With the New Year upon us, now is the time to plan those 2024 vacations. Here’s a destination to consider, especially for epicureans, those who are passionate about food and drink and unique culinary experiences.

Where beach meets city, and Bayshore Boulevard hugs Tampa Bay, the neighborhoods of Hyde Park Village and Soho (South of Howard Avenue) in Florida rise high like glittering sapphires. Two sparkling gems, shimmering with fantastic facets of art, culture, Southern hospitality and of course, culinary delights. It is here that comfortable walking shoes could be considered your greatest, easiest and most desirous method of transportation.

From the jaw-dropping Bayshore Estates to beautifully appointed and architecturally crafted bungalows, being on foot between the sleek Epicurean Hotel and Hyde Park Village is essential, if one cares to bathe in the magical coziness of both the inviting exteriors of the private homes and sublime commercial hub that punctuate the streets with sizzle and style.

It takes less than two minutes of moving about Soho and Hyde Park Village to know something special is in the air. Somehow, in an instant, life feels easier and friendlier here. A calming happiness seems to spill into its atmosphere.

The Epicurean Hotel at 1207 S. Howard Ave., https://bit.ly/4aCUJqA, was developed in collaboration with the legendary Bern’s Steak House across the street. The hotel’s food theme prevails throughout the property. Wooden sides of wine crates adorn the walls and ceiling at the wine-themed check-in desk. Of course, I was mesmerized by the sitting areas with bookshelves filled with vintage cookbooks available for sale, with proceeds going to a culinary scholarship fund.

Hundreds of handwritten recipe cards have been turned into a work of art in one of the dining rooms. The artwork throughout the property conveys one of four food themes: grow, create, imbibe and indulge. Even the light fixtures aside the room numbers are etched with food- and wine-related items.

When people think of resorts, they think of golf, spa and theme park resorts. Think of the Epicurean as a culinary resort, with the “theme park” being the world-famous Bern’s Steak House, right across the street.

Cooking and wine classes as well as meetings take place in the state-of-the-art tiered Epicurean Theatre. The late Bern Laxer strongly believed that in the business of food and wine, one must be a student for life.

Edge, the hotel’s rooftop bar, is the place to be to enjoy craft cocktails, wine, beer and small plates. It’s the perfect location for sunset views and taking in eclectic works of art.

The stunning Lobby Bar features chef inspired plates plus a cocktail program that showcases well-made classics, while highlighting creative signature offerings. The Elevage Burger is a fresh take on the classic with cheddar, bread and butter pickles topped with comeback sauce.

We are told the menus change seasonally; however one foodie-favorite dish remains on the Lobby Bar menu; the Homage to Bern’s (shaved ribeye, caramelized onion, Alpine cheese on focaccia), a nod to the Epicurean’s legendary neighbor, Bern’s Steak House.

Bern’s Fine Wines & Spirits is right off the lobby. How convenient! Bern’s Steak House has accumulated one of the largest, private collections of wines assembled in the world. Sommeliers will help you find the most interesting wines, many not available in most wine shops.

Across from the hotel’s entrance is Chill Bros. Scoop Shop.

“At Epicurean, we’re all about food and fun, so we’re thrilled to partner with Chill Bros., whose dedication to quality mixes so sweetly with ours,” said the Epicurean’s general manager, Shawn Routen.

Throughout my stay I was eyeing the featured flavors, Malty Millionaire (velvety vanilla malt ice cream filled with bite size millionaire’s shortbread squares and thick swirls of salted caramel), and Apple Pie (cinnamon vanilla ice cream, homemade apple butter, Granny Smith apples cooked to perfection with brown sugar, flakey homemade pie crust sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.) Which would be your choice? Perhaps both . . . need sampling!

Evangeline, the on-site full-service spa, offers a recipe for relaxation with a delectable variety of treatments. The epicurean theme extends here with treatments such as “Champagne Tub & Table for Two,” “Crushed Cabernet Body Treatment,” “Hot Whiskey Scour Massage,” “Bern’s Bourbon on the Rocks Foot Treatment” and what I indulged in, the ”Dulce Delight Body Wrap,” which began with a coffee salt exfoliant of Arabica bean extract that energizes, exfoliates and soothes dry skin.

Then, a full- body, dark-chocolate mask was applied before I was wrapped in a cocoon enhancing absorption and detoxification. After showering off, a sweet cream milk body massage completed the “feast” for the body.

Dinner at Elevage SOHO Kitchen & Bar, the hotel’s restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and brunch, is headed up by Executive Chef Jonathan Atanacio.

As the restaurant website states, “Whether you want to call them epicureans, foodies or gourmands, we’re crafting dining experiences that speak to lovers of life’s great flavors.”

We can attest to those flavors with the dinner savored. The pumpkin soup poured tableside incorporated apple, quince, and sage. The pickled beets, served with arugula, feta cheese and cucumber is drizzled with a delicate, red wine vinaigrette. The creative preparation of the roasted Chilean seabass (figs, sunchoke, turnip, pearl onion, apple brown butter) lives up to the quote above with flavors so well-orchestrated.

The Mediterranean Caesar Salad bursts with flavor and color. The Diver Sea Scallops are accompanied with chestnut risotto, kalettes, leeks and just enough tasso butter to tantalize the palate. To top off this epicurean experience, was the Fall Harvest Cobbler (apple, fig, pear, dates, topped with peanut brittle ice cream) and the Flourless Chocolate Brownie adorned with peanut butter swirl ice cream and peanut brittle chocolate sauce. Wine connoisseurs will appreciate the all-encompassing wine list. It is “approachable to the wallet” Atanacio said. Scotch and whiskies number well over 100.

Eating dinner at Bern’s Steak House is a dining experience like no other. This is a place where the book does not look like the cover . . .  Upon entering, you are taken back in time. A previous guest described the lobby as “Harry Potter meets luxury brothel.”

Caviar lovers will be impressed with the 16 choices. If you can’t find a cut of beef to your liking, you won’t find it anywhere. If beef isn’t your thing, there is poultry and seafood. Steak entrees include French onion soup au gratin, steak house salad, baked potato, onion rings and vegetable tasting of the evening, quite often from Bern’s farm.

I upgraded to the Soup Tasting: a trio of French onion, vichyssoise and lobster bisque. The petit filet mignon, the “turf” of the Surf & Turf was cooked to perfection, a treat for me since I rarely eat beef. I thought, if I was going to enjoy a steak, it had to be here. The “surf” was blackened Day Boat scallops.

My dining partner savored the lump crab cake, chock full of tender crab surrounded by a splash of Green Goddess. An entrée of roasted snapper was accompanied by potato puree, Hen-of-the-Woods (mushrooms), and arugula, topped with white truffle beurre blanc.

Oenophiles will be in paradise with an almost 200-page wine list. Bern’s has 500,000-plus bottles and 6,500 unique labels. Guests can also choose from 150 wines by the glass starting at $10 to a $30,000 bottle. The cellar is one of the most respected and largest collections in the world. After dinner, guests are offered a tour of the massive kitchen and wine cellars. We were given a tour of the meat aging room as well.

