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The Lead: Perry's Raw Return to Center Stage Linda Perry, the iconic singer-songwriter behind 4 Non Blondes and hitmaker for stars like Christina Aguilera and Pink, is stepping back into the spotlight after years working behind the scenes. Her new documentary "Linda Perry: Let It Die Here" and accompanying album capture her journey through breast cancer, the death of her abusive mother, and her complex emotional landscape as she reclaims her artistic identity. The Event Details: Cancer, Loss, and Creative Resilience The documentary, directed by Don Hardy who had been filming Perry at work, captures her just over a week after a double mastectomy, walking gingerly into her studio while carrying surgical drains she calls "blood grenades." As Perry recovered from surgery, her elderly mother—who had physically and mentally abused her as a child—became ill and died three months later. Perry took her mother into her home for her final months, setting up a bed next to hers, reflecting that "the best gift my mom gave me was a peaceful death." The Creative Process: From Personal Pain to Artistic Expression Perry's new solo album, her first in 27 years, is a visceral, propulsive work about her mother's death and the complex feelings it unearthed. Songs include "I Am Daughter," "Now That She's Gone," "Liberation," and "What Lies With You," in which she calls her mother "the villain and the muse." The documentary shows Perry's songwriting prowess in action as she jams with Dolly Parton and Kate Hudson, while also capturing her hosting an event at South By Southwest for EqualizeHer, an organization she co-founded to promote gender equality in the music industry. The Industry Impact: A Voice for Gender Equality Perry has long been an advocate for gender equity in music. Early in her career, she was famously denied a producer credit on "What's Up," the track that sent 4 Non Blondes stratospheric. She let it go at the time but vowed it would never happen again. Through EqualizeHer and her own experiences, Perry continues to challenge the industry's gender disparities. The documentary also captures her re-formed 4 Non Blondes performing at the BottleRock festival, where she insisted on performing new material rather than just their old hits, stating "I want to play something new." The Personal Journey: Confronting Trauma and Finding Strength The documentary offers intimate glimpses into Perry's personal struggles, including a scene where she's captured dancing goofily in her closet to Supertramp's "Take the Long Way Home," which triggers deep emotional release. Another powerful moment shows her ripping open her shirt during a photoshoot in the desert to reveal her surgical scars, describing it as "ad-lib, a kind of a 'fuck-it' moment" that felt powerful afterward. Perry admits she's a workaholic who finds safety in creating: "Like most people who are in trauma, I am afraid to be left alone. Creating, working and music is where I feel safe." The Future Outlook: New Music and Continued Advocacy Perry's re-formed 4 Non Blondes are working on a new album due out early next year, based on material she wrote specifically for festival performances. She continues to collaborate with other artists, including Paris Jackson and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers. While the documentary was difficult for Perry to watch—"It was like watching a horror movie"—she recognizes its therapeutic value: "I think maybe the film helped me process and see something I didn't know I was doing." As she walks into the distance at the end of the documentary, Perry reflects: "Everything I've just experienced is going to change my life drastically. Life and death happened just now, so let's see what happens from here."

The Legacy of Jack Shepherd's 'Chasing the Moment' Jack Shepherd's plays have a unique way of storytelling, with a structure that feels effortless and natural. His play, 'Chasing the Moment', is a jazz drama that follows a group of musicians as they arrive at a pub to perform. The play explores themes of life, love, and loss, and features a cast of characters that come alive on stage. The Concept and Execution The play begins with the pianist, Les, already at the pub, and the other musicians arrive one by one. The drummer's sister manages the door and the petty cash box, and the owner of the pub is the final arrival. As the musicians start playing, the audience is transported to a world of jazz and storytelling. The Writing Style Shepherd's writing style is notable for its ability to give each actor a moment to shine and reveal their character's true nature. The play feels contrived, but in a good way - it's a carefully constructed narrative that allows the actors to bring the characters to life. Shepherd was a great actor's writer, and his plays are known for being real and authentic. The Future of 'Chasing the Moment' A revival of 'Chasing the Moment' is planned for the near future at the Arcola theatre in London. This will be the first time the play has been performed without Jack Shepherd's involvement, but it promises to be a fitting tribute to his legacy.

