ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 2021 NEWS/FEATURES 13

People & Places

Television

20-season TV show ends A journey back thru Kardashians drama NEW YORK, June 8, (AP): It’s almost time for all those famous Kardashians to shuffl e off to Hulu and new projects as their 20-season reality TV mainstay comes to an end. But before they do, here’s a journey back through the tears, tantrums and togetherness that propelled the “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” clan to supers- tardom: The Men & the Marriages With fi ve sisters and a brother, along with the Kris and Caitlyn drama, the years have taken us through many a man, a woman or two, and a myriad of love tangles. And the action started at the get-go. The very fi rst episode references the sex tape with Brandy brother Ray J that launched the show and their mega- careers. Before that, there was Kim’s fi rst husband, music producer Damon Thomas, followed by a 72-day marriage to second hus- band, basketball player Kris Humphries, and a third trip to the altar with Kanye West. All three unions ended in divorce. Kim’s divorce from Hum- phries dragged on far longer than the marriage, threatening Kim to keep her legally tethered to Humphries at the birth of her fi rst child, with West. That didn’t happen. North West was born two months after mom’s second divorce was fi nalized in 2013. And that’s just one sister! There’s Kourtney’s on-again, off-again relationship and three kids with Scott Disick, who makes his fi rst appearance in Kardashian TV land on Episode One. This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows, (from left), Noah Catala, Gregory Diaz IV, Corey Hawkins and Anthony Ramos in a scene from ‘In the Heights,’ The two never married amid his alcohol and drug which releases in the US on June 11. (AP) abuse scandals, but they co-parent and he’s a die-hard on the series. Disick has become a fan favorite to some as the K family has embraced him as one of their own. Sister Khloe married basketballer Lamar Odom in 2009 and fi led for divorce in 2013, but she with- Books drew the papers after Odom suffered a drug overdose and went into a coma for several days. He was found slumped on the fl oor of a Nevada brothel. The divorce was fi nalized in late 2016. Online challenge inspires writers worldwide Khloe never married the father of her child - anoth- er basketball player, Tristan Thompson. He cheated on her while she was pregnant - and again with her younger half-sister Kylie Jenner’s best friend, Jordyn Fiction, poems spring from ‘1,000-word’ Woods. But Khloe and Tristan are now more than a little friendly and co-parenting 3-year-old True, even quarantining together during the pandemic. NEW YORK, June 8, (AP): A. Stella books to come out of it. The internet to you. You probably already knew Are you keeping up? Oloye, a Washington, DC-based writer also is home to author Rebecca Fyfe’s that, which is why you’re trying to Let’s not forget Kylie’s relationship with rapper working on an Afrofuturism novel, was at ChaBooCha, which gives writers the produce 1,000 words a day right now.” Travis Scott. They never married but also have a child a low point this spring when she learned month of March to complete an “early Participants follow different paths together. And there was Kylie’s romance with Tyga, of an online challenge she likens to a “gift reader, chapter book, middle-grade to 1,000 and have different reasons who just happens to have a child with Blac Chyna, from God”: #1000wordsofsummer. book or YA novel,” and author Julie for trying. Nicole Stellon O’Donnell is who just happens to have a child with Kardashian bro The rules: Set down 1,000 words a Hedlund’s 12 x 12, for which partici- primarily a poet, but also writes “little Rob. day for 14 days. Fiction or nonfi ction, pants attempt 12 picture books in 12 bricks of prose” to reach her quota, and Does your head hurt yet? poetry or dialogue, inspired or unin- months and might see their names on when fi nished looks for lines she can Chyna and Rob had a tailspin of their own, leading spired, for a future book or simply for a “Winner’s Wall.” use for standalone poems. him to post revenge porn on Instagram that got him the sake of writing. Attenberg’s project is more infor- Fiction writer Dantiel Moniz strug- banned from the platform. “I was feeling really isolated plug- mal and open-ended, with no honors or gled to set down any words in 2020, Kardashian stepparent Caitlyn Jenner is OG “Keep- This image provided by HarperCol- ging away, 2,000 words a day in the promises, no kind of writing favored whether because of the pandemic or ing Up With the Kardashians” and continued to appear lins shows Jami Attenberg, orga- fi rst quarter of the year, and had been over another, and no specifi c goal be- stress over the presidential election. The nizer of the online writing challenge looking for a writing community to yond the number of words. The con- writing challenge has helped assure her after her divorce from Kris. She’s the parent with Kris #1000wordsofsummer. (AP) of Kylie and Kendall. Kris fi led for divorce before stave off my lonely writer blues,” she cept arose spontaneously three years she can still “remember how to do it, and Caitlyn became Caitlyn. told The Associated Press recently. ago. Attenberg and a fellow author it was so