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Sitdown Sunday: The life and tragic death of Philip Seymour Hoffman

Grab a comfy chair and sit back with some of the week’s best longreads.

IT’S A DAY of rest, and you may be in the mood for a quiet corner and a comfy chair.

We’ve hand-picked the week’s best reads for you to savour.

1. The life and death of Philip Seymour Hoffman

Philip Seymour Hoffman death Ian West Ian West

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s partner Mimi O’Donnell writes movingly and frankly about their relationship, family, and his untimely death.

(Vogue, approx 32 mins reading time)

When Phil and I weren’t collaborating, we would see each other at meetings, readings, rehearsals, or any number of the endless parties the company threw. It was a fertile, exciting time—we were all young, at our best and healthiest, and we were all in love with theater and with one another. Before every event, I’d think, Oh, God, I hope Phil’s there. And if he wasn’t, I was disappointed. It wasn’t so much that I wanted to date him. It was that I thought, You’re so attractive on every level that I want to be near you as much as I can.

2. Are they Scientology schools?

We don’t have them here, but in the USA they have ‘school voucher programmes’, and soon those schools will include ones that promote the Scientologist doctrine.

(Huffington Post, approx 13 mins reading time)

Clearwater Academy is a private institution, which means that in general, the school can teach what it likes with little oversight. But the learning materials it uses raise questions about its links to the Church of Scientology, in light of the school receiving more than $500,000 in taxpayer money for student scholarships between 2012-2016. HuffPost has been investigating the schools that receive such money for students, which comes via state-level voucher or tax credit programs.

3. The problem with muzak

App stock PA Archive / PA Images PA Archive / PA Images / PA Images

As the music world changes, Spotify has become the world’s largest streaming music company. Liz Pelly examines its obsession with mood and activity-based playlists, and what this means for listeners and music-makers.

(The Baffler, approx 20 mins reading time)

 One independent label owner I spoke with has watched his records’ physical and digital sales decline week by week. He’s trying to play ball with the platform by pitching playlists, to varying effect. “The more vanilla the release, the better it works for Spotify. If it’s challenging music? Nah,” he says, telling me about all of the experimental, noise, and comparatively aggressive music on his label that goes unheard on the platform. “It leaves artists behind. If Spotify is just feeding easy music to everybody, where does the art form go? Is anybody going to be able to push boundaries and break through to a wide audience anymore?”

4. The adopted black baby and the white one who replaced her

When she was eight, Amy Roost’s two brothers mentioned their ‘other sister’. She discovered her parents had adopted a black baby girl years beforehand, but had returned her.

(The New York Times, approx 14 mins reading time)

Decades later, the journeys of the two women tell a nuanced story of race in America, one that complicates easy assumptions about white privilege and black hardship. Lives take unexpected twists and turns, this family story suggests, no matter the race of those involved. And years later, it is not easy to figure out the role of race when looking for lessons learned.

5. Why women writers are better than men

These books command, not capture, your attention SIPA USA / PA Images SIPA USA / PA Images / PA Images

In this essay, John Boyne writes about female and male writers, and what it means when we leave women out of the picture.

(The Guardian, approx 12 mins reading time)

I’ve been publishing novels for almost 20 years. In that time, I’ve become increasingly aware of similar double standards in the industry. A man is treated like a literary writer from the start, but a woman usually has to earn that commendation. There are exceptions. In recent years, some new female writers – Sara BaumeBelinda McKeon and Kit de Waal in particular – have broken through quickly due to the indisputable quality of their work, but others have struggled because they clashed with publishers over how female-oriented their book promotion should be.

6. Cat Person

One of the most-discussed articles online this week is Cat Person, a short story by Kristen Roupenian. Read it, then search out the many varied opinions on it.

(The New Yorker, approx 37 mins reading time)

Flirting with her customers was a habit she’d picked up back when she worked as a barista, and it helped with tips. She didn’t earn tips at the movie theatre, but the job was boring otherwise, and she did think that Robert was cute. Not so cute that she would have, say, gone up to him at a party, but cute enough that she could have drummed up an imaginary crush on him if he’d sat across from her during a dull class—though she was pretty sure that he was out of college, in his mid-twenties at least.

…AND A CLASSIC FROM THE ARCHIVES…

In 2009, Sports Illustrated looked at how big-time athletes can make a huge amount of money – but also lose it extremely quickly. And “the ways they blow it are strikingly similar”.

(Sports Illustrated, approx 33 mins reading time)

After that Ismail squandered a fortune funding not only that inspirational movie but also the music label COZ Records (“The guy was areal good talker,” says Rocket); a cosmetics procedure whereby oxygen was absorbed into the skin (“We were not prepared for the sharks in the beauty industry”); a plan to create nationwide phone-card dispensers (“When I was in college, phone cards were a big deal”); and, recently, three shops dubbed It’s in the Name, where tourists could buy framed calligraphy of names or proverbs of their choice (“The main store opened up in New Orleans, but doggone Hurricane Katrina came two months later”). The shops no longer exist.