The Lead The Netflix adaptation of Shelby Van Pelt's novel Remarkably Bright Creatures stars Sally Field as Tova, a cleaner at an aquarium who forms a bond with an octopus voiced by Alfred Molina. The film is a gentle, heart-first drama about broken people trying to heal. Sally Field Shines in a Gentle Drama Every now and then, a strange forgotten chapter of life during Covid will interrupt my thoughts. Remember when we used to fake happy hour merriment on the Houseparty app? Or when Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor made an unwatchably awful film about stealing diamonds from Harrods during lockdown? The unavoidability of My Octopus Teacher led to everything from a creepy spike in people googling “did octopus teacher sex with octopus” (time-saver: he didn’t) to an unforgivably undeserved Oscar win for best documentary (Collective, you were robbed) and then, while not a direct on-record inspiration, it at least paved the way for the success of Shelby Van Pelt’s best-selling novel Remarkably Bright Creatures in 2022. The Film's Emotional Resonance It’s a film that can also sit in the streamer’s row of originals aimed at an older audience, alongside gentle afternoon watches like Nonnas, Our Souls at Night, Juanita and Otherhood. Like those films it welcomes in an actor we haven’t seen as much lately as we once did – Sally Field in this instance – and grants her more screen time than she has been given in over a decade – her last lead role was 2015’s Hello, My Name Is Doris. I’m not sure how much of the film would really work without her anchoring it – she adds volume to what’s otherwise a pretty low-level hum – but with Field smoothly moving between comedy and drama in a film that can’t always move quite so gracefully, it all just about stays afloat. The Impact of Molina's Voiceover Field is Tova, a cleaner at an aquarium in a picturesque coastal town who struggles to connect with those around her, still tending to the wound she endured after the death of her son years earlier. She now prefers being alone, something she has in common with Marcellus, an elderly octopus voiced by Dr Octopus himself, Alfred Molina. He hates humans, an understandable response to being trapped in a tank by them, but he appreciates the relative calm of Tova who talks to him in detail about her life. The Future of Gentle Dramas Assistance in that department also comes from Molina’s octopus, who isn’t always made to feel like a natural element of the story (there’s a stretch when it seems like Newman has forgotten about him entirely), but when he’s brought back to the forefront in the final act, there’s a neatly contrived yet sweetly effective and emotionally earned ending, If Newman doesn’t quite get the tears she’s clearly craving, she manages to leave us charmed enough for it not to matter all that much. Remarkable might be a stretch, but decent will do.

The Lead: A Snapshot of King’s Reading OdysseyLily King reflects on the books that shaped her from a four‑year‑old listening to The Little Engine That Could to the moment she finally embraced Pride and Prejudice at sixteen, a turning point that still informs her award‑shortlisted novel Heart the Lover.Early Influences: From Judy Blume to Sherwood AndersonKing cites Judy Blume’s It’s Not the End of the World as the first narrative that made her see writing as a viable path, and later, Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio as the teenage catalyst that solidified her ambition.Literary Milestones: The Books That Reshaped Her VoiceVirginia Woolf – introduced during graduate school, transformed her style.Jane Austen – Pride and Prejudice (initially rejected, later a revelation).William Faulkner – The Sound and the Fury, revisited for its layered language.Tove Jansson – The Summer Book, described as “the feeling of being alive”.Dodie Smith – I Capture the Castle, King’s comfort read.Current Reading Landscape: What King Is Consuming NowShe is juggling A Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell, Charlotte Wood’s Stone Yard Devotional, Jayne Anne Phillips’s Small Town Girls, investigative works by Seymour Hersh and David Talbot, and Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique.Impact on Contemporary Readers: Why King’s Story ResonatesKing’s candid account underscores a universal truth: early literary exposure can pivot a career, while revisiting classics can renew personal insight. Her journey illustrates how the “re‑read” culture fuels both personal growth and market demand for back‑list titles.Looking Ahead: Anticipating King’s Next MoveWith Heart the Lover shortlisted for the Women’s Prize, King is poised to leverage her renewed Austen enthusiasm into a forthcoming novel that may blend historical reverence with modern feminist themes, a trend gaining traction among literary publishers.