nice and exciting.” Caitlyn publicly came out as transgender in a Diane “So when the 1,000 words of summer based in New Orleans, Anne Gisleson, Philyaw, whose debut story collec- Sawyer interview in April 2015. challenge crossed my (Twitter) time- decided to start a writing “boot camp” tion, “The Secret Lives of Church La- Name Those Children line, I knew I had the opportunity to for themselves, 1,000 words a day. At- dies,” recently won the PEN/Faulkner The Kardashian-Jenner clan has oh so many kids, pair some much-needed community tenberg shared her idea on Twitter and prize for fi ction, welcomed the 1,000- and they’re creative name-pickers. with targeted accountability to fi nish Instagram, and friends and strangers word challenge as a way of focusing Caitlyn has six children with three successive wives, what I’ve started. I joined to combat alike wanted to be included. on a planned novel. Yoder worked on the end-of-the-road fatigue I was ex- “Nightbitch” for the 2018 challenge, including Kylie and Kendall with Kris. Kris had four Advice children with her fi rst husband, the late O.J. Simpson periencing.” when she had recently become a par- attorney Robert Kardashian before she divorced him, Organized and presided over by “It was very organic and natural. ent, and found the experience “really too: Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and Rob. Jami Attenberg, #1000wordsofsum- I’ve learned that on social media you good for generating material” and “just try not to force things. You just let peo- Kim had three kids following North: Saint, Chi- mer has grown from around 2,000 par- the right amount of pressure.” ple respond to things rather than force cago and Psalm. Oldest sister Kourtney has her three ticipants in 2018 to more than 14,000 Cheryl Strayed, best known for her Bieber Snoop Dogg things to happen,” says Attenberg, with Scott: Mason, Penelope and Reign. There’s also this year, drawing in emerging writers memoir “Wild,” joined this year after such as Oloye and such established whose other books include the best- initially being a “cheerleader” and “ob- Khloe’s True, Kylie’s Stormi and Rob’s Dream. selling novels “The Middlesteins” and Some of the Kardashians brought viewers along authors as Attenberg, Roxane Gay and server on the sidelines.” She is writing Deesha Philyaw. “All Grown Up.” another memoir, and credits the sum- while giving birth, and we’ve been treated over the Variety Attenberg offers encourage- years to home movies showing Kris bringing children Rachel Yoder wrote some of “Night- mer challenge with helping her recall bitch,” a novel which comes out in July ment on her Craft Talk newsletter ( details from her teens, when she had a into the world. A 12-year-old Kendall watched herself and has been optioned for a fi lm star- https://1000wordsofsummer.substack. summer job working in the woods in being born. Recently, during the fi nal season, 11-year- TBILISI, Georgia: Rezo Gabriadze, a ring Amy Adams, during a previous com ), and has brought in Celeste Ng her native Minnesota. old Mason watched his mom pull him into the world legendary Georgian theater director and 1,000-word challenge. Attenberg her- and Lauren Groff among others to “I knew it was there in my memory, herself. fi lm screenwriter who has won broad self worked on her memoir “I Came All share advice. One of this year’s con- Spin-offs of Spin-offs and it came up in the course of my fame across the former Soviet Union for This Way To Meet You: Writing Myself tributors is Rumaan Alam, whose nov- writing and suddenly it was fertile. They’re in LA. They’re in Miami. They’re in New movies he wrote, has died. He was 84. Home,” scheduled for release in January. el “Leave the World Behind” was a Who knows if it would have come to York. No, wait, the Hamptons. His relatives and colleagues said he “One of the real reasons I started National Book Award fi nalist in 2020. the surface if I hadn’t started this thou- Part of keeping up has been chasing all the spin- died Sunday of an unspecifi ed illness in Tbilisi. this, and persisted with it, is that writ- “Advice about writing is mostly sand-word thing?” Strayed said. offs. Is there a record number? It depends on how ing gives me so much joy and I want pretty awful, but a long time ago, an- “1000wordsofsummer” isn’t just a spin-off, franchise and canon are defi ned. Garbriadze, an iconic fi gure in the former Soviet Union, wrote numerous that same joy for other people,” Atten- other writer said something to me, re- path to discovery or a test of dedica- But it certainly is a lot in the reality TV genre, and berg says. ally an aside, a stray thought, that has tion, but a way for writers to fi nd each several had various sisters “taking” various cities. In movies, including Mimino and Kin- Dza-Dza, the cult comedies by Georgian The 2021 challenge began May 31 stuck with me, as advice about writing, other. Thousands have joined a Slack all, there were 11 spin-offs on TV - many short-lived. and ends Sunday. or maybe advice about life itself. ‘No channel started by Attenberg and many Like the show, they were driven by Ryan Seacrest director Georgiy Daneliya. Gabriadze also was an artist, sculptor Online writing events aren’t new. one is ever going to ask you to write set up subgroups; Oloye’s is #queer- Productions and the E! network. The nonprofi