And then it was off to the Harry Waugh Dessert Room, one of the most famous and popular aspects of Bern’s. I was in heaven, with more than 50 house-made desserts to choose from with more than 1,000 dessert wines and spirits plus creative, specialty coffee drinks. The dessert room was built as a tribute to Harry Waugh, an internationally known and respected wine connoisseur, director of Chateau Latour and good friend to Laxer. California redwood wine holding tanks were used to create private booths. You have to see it to believe it.

I indulged with the banana cheese pie, a banana cream cheese mousse in an almond praline crust with fresh bananas and whipped cream. The recipe, which has not changed, dates to 1956, and was one of Laxer’s favorites. The server didn’t have to talk me into trying the Macadamia Nut Ice Cream. This secret recipe was developed by Laxer. He tested and retested the formula hundreds of times before he was satisfied with the results — a sweet, creamy ice cream with buttered, roasted macadamia nuts.

Our other dessert, peanut butter and chocolate, a match made in heaven, shone in the Peanut Butter Truffle (Oreo brownie, crunchy peanut butter, peanut butter mousse, caramel milk chocolate mousse, with a generous scoop of peanut butter fudge swirl ice cream). This dessert extravaganza was the crème de la crème!

Everything about Forbici Modern Italian says welcome, and exudes a European charm, from the casual yet modern space to the fresh approach to the most beloved, Italian classics — think scrumptious, house-made pastas, pizzas, sandwiches and salads. This place has character.

And it has super-approachable twists on each of these classics thanks to the vision and understanding of fundamental recipes that Executive Chef Raymond Ortiz applies to the creation of each new dish. In his desire to keep things fresh, Ortiz features six new recipes (a pizza, pasta, protein, salad, sandwich and dessert) monthly both to excite his team and to delight his family of customers.

From expertly prepared and served fried calamari to the Cup and Char pizza (dough takes three days to be ready and is cut using special scissors, forbici in Italian), we reveled in one taste sensation after another. Beautifully sauced, steamed mussels — so great we wanted to slurp it. Luscious meatballs that were tender, yet flavor packed. The FGT salad (fried green tomato) left us craving for more, that good, and a creative approach for a salad.

The most moist and soft textured Lemon Olive Oil Cake ever swept our taste buds far away to Italy, where dining alfresco is one of life’s richest pleasures. And on that sweet note, we bid Chef Raymond, “ciao” as we made our way onto a day made better from the joy and passion we experienced for food and hospitality at Forbici Modern Italian.

From The Salty (a must!) for an exquisitely tantalizing donut (think decadence) to Oddfellows Ice Cream (Yes, the flavor combinations are that unusual, but amazing) to Buddy Brew (the coffee roaster has a social mission called “Brew Good, Do Good”).

Hyde Park feels like it has an eternal spring of culinary spots popping up for bites, beverages and specialty treats any time of day. While busily walking both to and from our main meals, we couldn’t help ourselves from stopping by to give at least one thing from each place a try.

The Hyppo, creates an array of super-fresh ice pops using every fruit and flavor imaginable. Not only are they visually bursting with vibrant colors, but your taste buds will thank you for the delectable treat. A culinary-merchandise market stop-by at Fig & Julep (one of the best we’ve ever shopped) proved to be a delight. So worth a visit. They have a remarkable, curated collection of local, regional, and national food products from honey to tea, maple syrup to phenomenal soup blends. Truly something special for any foodie.

Finding ourselves needing something to nosh on between meals, we opted to try a freshly made Caprese Panini at Sweet Sorrento. And while it was exactly what we wanted — tasty and like we’ve had in Italy, it took willpower to forgo the menagerie of homemade Italian desserts that was staring out at us.

Mid-afternoon heat drove us into CineBistro for a showing of the 1980s classic film “Planes, Trains & Automobiles.” The elegant theater, complete with a huge, quintessential lobby bar, and eight cinemas, offers in-seat delivery of everything from their full libations and extensive food menus. This place is classy. A fun, tasty and unique experience.

Needing a break from eating, we found ourselves quickly swept up in all the hubbub going on over at The CandlePour. It’s truly exciting and engaging to experience candle making from the focal point of creating “ones unique essential oil blend” then using it to infuse the scent and final aroma the candle will emit. We cannot express how much fun this was. A do not miss stop.

Interestingly, we found ourselves at Goody Goody (a classic diner and part of Tampa’s culinary history), not once, but three times. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert are all delicious, fresh and plentiful. The flashback theme and servers both give the place a charm and warmth that’s also reminiscent of simpler, happier times, when local, community life meant everything to its people, and gathering at the table fostered good relationships.

With a seemingly endless number of interesting food establishments and diverse restaurants, here are a few that “got away this time” but are high on the list for our next visit.

We skipped Bar Taco despite being fans, simply because we’ve enjoyed it before, and in other cities. The Italian Steakhouse, Timpano, was always bustling and had quite the elegant appeal. Since we were already going to Bern’s Steakhouse, it simply was a no-go this time. We were unable to fit in a visit to Haven, the newest member of the Bern’s family, specializing in the concept of crafted, cultured and cellared.

From what was mentioned, the menu features fresh, approachable cuisine and a diverse beverage program. The “newish” Meat Market Steakhouse Tampa looks to be very hip and happening with a great crowd, and menu, but we needed one more day in the neighborhood to make it there. The popular On Swann piqued our interest from our first stroll by, with its inviting, minimalist-bistro space. Both the thoughtful lunch and dinner menus would be incredible to eat-our-way-through each subsequent visit.

The sophisticated and delectable looking Ro, with an exquisite, Japanese/Asian menu  featuring sushi, sashimi and Korean BBQ, appears to be where we need to eat on our very next night in the neighborhood.

Stephen Fries, is professor emeritus and former coordinator of the Hospitality Management Programs at Gateway Community College in New Haven, Conn. He has been a food and culinary travel columnist for the past 15 years and is co-founder of and host of “Worth Tasting,” a culinary walking tour of downtown New Haven. He is a board member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Email him at Stephen@stephenfries.com For more information, go to stephenfries.com.

One of America’s favorite New Year’s Day traditions returns to the streets of Pasadena, Calif., as it hosts its annual display of roses, floats and musical performances at the 2024 Rose Parade.

If you’re looking to tune in, the staff at The Pasadena Star-News compiled a list of everything you need to know as you watch the floral extravaganza.

The basics

The parade kicks off at 8 a.m. PST on Monday. On TV, several channels will be broadcasting the parade, and you can find your Rose Parade viewing options here.

No TV? No problem. For the first time ever, the Tournament of Roses will air its livestream of the Roses Parade, giving access to millions more viewers.

Also, if you’re on the social platform X, be sure to follow @PasStarNews for live behind-the-scenes tweets or answers to your questions!

If you’re hoping to catch a specific float or want details on hand as you watch, check out our guide to every Rose Parade float, band and equestrian unit, in order.

The people

This year’s theme is “Celebrating a World of Music,” so it’s no surprise that this year’s celebrity guests have musical backgrounds.

Performing arts star Audra McDonald, a six-time Tony Award winner, will lead the 2024 Rose Parade as grand marshal. Here’s more about her. And if you’re wondering how a grand marshal is chosen, here’s a look at why it takes years.

The parade will open with a musical performance by Destiny’s Child icon Michelle Williams, “The Voice” champion Cassadee Pope and “American Idol” alum David Archuleta, among other acts. “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks will perform the grand finale.

