Clay Risen
Posts
Clyde Taylor, Literary Scholar Who Elevated Black Cinema, Dies at 92
A leading figure in the field of Black studies in the 1970s, he identified work by Black filmmakers as worthy of serious intellectual attention.
Red Paden, Juke Joint ‘King’ Who Kept the Blues Alive, Dies at 67
His unassuming Mississippi Delta nightspot is one of the last of its kind, giving blues musicians a welcoming venue and lately drawing visitors from around...
Norma Barzman, Blacklisted Screenwriter, Dies at 103
After she and her husband, a fellow writer, saw work in Hollywood dry up during the Red Scare, they continued their careers in self-exile overseas.
Sidney M. Wolfe, Scourge of the Pharmaceutical Industry, Dies at 86
For over 40 years, he and his organization, the Health Research Group, held government and manufacturers to account for unsafe medication.
Carlos Lyra, Composer Who Brought Finesse to Bossa Nova, Dies at 90
When Brazilian musicians fused samba with jazz and classical influences in the 1950s and ’60s, he was among the first, and the best.
Cari Beauchamp, Who Chronicled the Women of Early Hollywood, Dies at 74
In books and magazine articles, she uncovered the forgotten story of the actresses and screenwriters who helped create the film industry.
William G. Connolly, Editor Who Updated The Times, Dies at 85
He sought more diversity among its newsroom employees and co-wrote a full-scale, and modernized, edition of the paper’s internal style guide.
Colette Maze, Pianist Whose Recording Career Started Late, Dies at 109
Born before the outbreak of World War I, she began making albums in her 80s. She released her latest, “109 Ans de Piano,” this year.
Denny Laine, Founding Member of the Moody Blues and Wings, Dies at 79
He wrote “Mull of Kintyre” with Paul McCartney and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the Moody Blues.
Sandra Elkin, Creator of a Pioneering Feminist Talk Show, Dies at 85
“Woman,” which she hosted, brought frank talk about issues like birth control, pay inequality and homosexuality into millions of homes in the 1970s.