More: The best reads from every previous Sitdown Sunday>

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    Mute Essor
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    Mar 13th 2022, 1:33 PM

    RIP. Risked his life so we could see the war crimes being committed by Putin

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    Mute Eoin Roche
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    Mar 13th 2022, 1:41 PM

    @Stephen Murphy: I suppose it was the journalists shooting at unarmed Russian soldiers then? Go back to sleep.

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    Mute HunWithACause✊
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    Mar 13th 2022, 1:43 PM

    @Stephen Murphy: are you going over to fight for Russia yeah?

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    Mute Juniper
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    Mar 13th 2022, 1:44 PM

    @Stephen Murphy: In the west, we get to see both sides and make up our mind what’s really happening. In Russia, there is only the line that they are on a liberation mission to free Ukraine from fascists. It is pretty clear that Russia’s line is – as Trump would call it – using alternative facts.

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    Mute Monty Donotno
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    Mar 13th 2022, 1:44 PM

    @Stephen Murphy: perhaps you should move to Russia to explore further your neutral view of their behavior.

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    Mute Ronnie Mhelan
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    Mar 13th 2022, 1:48 PM

    @Stephen Murphy: I mean, Russia invaded Ukraine and are now targeting civilians right? You’re not disputing that fact are you?

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    Mute Shane McGrath
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    Mar 13th 2022, 1:48 PM

    @Stephen Murphy: Get stuffed. There is one side to this.

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    Mute Niall O'Reilly
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    Mar 13th 2022, 2:30 PM

    Brave are the journalists who enter those conflict zones to ensure truth and evidence is sought for the rest of us armchair critics. Well done Dan. Condolences to your family and friends. May you Rest In Peace.

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    Mute Ivan Connolly
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    Mar 13th 2022, 4:37 PM

    @Niall O’Reilly: yes it’s very sad. Everyone is at risk in a war zone. I remember also the journalists machine gunned by the American attack helicopter during the illegal occupation of Iraq. If I recall correctly they then shot up a van with kids inside who tried to help the gunned down journalists. I think it’s always important to remember that it is the dehumanising of other people that makes it easier for soldiers to kill them and also that killing can be done far beyond the range that a press badge can be seen.

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    Mute Willie Penwright
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    Mar 13th 2022, 6:31 PM

    @Ivan Connolly: That clip is still available on YouTube but the journalist who exposed the crime is in a British prison on orders from the US, without charge or trial – Julian Assange.

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    Mute Ivan Connolly
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    Mar 13th 2022, 7:04 PM

    @Willie Penwright: indeed which I think emphasises Stephen Murphys comment above which now seems to have been removed. It appears only one point of view is allowed here as well as Russia. But his comment was correct. Propaganda exists on all sides as do atrocities committed against civilian populations but for the most part the western media doesn’t seem to call those committed by the west, war crimes. The reality is that all powerful countries do as they want and as far as they are concerned, might is right and their respective media only ever see their side as righteous and the other as war criminals.

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    Mute C_O'S
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    Mar 13th 2022, 1:43 PM

    Such a handsome guy to have his life taken away by the Russian enemy….. RIP Brett, And condolences to his family and friends back home in the states who will be mourning his tragic death.

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    Mute Colm O' Shea
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    Mar 13th 2022, 1:58 PM

    @C_O’S: his looks add or take away nothing from the situation. Agree with everything else you said

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    Mute Genera L Consensus
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    Mar 13th 2022, 1:48 PM

    Shot in the head by a sniper so no accident, what will the US do to protect its citizens?

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    Mute Dan Broderick
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    Mar 13th 2022, 2:16 PM

    @Genera L Consensus: tell them to stay out of a warzone! He wasn’t there in an official capacity so there is more to this story than any of us will ever know.
    This is absolutely not a black and white, good vs evil situation.

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    Mute Jonathan O'Riordan
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    Mar 13th 2022, 2:19 PM

    @Dan Broderick: go join your buddy Stephen Murphy

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    Mute Tommy Roche
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    Mar 13th 2022, 2:23 PM

    @Genera L Consensus: They’ve tried to protect them already by suggesting they leave/do not travel to Ukraine. War corresponding is a dangerous gig, it’s why these guys get paid big bucks. One oddity in the story is that he was employed by NYT, was wearing NYT I.D. badge, but NYT were very quick to point out he wasn’t in Ukraine on NYT’s behalf.

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    Mute Sean Higgins
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    Mar 13th 2022, 2:41 PM

    @Tommy Roche: freelancing ?