Naomi Stillitano, a 17-year-old Italian-American with a passion for fashion, is this year’s Rose Queen. She’ll be joined by six other young women that make up the Rose Parade’s Royal Court, all of whom you can find details here.

The details

The traditional Stealth Bomber flyover at the start of the parade didn’t happen last year. This year, the B-2 Stealth Bomber will be back at the Rose Parade.

Since the very first Rose Parade in 1890, equestrian units have played an important role. Here’s a look at the origins and history of five of the horse units appearing in the 2024 parade.

You’ll see thousands of roses during the parade, and you might wonder where they come from. The answer may surprise you. 

Local to Southern California, this year’s Little League World Series champions will make an appearance on the DirecTV float.

And one float is vying for a new parade record: Newport Beach’s float will be the Rose Parade’s longest-ever at 150 feet.

The game

Alabama will face Michigan at this year’s Rose Bowl game with kickoff at 2 p.m. PST, Monday, Jan. 1.

With yet another year in the pop culture history books, let’s look back on the wild ride that was 2023 — a year in which not one, but two of the biggest stars in the world somehow outdid themselves, film and TV production came to an abrupt stop, and a ridiculous celebrity court case captivated the nation.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift put her stamp on 2023 numerous times, having the type of year seldom experienced even entertainment icons. First, her blockbuster Eras Tour conquered the United States and the world at large, before her ensuing concert film took over the box office. (Even Beyoncé went to the premiere.)

Within that, she somehow found the time to rerelease two more albums (“Speak Now” and “1989”) as part of her ongoing efforts to regain control of her catalog. Oh, and she started dating some football player. It truly was “2023 (Taylor’s Version).”

Beyoncé

Speaking of star-studded tours, Beyoncé had one as well with her Renaissance World Tour, which naturally had a buzzed-about, money-making concert film of its own. (Even Taylor Swift went.) Of course, that was after Bey already won another four Grammys and became the ceremony’s most decorated artist in history earlier in the year.

Barbenheimer

After multiple starts and stops due to pandemic-related restrictions, Hollywood was finally back in full force in 2023, thanks in large part to “Barbenheimer” — the stroke of luck that saw Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” both become box office juggernauts despite being released on the same day. The movies are set to keep duking it out into the 2024 awards season.

Druski

Comedian Druski (real name Drew Desbordes) has been a mainstay in hip-hop culture for the past few years, but 2023 saw him fully spill over into the mainstream on the heels of ubiquitous Google Pixel commercials featuring NBA stars, the remake of comedy classic “House Party,” and — what do you know — a massive tour.

Grimace Milkshake

To celebrate the 52nd birthday of everyone’s favorite purple fast-food monster, McDonald’s unleashed a namesake shake that quickly took over TikTok. The result was a spooky, hilarious and often gross meme that was no match for the company’s own attempt at ominous weirdness involving the furry Grimace.

Nepo babies

After decades of sneakily following their parents into the entertainment industry, the jig was finally up in 2023 as nepo babies were revealed to be who they really are: the famous children of famous people. Some highlights included OG nepo baby Jamie Lee Curtis taking home the best supporting actress Oscar for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Zoë Kravitz getting engaged to Channing Tatum and Wyatt Russell starring in Apple TV’s “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” with father Kurt.

A new Beatles song

While many people were questioning the use of artificial intelligence in general, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr (and a team of engineers) were able to use machine learning to turn an old John Lennon demo into a brand-spankin’-new song from those mop-topped fellas from Liverpool. Even more impressive than the Fab, uh, Two’s technical acumen? The song, titled “Now and Then,” is actually pretty good.

WGA and SAG strikes

The strikes by the Writers Guild of America and the SAG-AFTRA union completely upended production on television and film, wiped out the fall TV season, shuffled the release dates of countless movies and ended with both unions claiming huge contractual wins —and the studios promising to raise prices on subscription services. While the clever signs from the picket lines were a lot of fun, the real highlight of the strikes became how they’re set to reverberate through Hollywood for years to come.

Streaming companies removing titles

One of those effects of the strikes? Streaming companies began mercilessly shedding titles from their servers in order to get a break in taxes. Max was widely seen as the most egregious, as it scraped fully completed, multimillion-dollar movies such as “Coyote vs Acme” and several series shuttled off to other platforms.

Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski crash trial

The facts of the Oscar-winning actress’ civil trial involved a collision between two skiers at an upscale Utah resort in 2016, but the vibes turned it into arguably the year’s most-talked-about court case. Those vibes included Paltrow’s rotating pairs of glasses of different sizes, her “stealth-wealth” styling choices, and Paltrow chillingly whispering “I wish you well” to accuser Terry Sanderson immediately after winning the trial. The spectacle is now being turned into a musical.

Celebrity divorces and breakups

The nationwide divorce rate has slipped in recent years, but unfortunately, several celebrity couples called it a day on matrimony or otherwise ended relationships in 2023. To name several: Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello; Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Jackman; Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas; Britney Spears and Sam Asghari; Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez; and Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann (or did they?).

Memoirs

Speaking of Britney, she was one of several celebs to drop a bombshell, tea-spilling memoir this year. “The Woman in Me” shared a lot of eyebrow-raising deets about Spears’ nearly three decades in the spotlight, while “Love, Pamela” gave Pamela Anderson a chance to offer a more nuanced look at her life than ever before. Jada Pinkett Smith dished and dished and dished some more in “Worthy,” while in “Spare,” Prince Harry managed to widen the already “full-scale rupture” between the U.K.’s royal family.

Bold fashions

This year’s edition of the Met Gala offered no shortage of surprises, including a cockroach on the red carpet. But as always, the looks sported by attendees gave onlookers plenty to talk about (David Byrne bringing his bike, Jared Leto’s giant cat costume, and Doja Cat made up like an actual cat).

However, Rihanna flaunting her baby bump (h/t A$AP Rocky) in a red jumpsuit during a rollicking Super Bowl halftime show absolutely took the cake.

‘Succession’ ending after three years of profanity and corporate intrigue

Didn’t actually see this one. Hope to get around to it next year.

©2023 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The first few months of 2024 will bring readers much to choose from, whether you’re a fan of imaginative historical fiction, memoirs about cats and the people they tolerate, essays that touch on music and sports, or short stories that will transport you to places you’ve maybe never been.

See also: Sign up for our free Book Pages newsletter about bestsellers, authors and more

Make sure your fireplace is in working order, and take a look at this list of 20 forthcoming books to keep you company over the next few chilly months. 

“You Dreamed of Empires”

Author: Álvaro Enrigue, translated by Natasha Wimmer

What It’s About: Enrigue is a bona fide literary star in his native Mexico. His latest novel to be translated into English is a defiantly modernist look at the early attempts at diplomacy between conquistador Hernán Cortés and the Aztec emperor Moctezuma II.

Publication Date: Jan. 9

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“The Fetishist”

Author: Katherine Min

What It’s About: Min’s novel tells the story of Kyoko, a 23-year-old punk-rock singer determined to exact revenge on Daniel, the violinist who dumped her mother before her death. Min, author of the critically acclaimed “Secondhand World,” died in 2019 at the age of 60.

