A Face in the Crowd is a 1957 American satirical drama film directed by Elia Kazan and starring Andy Griffith (in his film debut), Patricia Neal and Walter Matthau.  The screenplay by Budd Schulberg is based on his short story "Your Arkansas Traveler" from the 1953 collection Some Faces in the Crowd.  The story centers on Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes, a drifter who is discovered by the producer (Neal) of a small-market radio program in rural northeast Arkansas, and who rises to great fame and influence on national television.  The character was inspired by Schulberg's acquaintance with Will Rogers Jr.  The successes of Arthur Godfrey and Tennessee Ernie Ford were also acknowledged in the screenplay.  The film launched Griffith into stardom, but it received mixed reviews on its release.  Subsequent reappraisals have been kinder to the film.  In 2008, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Face_in_the_Crowd_(film)   

Graham flour is a type of coarse-ground flour of whole wheat named after Sylvester Graham.  It is similar to conventional whole-wheat flour in that both are made from the whole grain, but graham flour is ground more coarsely.  It is not sifted ("bolted") with a flour dresser after milling.  A report from 1913 claimed that bread made from graham flour had a protein content of 12.1%--only slightly less than white wheat flour and essentially the same as whole wheat flour.  Graham flour is named after Sylvester Graham (1794–1851), an early advocate for dietary reform.  Graham despised the discarding of nutrients such as germ and bran when making flour for white bread.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_flour    

A painting by Rene Magritte shattered an auction record for the surrealist artist, selling for more than $121 million at Christie's in New York.  The seminal 1954 painting had been valued at $95 million, and the previous record for a work by Magritte (1898-1967) was $79 million, set in 2022. 

After a nearly 10-minute bidding war on November 19, 2024.  "Empire of Light" ("L'Empire des lumieres") was sold for $121,160,000, "achieving a world-record price for the artist and for a surrealist work of art at auction", according to auction house Christie's.  The painting--depicting a house at night, illuminated by a lamp post, while under a bright, blue sky--is one of a series by the Belgian artist showing the interplay of shadow and light.  https://www.barrons.com/news/magritte-painting-nets-auction-record-of-121-million-33dc3787    

Jersey Mike’s, the quickly expanding sandwich chain, is being acquired by asset management giant Blackstone.  Blackstone and Jersey Mike’s did not immediately disclose financial terms in their November 19, 2024 announcement.  But a source familiar with the matter confirmed to The Associated Press that the transaction would value Jersey Mike’s at around $8 billion, a figure previously reported by The Wall Street Journal.  https://apnews.com/article/jersey-mikes-acquired-blackstone-transaction-d45eb865f912eb39bbd7ac8ad8a86fcd   

Delta is teaming up with Shake Shack to serve burgers at 30,000 feet.  Delta’s first-of-its-kind partnership with Shake Shack will begin on flights out of Boston on Dec. 1, 2024 with plans for expansion to other U.S. markets throughout 2025.  Customers sitting in First Class on routes over 900 miles will be able to pre-select a Shake Shack Cheeseburger as their meal option.  https://news.delta.com/now-boarding-delta-serve-shake-shack-burgers-flights    

arctophile (plural arctophiles)  noun   Someone who has a fondness for teddy bears, usually a collector of them. [from 1960s]   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/arctophile#English   

November 20 is World Children’s Day, which is recognized by the United Nations to promote international togetherness and the importance of improving children’s welfare.  It commemorates the Declaration of the Rights of the Child which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on November 20, 1959.   

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 2877  November 20, 2024