All posts tagged: Anna

Winter in The City: Edited by R B Wood & Anna Koon

Winter in The City: Edited by R B Wood & Anna Koon

Published by skeptic

“Winter in the City,” edited by R.B. Wood and Anna Koon, is more than just an anthology—it’s an exploration of what it means to exist in the liminal spaces of life and place. This collection of 18 short stories, each set in a different city during the harsh season of winter, offers a blend of dark speculative fiction that is as haunting as it is illuminating. The cities in this anthology are not mere backdrops; they are vibrant characters, each pulsing with their own life, history, and peculiarities. From the frozen Seine in Paris to the snow-laden Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, each locale is brought to life with vivid prose and meticulous detail. Here is an analytical deep dive into the tales that make up this chilling masterpiece. 1. Dhaka by Anjum Noor Choudhury In the chaos of election-year Dhaka, Kubuddhi, a stranded supernatural being, roams the city, longing for home. Through haunting streets and fiery rallies, he attempts to protect humanity while grappling with the city’s corruption. His story intertwines political critique and …

Northern Ireland Humanists pay tribute to humanist trailblazer Anna Lo

Northern Ireland Humanists pay tribute to humanist trailblazer Anna Lo

Published by skeptic

All Rights Reserved, ©Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, distributed with permission, source: Alliance official Flickr Northern Ireland Humanists and humanists around the UK have expressed their sadness following the death of former MLA Anna Lo, who was the most high-profile humanist MLA in Northern Ireland. A humanist and supporter of Northern Ireland Humanists, Anna was a trailblazing member of the Northern Ireland Assembly who broke new ground as the first Chinese parliamentarian in UK history. She served as Alliance Party MLA for Belfast South from 2007 until 2016, when she was forced to stand down due to a pattern of targeted racial abuse from Ulster unionists. She lived with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. Northern Ireland Humanists Coordinator Boyd Sleator, who worked with her on a number of humanist issues, including the successful campaign to decriminalise abortion, paid tribute to Anna by saying: ‘Anna was an amazing woman who we worked closely with over the years. She exemplified humanist values. She was a critical thinker, her politics was led by evidence and data, …

Anna Wintour’s 10 best fashion moments of all time

Anna Wintour’s 10 best fashion moments of all time

Published by skeptic

Feared and revered, Anna Wintour is at the helm of global fashion. The Vogue editor is fashion’s sphinx, sitting in her bob and sunglasses like she’s guarding the gates of chic. Dictating what is in and who’s tragically out is her bread and butter, in turn keeping the trends cycle neatly ticking over.   Anna’s career is legendary in the fashion industry, spanning more than four decades. Born in London in 1949, she began her career in journalism at Harper’s & Queen before moving to New York, where she held editorial positions at Harper’s Bazaar and Viva. Her vision and ambition quickly set her apart, and she climbed the ranks to become editor-in-chief of British Vogue in 1985. Just three years later, she took over as editor-in-chief of Vogue in the United States, a role she’s famously held since 1988. © GettyAnna Wintour and Andre Leon Talley at the Gucci fashion show at Milan Fashion Week spring/summer 2009 Her tenure transformed Vogue into a powerhouse that defines global fashion. She introduced a fresh editorial style, combining high …

Anora’s Honor | Anna Shechtman

Anora’s Honor | Anna Shechtman

Published by skeptic

To the educated middle-class viewer of Sean Baker’s Anora, the term “sex worker” will seem the proper and indeed the only usable one for the titular protagonist’s occupation. Any other would be dated or worse. Yet the term is unknown to the streetwise characters in the film, set in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, not that long ago. In this world, Anora (Mikey Madison) is variously called a whore, prostitute, shlyukha, hooker, escort, ho, and so on. A contrast is staged for us between, on the one hand, the proper term, which is only used around the film (say, in the press materials and Baker’s Palme d’Or acceptance speech), and, on the other hand, the quasi-Rabelaisian lexicon circulating vigorously in it. This is not Chantal Akerman’s Jeanne Dielman or Lizzie Borden’s Working Girls, movies that underscore the work of sex work, drawing out its tedium, exploitation, and attendant labor disputes. Anora is more interested in inhabiting, and reflecting on, the space between the one “right” word and the many other objectionable words for its protagonist’s job—a sign …

Anna Kendrick donated entire profit of Netflix film to charity as it made her feel ‘gross’

Anna Kendrick donated entire profit of Netflix film to charity as it made her feel ‘gross’

Published by Sam

Anna Kendrick has revealed she donated all the money she made from Woman of the Hour to charity. The Pitch Perfect actor, 39, made her directorial debut with the new Netflix film, which revolves around a series of killings committed by Rodney Alcala, a smooth-talking predator who charmed at least eight young women in the Seventies, took their photograph, then murdered them. The true extent of Alcala’s crimes is unknown – some suggest he may have been responsible for 130 murders. Kendrick’s film primarily focuses on a surreal episode in Alcala’s spree: his 1978 appearance on the US TV show The Dating Game, where he served as one of three bachelors attempting to woo a young woman named Cheryl, played by Kendrick. Speaking on the Crime Junkie AF podcast, Kendrick said of the project: “This was never a money-making venture for me. “Eventually, Netflix bought the movie. But it wasn’t until, like, the week before TIFF [Toronto International Film Festival] that I thought, ‘Oh, this movie’s gonna make money.” The Alice, Darling star admitted this …