Publication Date: Jan. 9

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“The Best That You Can Do: Stories”

Author: Amina Gautier

What It’s About: The author’s fourth short story collection focuses on the lives of families with Black and Puerto Rican heritage living in the Northeast. Gautier is a master of the form and won the PEN/Malamud Award for excellence in the art of the short story in 2018.

Publication Date: Jan. 16

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“Martyr!”

Author: Kaveh Akbar

What It’s About: Poet Akbar’s debut novel is a darkly funny look at Cyrus, a young poet battling substance use disorder who is determined to get to the bottom of a secret that his mother, who was killed in an airplane shot down over the Persian Gulf, apparently kept.

Publication Date: Jan. 23

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“I Sing to Use the Waiting: A Collection of Essays about the Women Singers Who’ve Made Me Who I Am”

Author: Zachary Pace

What It’s About: The essays in Pace’s collection detail their journey coming out as queer, influenced by their favorite women singers, including Whitney Houston, Cat Power, Madonna, and Rihanna.

Publication Date: Jan. 23

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“Black Women Taught Us”

Author: Jenn M. Jackson

What It’s About: The debut book from the political scientist and Teen Vogue columnist is an essay collection that looks at Black women authors and movement leaders, including Audre Lorde, Ida B. Wells, and Harriet Jacobs.

Publication Date: Jan. 23

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“Come and Get It”

Author: Kiley Reid

What It’s About: Fans of Reid’s popular debut novel, “Such a Fun Age,” have been waiting since 2019 for her next book. This one follows a University of Arkansas senior resident assistant whose life becomes entangled with that of a visiting professor.

Publication Date: Jan. 30

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“With Every Great Breath: New and Selected Essays, 1995-2023”

Author: Rick Bass

What It’s About: Montana-based author Bass is one of the country’s foremost nature writers, with dozens of books to his name, including influential titles like “Oil Notes” and “The Ninemile Wolves.” His latest book collects his essays about locations such as Alaska, Namibia, and the Galápagos Islands.

Publication Date: Feb. 6

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“Fourteen Days”

Editors: Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston

What It’s About: A project from the Authors Guild, this ambitious novel tells the story of a group of New Yorkers sheltering in place in a tenement during the first days of the COVID-19 lockdowns. Each of the characters is written (secretly) by a different author; the lineup includes Celeste Ng, John Grisham, Angie Cruz, Dave Eggers, De’Shawn Charles Winslow, and many more.

Publication Date: Feb. 6

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“Bugsy and Other Stories”

Author: Rafael Frumkin

What It’s About: Frumkin gained critical praise for his first two books, the novels “The Comedown” and “Confidence.” The characters in his new short story collection include an e-girl influencer and her unstable fan, a psychiatrist who hears a mysterious voice in his head, and a young adult who finds a home in a community of sex workers.

Publication Date: Feb. 13

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“Revolutions in American Music: Three Decades That Changed a Country and Its Sounds”

Author: Michael Broyles

What It’s About: Musicologist and veteran music critic Broyles explores the 1840s, the 1920s, and the 1950s in his book that tackles topics including rock ‘n’ roll, the transistor radio, and race.

Publication Date: Feb. 20

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“Ours”

Author: Phillip B. Williams

What It’s About: One of the most anticipated books of the year, this debut novel from poet Williams follows Saint, a 19th-century conjurer who rescues enslaved people and takes them to a secluded community north of St. Louis, where they can live as free people.

Publication Date: Feb. 20

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“Hard Girls”

Author: J. Robert Lennon

What It’s About: The latest from author Lennon, known for his imaginative fiction, is a crime novel about two estranged twin sisters who reunite in order to go in search of their long-lost, mysterious mother.

Publication Date: Feb. 20

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“Anita de Monte Laughs Last”

Author: Xochitl Gonzalez

What It’s About: Gonzalez had a bestseller in 2022 with “Olga Dies Dreaming,” her debut novel. Her follow-up follows Raquel, an upwardly mobile art history student, and the titular character, a promising young artist who died under mysterious circumstances more than a decade before.

Publication Date: March 5

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“Cat and Bird”

Author: Kyoko Mori

What It’s About: The latest from the novelist (“Shizuko’s Daughter”) and nonfiction author (“The Dream of Water”) is “a memoir in animals,” telling the story of her life as a writer through six cats that she’s lived with, and reflecting on the birds that she has helped rescue.

Publication Date: March 5

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“Radiant: The Life and Line of Keith Haring”

Author: Brad Gooch

What It’s About: Gooch’s previous biographies have told the life stories of writers including Flannery O’Connor and Frank O’Hara. His latest tackles influential pop artist Haring, whose promising career was cut short when he died in 1990 at 31. 

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“Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling”

Author: Jason De León

What It’s About: UCLA anthropology professor De León embedded with a group of coyotes, or migrant guides, over the course of several years to study the people behind the industry of human smuggling. His book seeks to dispel stereotypes about those involved with moving migrants across Mexico.

Publication Date: March 19

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“James”

Author: Percival Everett

What It’s About: USC professor and author Everett is one of the most critically acclaimed novelists working today. His latest is a hilarious reimagining of Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” told from the point of view of the enslaved character Jim.

Publication Date: March 19

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“There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension”

Author: Hanif Abdurraqib

What It’s About: The latest from the acclaimed author of “A Little Devil in America” combines memoir and cultural criticism to reflect on basketball (he’s a lifelong fan), celebrity, and the idea of role models.

Publication Date: March 26

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“Like Happiness”

Author: Ursula Villarreal-Moura

What It’s About: The buzzy debut novel from author Villarreal-Moura follows an art museum worker in Chile who is forced to confront her past relationship with an author who has been accused of assault.

Publication Date: March 26

Tom Smothers, half of the Smothers Brothers and the co-host of one of the most socially conscious and groundbreaking television shows in the history of the medium, has died at 86.

The National Comedy Center, on behalf of his family, said in a statement Wednesday that Smothers died Tuesday at home in Santa Rosa, California, following a cancer battle.

“I’m just devastated,” his brother and the duo’s other half, Dick Smothers, told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday. “Every breath I’ve taken, my brother’s been around.”

When “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” debuted on CBS in early 1967 it was an immediate hit, to the surprise of many who had assumed the network’s expectations were so low it positioned their show opposite the top-rated “Bonanza.”

But the Smothers Brothers would prove a turning point in television history, with its sharp eye for pop culture trends and young rock stars such as the Who and Buffalo Springfield, and its daring sketches — ridiculing the Establishment, railing against the Vietnam War and portraying members of the era’s hippie counterculture as gentle, fun-loving spirits — found an immediate audience with young baby boomers.

“We were moderate. We were never out there,” Dick Smothers said. “But we were the first people through that door. It just sort of crept in as the ’60s crept in. We were part of that generation.”

The show reached No. 16 in the ratings in its first season. It also drew the ire of network censors. After years of battling with the brothers over the show’s creative content, the network abruptly canceled the program in 1969, accusing the siblings of failing to submit an episode in time for the censors to review.

Nearly 40 years later, when Smothers was awarded an honorary Emmy for his work on the show, he jokingly thanked the writers he said had gotten him fired. He also showed that the years had not dulled his outspokenness.