t organization NaNoW- a book,’ she said, and she’d know, blackwritersroom. Philyaw said the The fi rst was “Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami” in and a very productive book illustrator. In 1981, he founded a puppet theater in riMo has unoffi cially declared No- having published three at that point,” writing challenge gave her a feeling 2009. It morphed into “Kourtney & Kim Take Miami” vember to be National Novel Writing Alam writes. of “community” and likened it to the after Khloe spun herself back into real life to do other Tbilisi and was best known internation- ally for its productions. (AP) Month, with Sara Gruen’s bestsell- “Take the ‘book’ out of it; no one Zoom conversations she had during work. There was a plethora of bikinis and big boats ing “Water for Elephants” among the will ask you to write, full stop. It’s up the pandemic. as the ladies sought to broaden the reach of their bou- ❑ ❑ ❑ tique Dash with new locations. MEMPHIS, Tenn: Singer Shemekia True fans, especially Scott watchers, will remem- Copeland and guitarist Christone ber the 2013 web series “Lord Disick: Lifestyles of a “Kingfi sh” Ingram are among this NEW YORK: Snoop Dogg is getting consultant. across the label’s executive team and Lord” that was shown weekly in the third season of all year’s top winners at the Blues Music ready to bark out orders at Def Jam Def Jam announced Monday that artist roster.” Acts signed to the label in- that Miami taking. Scott bought himself the royal title Awards. Recordings — he’s joining the label newly created role for the iconic rapper clude Kanye West, Nas, Justin Bieber, in 2012 while on a trip to London and showed off his Veteran musicians Charlie Mus- as an executive creative and strategic “will allow (Snoop) to strategically work Big Sean, Logic, Jadakiss, 2 Chainz, high-life trappings like fl eets of fancy cars while offer- selwhite and Elvin Bishop also won Jeezy, Jhené Aiko, Bobby Sessions and ing tips on how we, too, can live like lords. multiple awards for their album “100 late rapper DMX. Def Jam is a division In 2011, “Khloe & Lamar” began as the two tried to Years of Blues” during Sunday’s awards of Universal Music Group, also home fi gure out married life. And there were three seasons of show, which was held online due to to Interscope Geffen A&M, Capitol the fi tness fest “Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashi- COVID-19 pandemic precautions. Records and Republic Records. an” after the marriage didn’t work out. Khloe also had Winners were chosen by members of Snoop Dogg, 49, will be based in Los a short-lived talk show, “Kocktails with Khloe.” The Blues Foundation, based in Mem- Angeles and will report to UMG CEO Kris briefl y had an eponymous talk show in 2013, phis. The awards have been held for 42 and Chairman Lucian Grainge as well culminating in an appearance by Kanye West and his years. as Jeffrey Harleston, Def Jam’s interim reveal of the fi rst photos of North. The Fox network Copeland won the B.B. King Enter- chairman and CEO. did not offer her a second season. tainer of the Year award, the show’s top Snoop Dogg released his debut album After Caitlyn came out, she got her own show: “I honor. She also won the contemporary nearly 30 years ago, and has had a suc- Am Cait.” It was a serious dive into her transition blues female artist and the contemporary cessful run since. He’s sold 30 million and whether she was up to being a role model as new blues album awards. albums worldwide, earned 16 Grammy Ingram, who won fi ve times last year, nominations and topped the charts with friends educated her on issues facing the trans com- took home the contemporary blues male munity. It was canceled after two seasons amid low several hits, from “Gin and Juice” to artist and guitar instrumentalist awards. “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” ratings. The collaboration between Bishop and Robbery and more moments He emerged from the West Coast on Musselwhite led to awards for album of the gangster rap scene, with music pro- Perhaps the scariest of all developments was Kim’s the year and traditional blues album of 2016 armed robbery in a luxury Paris fl at during fash- duced by Dr Dre and released on Suge the year. Knight’s Death Row Records. ion week. Season 13 of the series took on the case and Mike Zito won in the categories of He’s become a multi-format enter- the emotional aftermath. She has openly discussed her blues rock artist and blues rock album for tainer and has appeared in several fi lms, terror at being tied up at gunpoint and robbed of her “Mike Zito and Friends-Rock ‘n’ Roll: A launched businesses and is a media jewels. Kim said she thought she was going to die. Tribute to Chuck Berry.” personality, even earning an Emmy Among their far happier moments: All those over- Blues Hall of Fame members Bettye nomination alongside Martha Stewart the-top birthday bashes, lavish weddings and baby LaVette and Bobby Rush also won Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes poses for a portrait at home, May 18, 2021, in 2017 for “Martha & Snoop’s Potluck showers, let alone the weddings themselves. awards. (AP) in Los Angeles. The documentary ‘Sergio Mendes & Friends: A Celebration’ will Dinner Party.” He’s also released gospel ❑ ❑ ❑ be airing on PBS in June. (AP) and reggae albums. (AP)