It just happens when you least expect it,” Gomez said.
On the podcast, Blanco also shared that “no one knew we were dating and we were hiding the fact that we were dating,” to the point that “we didn’t even touch each other or really look at each other,” prompting the singer to smile and exclaim, “I don’t know (about that). Stop, don’t say that!”
Selena Gomez album with Benny Blanco drops
The video for their album’s single “Younger and Hotter Than Me” was also released Friday. The couple previously released the singles “Scared of Loving You,” “Call Me When You Break Up” and “Sunset Blvd,” the latter inspired by their first date in Hollywood, California.
The joint album marks Gomez’s first full-length studio release since 2020’s “Rare,” which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. She followed it up with the Spanish-language EP “Revelación” in 2021.
Contributing: Edward Segarra
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Elon Musk’s trans daughter Vivian Wilson calls dad ‘pathetic’
Trump buys a Tesla purchase amid Tesla stock drops
President Donald Trump bought a Tesla in show of support of Elon Musk and said it’ll be used at the White House.
Elon Musk’s family life is complicated, but his estranged daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson is explaining their rift in a new wide-ranging interview.
Wilson, 20, slammed her biological father — the world’s richest person — in a new Teen Vogue profile published Thursday, saying the X owner is a “pathetic man child.”
“The Nazi salute (expletive) was insane. Honey, we’re going to call a fig a fig, and we’re going to call a Nazi salute what it was,” she said. Wilson said Musk’s viral gesture at President Donald Trump’s inauguration festivities “was definitely a Nazi salute. The crowd is equally to blame, and I feel like people are not talking about that. That crowd should be denounced.”
On his end, Musk told psychologist and social media influencer Jordan Peterson during a 2024 interview his daughter had been “killed by the woke mind virus,” and pushed anti-transgender talking points. He also posted that Wilson was “born gay and slightly autistic,” traits he said contributes to gender dysphoria, and that as a child, she would “pick out clothes for me to wear like a jacket and tell me it was ‘fabulous!’”
Wilson referenced her response to the Peterson interview, saying, “It’s annoying that people associate me with him. I just don’t have any room to care anymore. When I initially did the whole thing, when he came for me, the Jordan Peterson interview, that was the most cathartic moment of my entire life by far.
“Everything that had gone on — especially in my childhood — when that finally happened, it was the most cathartic experience I have ever had. And then I was like, Okay, whatever,” she said, telling Teen Vogue that she hasn’t talked to Musk since 2020.
Vivian Wilson’s mother, Elon Musk ex Justine Wilson, remains close
Despite her beef with her Tesla founder father, Wilson has remained close with mom Justine Wilson.
“She’s been supportive of the choices that I have made in college, about being public. She kind of was like, ‘Well, I can’t stop you, so whatever.’ Does it stress her out? Yes. But she’s ultimately fine with it,” Wilson said.
Justine Wilson, a Canadian author, was Musk’s first wife whom he married in January 2000. Wilson shares several children with Musk. She told Marie Claire magazine Musk was dismissive of her career ambitions, had told her he was the “alpha” in their relationship and had pressured her to be his “trophy wife.” In September 2008, she announced she and Musk were divorcing.
Vivian Jenna Wilson siblings: How many kids does Elon Musk have?
The 20-year-old’s relationship with her siblings and half-siblings, though, is more complex. “I will say I do not actually know how many siblings I have, if you include half-siblings. That’s just a fun fact. It’s really good for two truths and a lie,” she told Teen Vogue.
Wilson added that she and Justine Wilson do not “keep up with that side of the family because … I don’t,” referring to Musk’s side. Musk has reportedly fathered 14 children with four separate women, including singer Grimes.
Wilson also told Teen Vogue that she barely thinks about him.
“I’m not giving anyone that space in my mind, the only thing that gets to live free in my mind is drag queens,” Wilson said, seemingly throwing shade at her father’s disapproval of drag queens.
While Wilson, who is popular on social media, has never used her platform for career opportunities, she told Teen Vogue she is thinking about Twitch streaming and modeling — or reality TV, saying she is “famous for my lore” and wants to “do something more to deserve that fame.”
“I haven’t made any money from being famous at all. I have made zero dollars and zero cents. I do live in a lot of people’s heads rent-free, though,” Wilson said. “I feel like Twitch streaming would be so much fun. … I don’t feel like the world needs another Twitch streamer, but (I’d) love to do it.
“It is my absolute dream to be on a reality show, which I know is absolutely pathetic,” Wilson continued, adding that “as an overdramatic little queer, reality shows are something I adore beyond belief.”
Contributing: Lori Comstock, USA TODAY Network