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston

Published by skeptic

We’ve all had those moments where we wished we could hit the reset button on life – start over with a clean slate, become someone new. But how many of us would actually have the courage to do it, even if given the chance? In her charming debut novel The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife, Australian author Anna Johnston explores this tantalizing “what if” scenario through the eyes of her lovable octogenarian protagonist Fred. With warmth, humor and surprising poignancy, Johnston crafts a feel-good story about found family, forgiveness, and the redemptive power of human connection. While the premise may require a hefty suspension of disbelief, the emotional payoff is well worth it. This is the kind of cozy, uplifting read that will leave you with a smile on your face and maybe even a few happy tears in your eyes. A Case of Mistaken Identity Leads to an Unexpected Second Act When we first meet 82-year-old Frederick Fife, he’s at rock bottom – broke, lonely, and on the verge of homelessness after spending his …

Anna Sorokin: Fake heiress sports sparkly ankle monitor on Dancing With The Stars | US News

Anna Sorokin: Fake heiress sports sparkly ankle monitor on Dancing With The Stars | US News

Published by skeptic

Convicted con artist Anna “Delvey” Sorokin has made her debut on Dancing With The Stars – sporting a sparkly ankle monitor. The so-called “fake heiress”, who swindled Manhattan’s elite out of huge sums, took to the dancefloor on Tuesday as the US TV show returned for a new series. Sorokin defrauded banks and New York City big names to the tune of around $67m (£61m) to fund her jet-setting lifestyle – and was later jailed. Prison did nothing to dent her fame, however, with the Netflix series Inventing Anna debuting on the streaming site while she was still behind bars. Now she’s back in the public eye, swapping prison bars for Dancing With The Stars. Image: Anna Sorokin when she appeared in court on grand larceny charges in 2018. Pic: AP “It’s actually not a big issue at all,” Sorokin said of the ankle monitor after the premiere. “It’s pretty light and I asked them to make it tight so it doesn’t dangle. So it’s not so bad.” “I feel relieved that it’s over,” she …

Emmys 2024: Anna Sawai makes history with win for ‘Shōgun’

Emmys 2024: Anna Sawai makes history with win for ‘Shōgun’

Published by skeptic

Anna Sawai, star of FX’s Shōgun, made history at the 76th Emmy Awards on Sunday, becoming the first Asian performer to win the Emmy for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Nominated for her role as noble and translator Lady Toda Mariko in the epic historical fiction series, Sawai was up against Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon forThe Morning Show, Maya Erskine for Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Imelda Staunton for The Crown, and Carrie Coon for The Gilded Age. Sawai delivered an emotional acceptance speech, thanking Shōgun star and producer Hiroyuki Sanada, who won Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series, for “continuing to open doors for people like me.” She also thanked her co-star Cosmo Jarvis and the Shōgun cast and crew, and finished her speech thanking her mother, who was in the audience: “Mom, I love you. You are the reason I’m here. You showed me stoicism and that’s how I was able to portray Mariko. This is to all the women who expect nothing and continue to be an example for …

From prison bars to ‘Dancing with the Stars’: Anna Delvey joins season 33 cast

From prison bars to ‘Dancing with the Stars’: Anna Delvey joins season 33 cast

Published by skeptic

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Anna Delvey is swapping prison for the dance floor as she is set to join the cast of Season 33 of Dancing With The Stars. Delvey was infamously jailed in 2019 after posing as a German heiress, conning businesses, banks, and friends out of more than $250,000. According to Page Six, the 33-year-old con artist turned fashion publicist will now join the reality TV competition’s cast for the next season. This isn’t Delvey’s first brush with TV stardom, with the hit Netflix drama Inventing Anna being based on her life, and a reality show of her own, Delvey’s Dinner Club, also said to be in the works. In 2018, Delvey – whose real name is Anna Sorokin – was charged with two counts of …

‘Sport has infiltrated all of fashion’: Anna Wintour on Vogue World, sport and UK arts | Anna Wintour

‘Sport has infiltrated all of fashion’: Anna Wintour on Vogue World, sport and UK arts | Anna Wintour

Published by skeptic

As Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, finalised plans for her third instalment of Vogue World, an entertainment extravaganza that will take place in Paris this month, she expressed hope that some of the French attitude towards fashion might rub off on the UK. “I have not read what I assume will be the next prime minister’s stand on the arts but hopefully he can be convinced to support not only the arts organisations but also fashion in this country, which is such an important part of the economy,” she told the Guardian on Monday at Condé Nast’s offices in London. While France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, regularly hosts events for designers at the Élysée Palace, acknowledging the importance of the industry as France’s top export sector, Wintour believes that in the UK the fashion industry continues to be misunderstood, despite contributing more than £60bn to the British economy. “Over the years I have seen prime ministers host events at Downing Street and say a lot of the right things but I’m not sure how knowledgable they are …