“It’s hard for me to stay silent when I keep hearing that peace is only attainable through war,” Smothers said at the 2008 Emmy Awards as his brother sat in the audience, beaming. He dedicated his award to those “who feel compelled to speak out and are not afraid to speak to power and won’t shut up.”

During the three years the show was on television, the brothers constantly battled with CBS censors and occasionally outraged viewers as well, particularly when Smothers joked that Easter “is when Jesus comes out of his tomb and if he sees his shadow, he goes back in and we get six more weeks of winter.” At Christmas, when other hosts were sending best wishes to soldiers fighting overseas, Smothers offered his to draft dodgers who had moved to Canada.

In still another episode, the brothers returned blacklisted folk singer Pete Seeger to television for the first time in years. He performed his song “Waist Deep in the Big Muddy,” widely viewed as ridiculing President Lyndon Johnson. When CBS refused to air the segment, the brothers brought Seeger back for another episode and he sang it again. This time, it made the air.

After the show was canceled, the brothers sued CBS for $31 million and were awarded $775,000. Their battles with the network were chronicled in the 2002 documentary “Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.”

“Tom Smothers was not only an extraordinary comedic talent, who, together with his brother Dick, became the most enduring comedy duo in history, entertaining the world for over six decades — but was a true champion for freedom of speech,” National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson said in a statement.

Thomas Bolyn Smothers III was born Feb. 2, 1937, on Governors Island, New York, where his father, an Army major, was stationed. His brother was born two years later. In 1940 their father was transferred to the Philippines, and his wife, two sons and their sister, Sherry, accompanied him.

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the family was sent home and Maj. Smothers remained. He was captured by the Japanese during the war and died in captivity. The family eventually moved to the Los Angeles suburb of Redondo Beach, where Smothers helped his mother take care of his brother and sister while she worked.

“Tommy was the greatest older brother. He took care of me,” Dick Smothers said. “His maturity was amazing. Sometimes you lose part of your childhood.”

The brothers had seemed unlikely to make television history. They had spent several years on the nightclub and college circuits and doing TV guest appearances, honing an offbeat comedy routine that mixed folk music with a healthy dose of sibling rivalry.

They would come on stage, Tom with a guitar in hand and Dick toting an upright bass. They would quickly break into a traditional folk song — perhaps “John Henry” or “Pretoria.” After playing several bars, Tom, positioned as the dumb one despite being older, would mess up, then quickly claim he had meant to do that. As Dick, the serious, short-tempered one, berated him for failing to acknowledge his error, he would scream in exasperation, “Mom always liked you best!”

“It was the childlike enthusiasm through ignorance, and me, the teacher, correcting him — sometimes I’d correct him even if I was wrong,” Dick Smothers said. “I was the perfect straight man for my brother. I was the only straight man for my brother.”

They continued that shtick on their show but also surrounded themselves with a talented cast of newcomers, both writers and performers.

Future actor-filmmaker Rob Reiner was among those on the crack writing crew the brothers assembled.

“Tommy was funny, smart, and a fighter,” Reiner said on social media Wednesday. “He created a ground breaking show that celebrated all that was good about American Democracy.”

Other writers included musician Mason Williams and comedian Steve Martin, who presented Smothers with the lifetime Emmy. Regular musical guests included John Hartford, Glen Campbell and Jennifer Warnes.

The brothers had begun their own act when Tom, then a student at San Jose State College, formed a music group called the Casual Quintet and encouraged his younger brother to learn the bass and join. The brothers continued on as a duo after the other musicians dropped out, but began interspersing comedy with their limited folk music repertoire.

“We never wrote anything, we just made it up, and tried to remember what we made up,” Dick Smothers said. “I just responded to Tom, if he said something that wasn’t in the bit, I wouldn’t stick to the script, I would listen.”

The brothers’ big break came in 1959 when they appeared at San Francisco’s Purple Onion, then a hot spot for new talent. Booked for two weeks, they stayed a record 36. They had a similar run at New York’s Blue Angel. But to their disappointment, they couldn’t get on “The Tonight Show,” then hosted by Jack Paar.

“Paar kept telling our agent he didn’t like folk singers — except for Burl Ives,” Smothers told the AP in 1964. “But one night he had a cancellation, and we went on. Everything worked right that night.”

Dick Smothers said Wednesday that “we weren’t that good when we were on ‘The Tonight Show.’ We were just charmingly different.”

The brothers went on to appear on the TV shows of Ed Sullivan, Jack Benny and Judy Garland, among others. Their comedy albums were big sellers and they toured the country, especially colleges.

Before their more vaunted show, the duo got a sitcom in 1965. “The Smothers Brothers Show” was about a businessman (Dick) haunted by his late brother (Tom), a fledgling guardian angel. It lasted just one season.

Shortly after CBS canceled the “Comedy Hour,” ABC picked it up as a summer replacement, but the network didn’t bring it back in the fall. NBC gave them a show in 1975 but it failed to find an audience and lasted only a season. The brothers went their separate ways for a time. Among other endeavors, Smothers got into the wine business, launching Remick Ridge Vineyards in Northern California’s wine country.

“Originally the winery was called Smothers Brothers, but I changed the name to Remick Ridge because when people heard Smothers Brothers wine, they thought something like Milton Berle Fine Wine or Larry, Curly and Mo Vineyards,” Smothers once said.

They eventually reunited to star in the musical comedy “I Love My Wife,” a hit that ran on Broadway for two years. After that they went back on the road, playing casinos, performing arts centers and corporate gatherings around the country, remaining popular for decades.

“We just keep resurfacing,” Smothers commented in 1997. “We’re just not in everyone’s face long enough to really get old.”

After a successful 20th anniversary “Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” in 1988, CBS buried the hatchet and brought them back.

The show was quickly canceled, though it stayed on the air long enough for Smothers to introduce the “Yo-Yo Man,” a bit allowing him to demonstrate his considerable skills with a yo-yo while he and his brother kept up a steady patter of comedy. The bit remained in their act for years.

“It was like a great marriage, you go through some rough spots, but you still don’t lose that focus,” Dick Smothers said.

They retired in 2010, but returned for a series of shows in 2021 that would be their last before Tom Smothers’ illness left him unable to continue.

“The audience exploded,” Dick Smothers said of those shows. “It was like a clap of thunder. They were young again.”

Smothers married three times and had three children. He is survived by his wife Marcy, children Bo and Riley Rose, and brother Dick, in addition to other relatives. He was predeceased by his son Tom and sister Sherry.

___

This story has been updated to correct that Smothers’ father was in the Army, not the Navy, and that his wife’s name is Marcy, not Marie. “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” debuted in early 1967, not fall, and was canceled in 1969, not 1970.

___

Dalton reported from Los Angeles. Moore, a longtime Associated Press television writer, retired in 2017. Former Associated Press journalists John Rogers and the late Bob Thomas contributed to this report.

Here are seven of the best on the docket for the week of Dec. 29:

The Felice Brothers — Friday at Brooklyn Bowl

A close-knit band led by siblings and co-vocalists Ian and James, The Felice Brothers are self-taught, and not one of them played an instrument prior to their inception as a musical unit in 2006 when they started busking in New York City subway stations. Earlier this month, the group surprise-released a new record, “Asylum on the Hill,” exclusively on Bandcamp. The folk/country rockers recorded the 12-song collection in May of this year in an old church in Harlemville, N.Y., which seems to add to its depth and rootsy feel.