The Power of Negative ExpectationIn her latest book, Helen Pilcher investigates the profound connection between the mind and the body, specifically focusing on the phenomenon where negative beliefs can cause physical illness. Drawing on Roald Dahl’s The Twits, Pilcher illustrates the age-old intuition that ugly attitudes deform the face. However, her work moves beyond fiction to explore the scientific reality of the nocebo effect—a Latin term meaning "I will harm"—which occurs when a person's negative expectations lead to symptoms.Deconstructing the Nocebo EffectThe nocebo effect operates on a simple yet powerful psychological principle: the more you are warned to expect a symptom, the more likely you are to experience it. This is often described as the psychological equivalent of the "pink elephant" paradox; if you are told not to think of a pink elephant, you inevitably do. Pilcher analyzes 231 placebo-controlled clinical trials, finding that 76% of people in experimental groups reported side-effects, compared to 73% of those on a placebo. This suggests that most of us experience bodily sensations, but the nocebo effect causes us to misattribute these harmless feelings to medication.Measurable Biological ShiftsPilcher argues that the impact of the nocebo effect is not merely subjective but measurable. She highlights a striking study from Stanford where participants were told they possessed a gene associated with either high or low obesity risk, regardless of their actual genetics. The results showed that those told they had the "skinny" gene experienced a significant increase in GLP-1 (a hormone that induces satiety) after a meal, while those told they had the "fat" gene showed no change. Furthermore, Pilcher discusses research where stimulating a specific area of a mouse's brain associated with positive emotion was found to curb cancer growth, while dampening it accelerated it. This challenges the boundary between mental processes and physical disease.From Mass Panic to Medical PracticeThe book delves into the history of mass psychogenic illness (MPI), where collective anxiety spreads symptoms through a population. Historically limited by geography, MPI today can go viral due to global communication and social media. A prime example cited is the 2014 outbreak in Colombia, where social media was thought to transmit symptoms among schoolgirls who had received the HPV vaccine. Despite health officials finding no link, public confidence collapsed, dropping immunization rates from over 90% to 5%. This case underscores the vulnerability of public health to the nocebo effect at scale.The Future of Mind-Body MedicinePilcher’s work raises central philosophical questions about the nature of mind and matter. While she cautions against drawing direct parallels between mouse brain stimulation and human thought, the evidence suggests that our internal narratives can significantly alter our biology. Ultimately, understanding the nocebo effect offers a path to mitigate its negative impacts, potentially allowing individuals to avoid self-fulfilling prophecies of illness. As Pilcher notes, avoiding the nocebo effect is a "pretty good one" side-effect to have.

The Literal Revolution in VietnamThe global release of The Devil Wears Prada 2 has introduced a fascinating localization strategy in Vietnam, where the film is marketed as The Woman Who Loves Luxury Goods 2. This title choice represents a deliberate pivot away from the poetic and culturally specific nuances of the original English title. Instead of relying on the audience to infer the connection between the fashion industry and the title, the Vietnamese market has opted for a descriptive approach that leaves no room for misinterpretation. This move highlights a growing trend in Asian cinema markets where literalism is often preferred over metaphorical translation to ensure immediate audience comprehension.Why 'The Woman Who Loves Luxury Goods 2' WorksThe author argues that this specific title is 'almost perfect' because it functions as a functional summary of the film's content. It instantly communicates three key elements to the viewer: the presence of a female protagonist, her primary motivation (love of luxury goods), and the fact that this is a sequel. While purists might argue that the title is too generic to distinguish the film from other fashion-centric movies like Confessions of a Shopaholic or Sex and the City, the logic holds that clarity often trumps intrigue in mass-market distribution.Global Localization: The Art of the Literal TranslationThis Vietnamese approach is not an isolated incident but part of a broader global phenomenon where different cultures reinterpret film titles to better suit local sensibilities. The article highlights a 'wealthy canon' of films that have benefited from more descriptive titles in foreign markets. For instance, the Czech Republic's Bad Santa became Santa Is a Pervert, removing any ambiguity about the film's tone, while China has a particularly prolific record of literalism, renaming Pretty Woman to I Will Marry a Prostitute to Save Money and The Full Monty to Six Naked Pigs.Germany: Renamed Annie Hall to The Urban Neurotic and Airplane! to The Incredible Journey in a Crazy Airplane.China: Translated Knocked Up as One Night, Big Belly and Deep Impact as Heaven and Earth Great Collision.Mexico: Added a subtitle to Thelma and Louise titled An Unexpected Ending, though this arguably reveals too much of the plot.The Future of Descriptive TitlesThe success of this literal approach suggests a future where sequels and genre films benefit most from descriptive titles. As the entertainment landscape becomes increasingly globalized, the 'one-size-fits-all' poetic title may become a relic of the past. If The Devil Wears Prada continues to generate revenue, the logical progression for a third installment would be to double down on this clarity, potentially leading to a title like The Woman Who Loves Luxury Goods 3, ensuring that audiences everywhere know exactly what they are getting.

