Hasta La Gadget!

BEIJING (Reuters) – At least 35 people, including two children, died after a tour bus crashed and caught fire in central China, state media reported on Sunday.

Police detained the driver of the bus, which was carrying 55 people in Hunan province, said the official Xinhua news agency. Eleven people were hospitalized after the crash, with four people seriously injured, Xinhua reported.

The bus crashed into a guardrail on a highway and the fire started after an oil leak, said Xinhua, citing local authorities. State television showed images of the charred bus.

(Reporting by Paul Carsten)

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Onstage, gravediggers at an excavation site discover a crooked spinal cord. That could only belong to one figure, Richard III. Flashing back to Shakespeare’s play, his history, in the person of Ralph Fiennes unfolds in the Almeida Theater’s stunning production under Rupert Goold’s direction, the image of the misshapen bone only begins to tell you what’s in this man’s heart. Having just murdered Lady Anne’s father and husband, he woos her, Shakespeare’s language suggesting everything you can possibly do with a cane.

Ralph Fiennes in a smart black suit is only mildly deformed compared to Richards of the past: Olivier’s, Ian McKellan’s, Al Pacino’s, Kevin Spacey’s. Richard III is second to Hamlet in Shakespeare’s oeuvre, for demanding roles. The character himself is a gift, unremittingly narcissistic, conscience-free, who after a bad dream wakes up to one, in time to die. For political gain, he will murder anyone; the line up of his corpses -including his nephews, children played to Tweedledum and Tweedledee perfection – Their skulls form a decorative backdrop on a cave-like wall. Overseeing these proceedings is the formidable Queen Margaret (a gentle Vanessa Redgrave).

The timing could not have been more resonant, the day of the vote for secession from the European Union. Londoners reeled from lack of sleep, and nightmares of what would come. Last week before the vote, Jo Cox, a member of Parliament, had been slain by a madman, two roses, one red, one white lain on her seat as a symbol of unity. In Richard III, when Richard’s successor, the Earl of Richmond speaks of these roses joining houses, there was not a dry eye in the theater. In the larger picture, this play is a potent spectacle of just how bad bad leadership can be.

A version of this post also appears on Gossip Central.

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Among my twenty-five books are eight academic mysteries I had tremendous fun researching and writing. That fun’s never been spoiled by hearing someone say, “Oh, I don’t read mysteries! There’s nothing to them!” They sometimes add, “And most of them are badly written.

Why don’t I get annoyed? Because I’ve also published memoirs, literary fiction, historical fiction, psychology, a travelogue, self-help, biography, a guide to the writing life, and even a Jane Austen mash-up. I read more widely than that, and never know what genre might interest me next as a writer or reader.

And in my long career, I’ve learned that genre snobs come in all shapes and sizes. The owner of Michigan’s wonderful mystery story, Aunt Agatha’s, recently griped on FB about academics dissing mysteries, and rightfully so. But mystery fans themselves aren’t above genre-bashing.

I’ve been on a mystery readers’ and writers’ listserv for about fifteen years and way too often a predictable thread emerges. Somebody complains about being sneered at for reading mysteries by somebody else off-list who thinks they’re silly, trashy, mindless, “escape reading.”

The list starts to seethe: some of the “victims” quickly turn victimizer and start trashing “Literature” or “literary fiction.” What’s that? Well, as defined by a best-selling mystery author at a conference I attended years ago: books where not very much happens to people who aren’t very interesting. Wasn’t he insightful? He certainly knew his audience–people roared their approval. Snobbery clearly works both ways.

What usually happens next on the list is that more people chime in with complaints about Proust or just about anyone they think is highfalutin and boring. That expands to include all Modern or Contemporary Fiction, however it’s defined, which is usually whatever book that person doesn’t like. Or disliked in high school. Or was told was brilliant but they hated. Or anything dubbed “classic.” And the authors and their fans are of course elitist.