Jamie McLean Band — Friday at 118 North

A musical gumbo that incorporates New Orleans soul, Delta blues, middle America roots and New York City swagger, Jamie McLean Band have toured the globe from Madison Square Garden to Japan’s Fuji Rock. McLean’s blue-eyed Southern soul vocals ooze real emotion while his top line songwriting chops have crafted honest and heartfelt songs that will keep you singing and dancing along.

Max Swan — Friday at MilkBoy

Saxophonist, vocalist and producer from Philadelphia by way of Perkasie, Bucks County, Max Swan channels influences from the likes of Stevie Wonder, James Blake, Donny Hathaway and Michael Brecker. His music combines his passion for jazz fusion, 21st century soul and contemporary hip hop, featuring his vocals, saxophone and EWI, aka, Electronic Wind Instrument. A classically trained jazz musician, Swan is no stranger to navigating the delicate balance between discipline and the ability to free flow, making his live shows feel loose and always prepared to deliver the unexpected.

Microcave — Saturday at Silk City

Based out of New York/Long Island, jamtronica quartet Microcave focuses primarily on improvisational electronic-rock music, and ranges through a variety of genres, including dance, trance, classical, funk and rock. Members of the band are also involved in the projects Horizon Wireless and Tractorbear: A Tribute to The Disco Biscuits, which gives a further indicator of their sound. The band excels in interweaving their songs with electronic styled jams through a wide variety of genres to sonically take the audience through the metaphorical “caves” of the mind.

David Wax Museum — Saturday at 118 North

David Wax Museum blends the ancient and ever-relevant rhythms of traditional Mexican music with amber pop tones, their unabashed rock riffs filled with an air of AM radio circa the mid ’70s, all tethered together by seductive harmonies. It’s a seamless tapestry of boundless curiosity, a display that blurs cultures and eras of music. The band’s most recent effort, “You Must Change Your Life,” features everything from electric guitar and bass clarinet duets to the large-bodied Mexican huapanguera, fiddles and marimbas adventuring through effects and a saxophone sounding unlike anything heard before, leaving each tune inching toward pop glory.

Speedy Ortiz — Sunday at MilkBoy

Late summer saw the release of “Rabbit Rabbit,” the long-awaited new album from Philly indie rock quartet Speedy Ortiz. Drawing from literary influences that include workplace apocalypses, magical realist family dramas and artists’ biographies, it was the band’s most ambitious and expansive record to date. Guitars remain the focus — the group played on about 50 of them, through over 100 effects pedals and 30 different amps — but also incorporated were a wide range of found sounds, sampling everything from bedpans to debit cards to car washes to BB guns. How is all that pulled off live? Spend New Year’s Eve finding out and chances are you won’t be disappointed.

Drew Nugent & The Midnight Society — Sunday at The Lounge at World Café Live

Philly jazz musician and composer Drew Nugent’s primary instruments are piano, trumpet, voice and, believe it or not, the tea kettle, specializing in playing in the traditional “hot” jazz style of the 1920s. His band, known as the Midnight Society, is regarded as one of the best in the business and has been together for over a decade. Under Nugent’s leadership, they bring forth an authentic, yet original approach to an art form over 100 years old with New Year’s Eve the perfect time to celebrate it.

Soundcheck

• The Felice Brothers: “Jazz on the Autobahn”

• Jamie McLean Band: “Paradise Found”

• Max Swan: “Slow Jail”

• Microcave: “Windmills”

• David Wax Museum: “You Must Change Your Life”

• Speedy Ortiz: “Plus One”

• Drew Nugent: “It’s No Fun”

• Kennett Square’s annual Midnight in the Square celebration kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of State and Union streets in downtown Kennett Square. Providing entertainment will be Kevin Pierce, KMC Dancers, School of Rock and Fred McCarthy and Syde Two, led by Leon Spencer. The 500-pound stainless steel lighted mushroom will be hoisted 80 feet high at 8:50 in preparation for the midnight Mushroom Drop to usher in the new year. This year’s entertainment also includes a brand-new laser show that will paint the night sky with bursts of color. Admission is a donation of non-perishable food items for KACS, who will have their truck on site to collect donations.

• The Reading Symphony Orchestra will ring in the new year with its second pops concert of the season featuring the Beatles tribute band Classical Mystery Tour on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. at the Santander Performing Arts Center, Reading. Classical Mystery Tour has been delighting pops audiences for more than 22 years, performing concerts with more than 100 orchestras in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia. The group played sold-out concerts at the Sydney Opera House, and has performed with America’s most prestigious orchestras, including the Cleveland Orchestra, The Boston Pops, The Philadelphia Orchestra and The San Francisco Symphony. Tickets start at $20 at readingsymphony.org.

• The Boyertown Area Historical Society, 43 S. Chestnut St., Boyertown, will host the annual New Year’s Eve Bear Drop on Sunday from 5 to 6 p.m. Make care packages for veterans and enjoy free cookies and hot chocolate leading up to the countdown to the bear drop at 6 p.m. (midnight in Germany). Phoebe the folk singer will provide music.

• Pottstown’s 15th annual New Year’s Day Polar Bear Swim and New Year’s Day Bonfire will be held Monday, with registration at 9:30 a.m. and the plunge at 10:30 a.m., at Riverfront Park. All swim  participants must sign an indemnification and waiver at registration. Individuals ages 16 and 17 may participate with guardian’s consent and signed waiver. Proper ID will be required. Children under 16 are not permitted to participate in the plunge. The Manatawny Athletic Club’s 5K Polar Run and Fun Run will follow. For more information, see pottstown.org.

• SoulJoel’s Comedy Club at Sunnybrook, Pottstown, presents the double-headlining bill of Chip Chantry and Mary Radzinski on Friday at 8 p.m. A former fourth-grade teacher who left the classroom to pursue comedy and writing, Chantry was the winner of 2013’s Philly’s Phunniest Contest at Helium Comedy Club, where he was a regular performer. He also won the “Funniest Comedian” award in Philadelphia’s annual Comedy Awards in 2012 and 2014, and was named Best Comedian 2018 by Philadelphia Magazine. Radzinski has been a regular headliner and feature at Helium, Goodnights, Cap City and Punch Line comedy clubs. She’s opened for the likes of Marc Maron, Dave Attell and Jim Norton, and co-hosts the popular reality TV podcast, “Are You My Podcast?” with fellow comedian Sarah Colonna. On Saturday, SoulJoel’s presents Ryan Shaner’s Philly Takeover featuring the best Philadelphia comedians starting at 7 p.m. For tickets and more information, see souljoels.com.

• The Sunnybrook Ballroom, Pottstown, has three New Year’s Eve events lined up, starting with a Matinee Celebration with the Sounds of Sunnybrook at 1 p.m., then a comedy show with Jason Salmon at 7 p.m. and a New Year’s Eve celebration at 8 p.m. The afternoon affair features Sunnybrook’s 17-piece house big band performing from 1 to 4 with a cost of $15 per person in advance or $20 at the door. Jeff Salmon is a Texas-born, and New York City-based comic whose act has been described as “…like getting the best advice you’ve ever gotten…from the dumbest guy you know.” The 8 p.m. show will be a Great Gatsby-style affair, with attendees encouraged to dress to impress. Music will be provided by Dibbs and the Detonators. The $135 ticket includes a menu created by executive chef Scott Reddy, a 4.5 hour open bar, a DJ, a photo booth and a champagne toast at midnight. For tickets and more information, see souljoels.com.