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    Mute Deirdre
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    Mar 13th 2022, 3:03 PM

    @Tommy Roche: im sure there is insurance on these guys, when on assignment, could be a reason to say out loud not on assignment, so no insurance payout. Or they are scared of Putin.

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    Mute Tommy Roche
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    Mar 13th 2022, 3:28 PM

    @Deirdre: Ok.

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    Mute Essor
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    Mar 13th 2022, 4:22 PM

    @Dan Broderick: he was filming a documentary refugees as an independent journalist. Get back in your box

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    Mute Essor
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    Mar 13th 2022, 4:23 PM

    @Essor: *on refugees

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    Mute Ivan Connolly
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    Mar 13th 2022, 4:39 PM

    @Jonathan O’Riordan: ah such an erudite response. How fine you must look in your black shirt.

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    Mute Gavin Mckenna
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    Mar 13th 2022, 5:33 PM

    @Dan Broderick: Awful, rest in peace. Just couldnt do a simple RIP no? Another tin foiler convinced there’s something more when there’s not. Disgraceful.

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    Mute Mike Dunne
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    Mar 13th 2022, 6:43 PM

    @Genera L Consensus: Nothing, with Biden in charge.

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    Mute Tony Doyle
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    Mar 14th 2022, 1:59 AM

    @Dan Broderick: Evidence please and do you believe that the Funky Gibbon is still the American president

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    Mute Tony Doyle
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    Mar 14th 2022, 2:00 AM

    @Tommy Roche: He was a freelance journalist that the NYT occasionally used

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    Mute Tony Doyle
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    Mar 14th 2022, 2:04 AM

    @Ivan Connolly: a black shirt will always beat a red neck or a yellow belly

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    Mute trebloc01
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    Mar 13th 2022, 2:18 PM

    Moldova, Georgia, Sweden, Finland, Estonia,Latvia & Lithuania and then onto Poland. US & NATO have no stomach for fighting after Afghanistan

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    Mute kevin mc cormack
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    Mar 13th 2022, 2:31 PM

    @trebloc01: I’d doubt they’ll have the money or capacity to get out of Ukraine let alone the others you’ve mentioned

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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Mar 13th 2022, 3:36 PM

    @trebloc01: NATO hasn’t been attacked so why would it get involved in someon else’s war? Russia are struggling to take Ukraine there is no chance Putin is looking at his militaries performance in Ukraine and thinking of attacking any NATO state. So stop talking cr ap

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    Mute alan scott
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    Mar 13th 2022, 3:47 PM

    @trebloc01: the war in Afghanistan will look small in comparison to would could happen.

    And no NATO and the USA not are weak.

    They will defend every inch of NATO territory and destroy Russia in a day, considering Russia is having a very difficult time against a vastly inferior military.

    God speed Ukraine

    Clown alert

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    Mute Gerry McCaughey
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    Mar 13th 2022, 4:23 PM

    @trebloc01: half of those countries are NATO. The minute Russia sets foot in any NATO country their military will be torn to shreds. Ukraine are making a good fist of it by themselves but if Russia take on NATO directly they’ll be obliterated. Their only option will be nukes. Even then, they’ll be destroyed. I have no doubt there are people in the kremlin preparing to take Putin out should he show signs of moving in that direction.

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    Mute Willie Penwright
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    Mar 13th 2022, 6:35 PM

    @trebloc01: They weren’t wearing their Nato ensignia during the war on Afghanistan. That was an openly US operation. The Europeans were just there for a bit of training and sales opportunities for their arms industries.

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    Mute Tony Doyle
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    Mar 14th 2022, 2:13 AM

    @Roy Dowling: I get your drift but less than 20 days ago the current situation in Ukraine was unthinkable

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    Mute Niamh Hayes
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    Mar 13th 2022, 8:17 PM

    As much as we give out about the media ,we continue to forget how important journalism is in the world as a tool of truth and freedom.R.I.P

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    Mute Tomás Barrett
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    Mar 13th 2022, 7:19 PM

    @Willie Penwright: ‘free’ far far freer than Russians who face 15 years in prison if they don’t tow the Kermlins line.

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    Mute Tony Doyle
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    Mar 14th 2022, 2:21 AM

    Sad event for all in the media and consumers of the media But can anyone imagine if this was a Fox journalist and the spin that would follow

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    Mute Colm O'Leary
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    Mar 14th 2022, 7:42 AM

    Hate to be the one to say this but I will. I told you all so when Russia was building up its force on the Russian border that this was about to happen. Russia has pretty much used up the resources of its army on this little experiment and as long as it doesn’t get replenished from China. I’m convinced that China may take this opportunity to attack Russia on its eastern side. If Putin isn’t careful he could loose his Pacific sea access!

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