The contempt these mystery readers sometimes feel directed at them gets recycled as they express disdain for books they don’t like which have been written and enjoyed by people they have to denigrate. That’s not an argument or even a defense: it’s blatant insecurity.

Sometimes they’ll point to all the crime writers on the bestseller list and sneer that literary novels only sell a few copies and are usually written for the author’s friends. Or they’ll make lavish claims and say something like “Anne Perry is a better writer than George Eliot.” I’ve had dinner with Anne Perry and I doubt she would make that claim. I’ve also read Eliot’s novels extensively. You can’t compare the two writers.

I’ve done radio and print books reviews since the early 90s and I’ve found plenty of bad writing in every genre. If you don’t like a certain kind of book, don’t read it. But trashing a whole genre doesn’t make you sound authoritative, it only makes you sound like you’ve got a giant chip on your shoulder.

Lev Raphael is the author of The Edith Wharton Murders and 24 other books.

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Say goodbye to boring grilled chicken breasts this summer. From Honey-Sriracha Chicken Skewers to Grilled Chicken Fajitas, these dishes are all alive with flavor.

1. Honey, Lime & Sriracha Chicken Skewers

These chicken skewers marinated in honey, lime juice and Sriracha are every bit as good as they look — and if you haven’t tried Sriracha, the Asian hot sauce named after the coastal city of Si Racha in Thailand, this is the perfect recipe to taste just how delicious it is. GET THE RECIPE

2. Perfectly Grilled Chicken Breasts with Lemon, Garlic and Herb Marinade

This is my basic, go-to grilled chicken — perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or cookout — and so versatile. You can serve the fillets on their own (kids love them), topped with cheese on a toasted bun, chopped up in a quesadilla or, as I often do, sliced over a Greek or Caesar salad. GET THE RECIPE

3. Middle Eastern Chicken Kebabs

Perfect for entertaining, these chicken thighs are marinated in a tangy Middle Eastern-style blend of Greek yogurt, lemon, garlic and spices, then grilled on skewers until golden brown. Serve with Basmati Rice Pilaf or on top of a Greek salad. Just be sure to make extra — the first time I made this dish for a crowd, I actually ran out of food! GET THE RECIPE

4. Grilled Chicken Wings with Seasoned Buffalo Sauce

Classic Buffalo wings are fried but I love the flavor and ease of cooking them on the grill. They are truly no fuss, no muss and finger lickin’ good! The key is to cook them over a moderate flame so that the fat renders out and the skin gets nice and crispy. GET THE RECIPE

5. Grilled Moroccan Chicken

I can’t claim this recipe is authentic, but the spices — an aromatic blend of cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, ginger, paprika and coriander — make it taste decidedly Moroccan. The best part is that it only takes minutes to prepare, and there’s barely any clean up. GET THE RECIPE

6. Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken (aka Margarita Chicken)

Margarita Chicken is one of those dishes that just screams fun. The marinade is a combination of tequila, lime, garlic and spices — and it’s loaded with bright Southwestern flavor. GET THE RECIPE

7. Asian BBQ Chicken

Think of this dish as Chicken Teriyaki with a South Asian flair, or India meets the other flavors of Asia. It sounds exotic but it’s actually kid-friendly and easy to prepare. GET THE RECIPE

8. Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Fajitas are easy to make at home and perfect for getting the whole family sharing everything at the dinner table. In this recipe, I marinate and grill the chicken for a smoky, charred flavor, and then sauté the onions and peppers on the stovetop until they caramelize and sweeten. GET THE RECIPE

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ROME (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in Brussels and British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond in London on Monday, a senior State Department official said.

The trip comes as European Union and UK officials weigh the political and economic fallout from Friday’s shock British referendum vote in favor of leaving the 28-nation bloc.

The senior official said Kerry would stress the importance of other members not following Britain and further weakening the EU. U.S. President Barack Obama had urged voters in Britain — long seen as Washington’s closest European ally — not to approve Brexit.

(Reporting by Warren Strobel; Editing by Catherine Evans)

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