• Kennett Flash, Kennett Square, hosts three shows this weekend: Captain Dawg at 8 p.m. Friday, Splitting Vision with Garden Station and Condor at 7 p.m. Saturday and New Year’s Eve with the Hoppin’ John Orchestra on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. Captain Dawg is made up of six family members and lifelong best friends who grew up together in West Chester. They play a mix of classic rock, indie and folk music as well as originals. Splitting Vision is an indie rock band from Wilmington, Del., with a sound that mixes well orchestrated harmonies, booming bass lines, powerful drum parts and beautiful chords. The Hoppin’ John Orchestra is a 10-piece post-modern New Orleans-style brass band. Originals in the second line style and curated covers round out the carnival-time sound, all steeped in jazz and blues. The Flash will be selling alcoholic beverages for this show and will offer a complimentary champagne toast. The show will end by 11 so attendees can get outside for the Midnight in the Square celebration and Mushroom Drop at midnight. For tickets and more information, see kennettflash.org.

• The Comedy Shoppe at the Newtown Theatre presents New Year’s Eve comedy bashes featuring Eric D’Alessandro on Sunday at 6 and 10 p.m. D’Alessandro, a charismatic New Yorker with an unfiltered sense of humor, a camera and a knack for storytelling, has etched his name into the hearts of comedy lovers across the nation. His unique comedic style, infused with his Italian-American heritage, results in raw, relatable narratives that resonate with the everyday American. His video “where it was” has amassed over 45 million views, and his new comedy special, “I Don’t Understand,” is posted at ericdalessandro.com. Tickets start at $75, which includes two complementary drinks before the show (beer, wine, or non-alcoholic), a champagne toast and the ball drop on the theater’s movie screen at midnight. To reserve, visit thenewtowntheatre.com.

• Ardmore Music Hall hosts a Brownie’s 23 East reunion show on Thursday featuring Kristen & the Noise with DJ Double E starting at 8 p.m. Kristen & The Noise is a five-piece band from the greater Philadelphia region fronted by Kristen Kwolek. They perform a variety of genres including Top 40, R&B, oldies, classics, rock and hip-hop. On Friday, Splintered Sunlight presents its tribute to the Grateful Dead at 8 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday Low Cut Connie performs starting at 8 and 8:30 p.m., respectively. For tickets and more information, see ardmoremusichall.com.

• Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center, West Chester, presents Cocktail Hour: The Show on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The New York City-based dance company Ballets With a Twist melds original choreography, music and costume design in a series of sparkling vignettes. Watch as White Russian, Hot Toddy and other spirits of the season spring off the menu and onto the stage in an evening of high-style merriment. Tickets range from $35 to $45 in advance at uptownwestchester.org or $40 to $50 at the door.

• The tribute band AM Radio will perform three shows at Sellersville Theatre on New Year’s Eve, each highlighting a different period of the ’60s and ’70s. The 2 p.m. show features a taste of ’60s British rock and pop including the Dave Clark 5, the Beatles, Dusty Springfield, The Kinks, Herman’s Hermits, Lulu, The Hollies, Petula Clark and The Zombies. The 6:30 p.m. show celebrates Woodstock with CSN&Y, Melanie, Credence Clearwater Revival, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and The Grateful Dead. And the 9 p.m. show features hits from Motown and Philly soul including The Temptations, The Supremes, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, The Capitols, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, The O’Jays, The Three Degrees and The Trammps. For tickets and more information, see st94.com.

• The Media Theatre’s production of “Finding Nemo Jr.” continues Saturdays and Sundays at 11 a.m. through Jan. 14. This 60-minute musical adaptation of the 2003 Pixar movie features new music by the award-winning songwriting team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish, lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his kid Nemo, who longs to explore the world beyond their anemone home. But when Nemo is captured and taken to Sydney, Marlin faces his fears and sets off on an epic adventure across the ocean. With the help of lovable characters such as optimistic Dory, laid-back sea turtle Crush, and the supportive Tank Gang, Marlin and Nemo both overcome challenges on their journey to find each other and themselves. For tickets, visit mediatheatre.org.

“Once upon a time, the planets and the fates and all the stars aligned…” — Taylor Swift

Global superstar Taylor Swift isn’t only one stealing fans’ hearts around the world with her Eras Tour: She’s taking center stage in a global tourism boom, and everyone from tour operators to world leaders to travel advisers are taking notice.

Those who travel know that entertainment, such as sporting events and concerts, are intrinsically tied to the travel industry, but there’s been nothing like this before. Swift’s U.S. tour, which spanned 20 cities across five months, brought in $5 billion in direct spending.

The U.S. Travel Association estimates the entire impact of her U.S. tour could be as high as $10 billion. QuestionPro compares the initial $5 billion as greater than the gross domestic product of over 50 countries.

The city of Pittsburgh, for example, reported 145,579 people in attendance for Swift’s two weekend concerts, which were in June. Of those, only 17% were from within Allegheny County, with the rest coming from farther away, encouraging greater travel spending through plane tickets, hotel stays and more.

Countywide hotel occupancy for that period was up 31% from the same time in 2022, reaching 95%, with hotel rates ballooning 106% higher than in June 2022. In fact, the month of June broke the highest hotel tax revenue in the county’s history.

“Concerts are such a big draw for out-of-town visitation for destinations like Pittsburgh,” said Jerad Bachar, President & CEO of VisitPITTSBURGH. “These concerts are an integral part of our overall calendar of events every year. Last year, we had over 20 mega concerts at our three stadiums from April to October. Those 20 concerts are critical for everything we do. They also support a lot of other events and venues that are here. …The impact is felt throughout the entire community.”

The total for Pittsburgh? Some $46 million in direct economic impact.

The Taylor Swift Travel Era is going strong. Tour operators like Contiki are offering combined tour and concert experiences for Swift’s European tour, while others within the industry are finding unique ways to bring Taylor Swift fans together — regardless of whether she’ll be there or not.

Marvelous Mouse Travels launched an intimate Taylor Swift fan cruise group experience for next year, reserving 50 cabins for the group on board an October 2024 sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas.

“In My Cruise Era,” as the experience is called, quickly sold out the first 50 cabins. The agency opened a max of 200 cabins for the experience, which also sold out after the news gained popularity online, earning the travel agency a spot in some major headlines. The experience isn’t affiliated with Taylor Swift herself, but aims to bring Swifties together.

Kari Dillon, Owner of Marvelous Mouse Travels, says the success of her agency’s group is due to a desire “to share in what they love together and invest in experiences,” a desire that her agency, which began offering theme park vacations, is built upon.

Yet it’s not only people in the industry who understand Taylor Swift’s economic impact: government heads like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have taken to social media to request Swift’s tour to come to their countries.

A report by Forbes, published in July, noted the Chilean president, the mayor of Budapest and the leader of Thailand’s Move Forward Party also requested their destinations be added to her global tour, each noting her immense popularity and the economic boost each destination of her tour receives.

