National Entertainment

LONDON — Matt Damon has described living in Ireland during the country’s coronavirus lockdown as like being in a “fairy tale” during a surprise radio interview.

NEW YORK — There was a time not too long ago when Broadway star Ben Platt was interviewed by a monster. A perfectly nice monster, of course. It was Elmo. Elmo asked Platt what was his favourite music to sing.

Sparks, “A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip” (BMG) Sparks, that most European of American bands, has released one of their best albums nearly 50 years after their debut.

NEW YORK — John Macurdy, a bass who sang 1,001 performances at the Metropolitan Opera over four decades and created characters in notable world premieres, has died at 91, his wife said Wednesday.

NEW YORK — Fiction by Ken Follett, Matt Haig and Sue Miller will be among the dozens of upcoming releases excerpted in two free e-book compilations.

NEW YORK — The great-granddaughter of Ida B. Wells is writing a biography of the pioneering African-American journalist and activist. One Signal Publishers announced Thursday that Michelle Duster's “Ida B. the Queen” will come out next February.

NEW YORK — Rapper and activist Common went into quarantine concerned about incarcerated people he has met during visits to jails, prisons and juvenile detention centres around the U.S.

ATLANTA — A reality TV star in Atlanta used an emergency loan from the federal government to lease a Rolls Royce, make child support payments and purchase $85,000 worth of jewelry, authorities said Wednesday.

TORONTO — One of Corey Hart's most resilient hit singles, "Never Surrender," is getting a makeover by the singer who's been inspired by people's unwavering strength during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With a pen as sharp as her knife, food writer Judy Creighton carved out space in the headlines for everyday Canadian fare.