The Opportunity to Question Mark Williams Twenty-five years have now passed since the first Harry Potter film and, with the HBO reboot due out this Christmas, Warner Bros is ramping up the celebrations. Key among them is the unveiling of a new feature at the studio tour showcasing key moments, costumes and props from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Mark Williams' Role in Harry Potter And this is why Mark Williams is now taking your questions – although, as Potter purists will know, his character doesn’t actually appear in the first film. Arthur Weasley does, however, play a pretty big role in the other seven movies, so let’s muggle through regardless. A Look Back at Mark Williams' Career In the movies, Williams plays the ministry of magic employee, husband to Julie Walters’ Molly Weasley and father of Ron, Ginny, Fred, George, Percy, Charlie and Bill – a role for which he had to dye his hair red. Williams will be answering your queries about all things Potter, as well as about his career to date, from his early work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre in England to his breakthrough on The Fast Show in the 1990s. Other notable roles include Stardust, 101 Dalmatians, The Borrowers, Shakespeare in Love, A Cock and Bulk Story, Albert Nobbs, and Aardman’s Early Man. How to Post Your Questions Post your questions for Williams by noon BST on Monday 4 May and we’ll publish them in June in our regular reader interview series.

The Return of the Medieval Tiles: A Conscience-Driven PilgrimageSimon White, a 68-year-old retired chartered surveyor, has completed a remarkable act of restitution, returning three fragments of a medieval tiled floor to Wenlock Priory that he pocketed as a nine-year-old boy nearly 60 years ago. The handover marks the end of a long journey for the tiles, which survived decades hidden in a toffee tin, and serves as a poignant reminder of how historical preservation attitudes have evolved.The Toffee Tin Discovery and Historical ContextThe incident dates back to the late 1960s when White, then just nine years old, took the decorative clay tiles during a family visit to the historic site in Shropshire. He recalled his father encouraging the act, telling him, "Oh, this is pretty – take it home." The fragments were rediscovered by White during a recent house move and, despite the passage of time, he felt a moral obligation to return them.Age at Theft: 9 years oldYear of Theft: Late 1960sCurrent Age: 68 years oldStorage Method: Old toffee tinUncovering the Unknown: The Dragon MotifThe return of the tiles has yielded significant historical value. Matty Cambridge, assistant curator at English Heritage, confirmed that the fragments are indeed from Wenlock Priory, narrowing the origin down from three potential sites in Shropshire. The most exciting discovery is a dragon motif on one of the tiles, which was previously unknown at the site. Another fragment depicts a face thought to be a lion or a grimacing expression.A Shift in Heritage Ethics: From Laxity to PreservationThis story highlights a stark contrast between the laxity of the 1960s and the stringent preservation measures of today. While it is not unheard of for mementos to be taken from historic buildings, it is rare for such artefacts to be kept in such pristine condition for nearly six decades. The "pilgrimage" White undertook to return the items suggests a growing societal emphasis on the ethical treatment of cultural heritage, even decades after the transgression.The Future of the ArtifactsWhile the tiles will not be re-laid on the floor of Wenlock Priory due to their fragility, they will be moved to an English Heritage archaeology store for further analysis. The discovery of the dragon motif may prompt a re-evaluation of the site's history, offering new insights into the Cluniac monks who once inhabited the priory and their architectural preferences.

The UK Biobank Data Breach: A Minor Setback One thing Britain is exceptionally good at is collecting and using health data for research, studying cohorts of people over many decades. A shudder of alarm rippled through the research world at the news this week that UK Biobank’s data had been put up for sale on China’s Alibaba site, with the science minister, Patrick Vallance, saying that more attempts to sell the data in China were expected. Understanding the Breach and Its Impact Biobank dashed to reassure its 500,000 members, and as a longtime volunteer I received a message not only explaining what had happened but listing some of the invaluable research findings and remedies that had already sprung from our data. Remarkably, a representative for Biobank told me that only about 100 people inquired about withdrawing, and after each was spoken to, only 50 actually backed out – pretty impressive. Prof Sir Rory Collins, Biobank’s chief executive, says he will personally speak to any anxious participant. The Value of Biobank Data The list of good done using Biobank data includes a blood test revealing motor neurone disease years before symptoms arise, a single gene behind almost all Alzheimer’s cases and a score to decide which overweight people have most risk factors and should be first for weight-reduction drugs. Challenges and Future Directions Longitudinal studies have been a research jewel, allowing projects such as studying children born in the same month who are then followed throughout their lives. In the UK we have followed groups of people from 1946, 1958, 1970, 1989-90 and 2000-2002 and there is now a new study recruiting 30,000 babies this year. The organisation Use My Data, which founded by cancer patients grateful for research that saved their lives, campaigns to get people to join research projects, helping researchers devise trustworthy transparent data systems. The Future of Health Data Research Summon up your public spirit. A population-wide study recruiting now is Our Future Health, seeking 5 million volunteers, so sign up here. I’ve already done so – it’s simple, just a blood sample and a questionnaire gets you a £10 token. Everyone benefits.