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour continues through next summer in destinations like Toronto and Vancouver, Sydney and Melbourne, Tokyo, Singapore, Paris, Vienna, Warsaw and London. Its popularity shows no signs of slowing down, and neither will Taylor Swift’s boost in tourism across the globe.

So what’s the key takeaway from the Eras Tour? Music, fandoms and events can bring people together in powerful ways, and create lasting benefits for destinations that welcome them.

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©2023 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Nearly 11 years ago, apparently writing for the Federal Bureau of Stating the Obvious, I did a phoner with Jeffrey Wright. He had a movie coming out that week, the title of which I had to look up just now because even the people who made it don’t remember it. By then, Wright had become a lot of people’s favorite actor. Mine, too.

“It’s getting so Wright can simply walk through a door in his first scene in a movie, and the audience collectively grins, knowing it’s in extremely good hands for however many minutes this particular actor will be running the show.” That’s what I wrote about Wright, co-star of the 2013 “Broken City” (look it up). In that interview, Wright spoke of his police commissioner character’s “mysterious quality, his stealthiness, (which) is important to him as an operator, an observer and, above all, a survivor … power doesn’t scream because it doesn’t have to. That’s what I was going for, anyway.”

Those qualities describe Wright pretty well. His deep, back-of-the-throat voice commands attention without theatrics. His stillness is never static; he’s always alert and thinking and incrementally telling the audience something about the person he’s playing.

All that’s present and welcome in his latest film, the sly and engaging social satire “American Fiction,” but the work he’s doing here is super subtle and low-key in the service of a largely reactive character, surrounded by bigger, louder personalities. Even when director Cord Jefferson’s debut feature dulls its edge in the final few scenes, Wright keeps the interplay sharp.

Wright’s character, Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, is an Los Angeles-based university academic and semi-prestigious low-selling novelist, temperamentally at odds with the sort of “Black trauma porn” written, he feels, for the benefit of guilty (or clueless; the world’s always been big enough for both) white liberals. Monk has had it with his white students; early on, one says she’s offended by a racial slur in a Flannery O’Connor short story. Monk comes back with: “I got over it, Brittany. I’m sure you can, too.”

He pays for that, but he’s been riding for a fall for a while. When Monk’s literary agent (John Ortiz) urges his casually self-destructive friend and client to write something different, less “literary,” more “street,” he responds with a fake Black memoir — a thug’s life, written in tortured vernacular and violence on every other page — soaked in every stereotype and cliche on the bestselling Black author list. Title: “My Pafology.” Monk’s chosen author name: Stagg R. Leigh.

Boom! Game-changer! Four million dollar movie sale! Monk’s stunned, and spends the rest of director and adapter Jefferson’s narrative (taken from Percival Everett’s 2001 novel “Erasure”) in a sweat of imminent exposure and scandal. “American Fiction” takes place in Boston and in the South Shore coastal town of Situate. Monk’s family matters, and the stresses of keeping up his masquerade, fuel the comic tension.

Wright has a great cast around him, with ringers up and down. Sterling K. Brown as Monk’s estranged brother; Tracee Ellis Ross as his sister; Leslie Uggams as the family matriarch, whose health is not great; Erika Alexander as the public defender across the way from Monk’s family’s summer place; everyone’s a vital and supple part of a true ensemble affair.

I wish the last 20-25 minutes or so didn’t feel quite so tidy, and — unlike the best of “American Fiction” — quite so tame. There are times when Jefferson’s skill as a writer outmatches his fledging skills as a director. And part of me wonders what a wilder sensibility might’ve activated in the premise. As is, the movie we have is a movie that works, blending seriocomic domestic material with the larger, more pointed social observations about white liberal guilt, code-switching Black authors (Issa Rae is most welcome as Monk’s primary foil) and a lot more.

And that, folks, is how an unassumingly well-made film behind the camera can take it up a notch or three. Everybody who saw and enjoyed “The Holdovers” now has another sweet-and-sour success, anchored by another terrific actor, to see over the holidays. So, go.

“American Fiction” — 3.5 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: R (for language throughout, some drug use, sexual references and brief violence)

Running time: 1:57

How to watch: Premieres in theaters Dec. 21

Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.

mjphillips@chicagotribune.com, Twitter @phillipstribune

©2023 Chicago Tribune. Visit chicagotribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Since Christmas is Monday, we look at toys inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame and some of the most dangerous toys kids are getting these days.

The National Toy Hall of Fame is part of the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. The Hall of Fame accepts nominations from the public year-round, but to be inducted, the nominees must be approved by historians and educators with backgrounds in learning and play.

Toys are rated in four categories, though they don’t have to rate highly in all categories to get in:

Icon status: Toys that are widely recognized and respected.

Longevity: Toys that are not a fad and have had popularity over several generations.

Discovery: Toys that foster creativity and learning.

Innovation: Toys that change the ways we play or have ground-breaking design.

A list of each toy to be inducted is below.

You can nominate a toy here.

Help my campaign

I nominated the beach ball for induction this month.

Fun at the beach, pool or stadium, the beloved colorful ball has been snubbed long enough.

According to Time Magazine’s collection of the 100 greatest toys, the inflatable beach ball is believed to have been invented by Jonathon DeLonge in 1938. The original beach balls are thought to have been about the size of a hand.

Now the inflatable toys are sold in many different sizes, including unbelievably large. The ball is in the Hall, and so is sand.

It’s time to induct this great toy that’s fun for all ages.

Trends in toys

E-scooters, E-bikes and hoverboards might be all the rage this holiday season, but their safety is cause for concern.

A report released in October by the Consumer Product Safety Commission says injuries from what they call micromobility products have increased 21% in 2022 from 2021 and have increased 23% each year since 2017.

Nearly half (46%) of all estimated e-bike injuries from 2017 to 2022 occurred in 2022 alone.

The report included the following:

• There were 233 deaths associated with micromobility devices from 2017 through 2022, although reporting is ongoing and incomplete.

• Children 14 years and younger accounted for about 36% of micromobility injuries from 2017 to 2022, double their 18% proportion of the U.S. population.

• May through October had the largest percentages of both E-scooter and E-bike-related injuries. December and January had the largest percentages of hoverboard-related injuries.

• There were an estimated 360,800 emergency department visits related to all micromobility devices from 2017 through 2022.

• Fractures, followed by contusions/abrasions, are the two most common injuries. The most frequently injured body areas are the upper and lower limbs, as well as the head and neck.

• Fires were a significant hazard with all micromobility devices. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is aware of 19 deaths associated with micromobility device fires from Jan. 1, 2021, through Nov. 28, 2022.

The best way to avoid injuries when using micromobility products:

• Always wear a helmet.

• Before riding an E-scooter, make sure to check it for any damage, which includes examining the handlebars, brakes, throttle, bell, lights, tires, cables and frame. Damage to the E-scooter can cause loss of control and lead to a crash.

• Always be present when charging micromobility products and only use the supplied charger. Never charge the device while sleeping.

• Only use an approved replacement battery pack.

• Never throw lithium batteries in the trash or general recycling. Instead, take them to your local battery recyclers or hazardous waste collection center.

Sources: The Strong National Museum of Play, National Toy Hall of Fame, American Journal of Play, Consumer Product Safety Commission