Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Names and faces
■ Former FBI Director James Comey has a book deal. Flatiron Books said Wednesday that Comey will write about everything, from allegations of ties between Russia and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign to the bureau’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server. According to Flatiron,
Comey will cite “examples from some of the highest-stakes situations in the past two decades of American government” and “share yet-unheard anecdotes from his long and distinguished career.” The publisher also said he’ll write about “good, ethical leadership” and how it influences “sound decisions.” The book is currently untitled and scheduled for publication next spring. Comey was appointed as FBI director by President Barack Obama in 2013. In May, Trump fired him from the post, later telling NBC News that he was angered by the FBI’s probe into “this Russia thing with Trump and Russia,” which the president called a fake story. Financial terms of Comey’s book deal were not disclosed, but several publishers bid for the book and three officials with knowledge of the negotiations said the auction topped $2 million. The officials asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the book.
■ Carol Burnett says that in a new Netflix series she’ll be playing her inner self: an 8-year old. On Monday, Netflix announced that the comedy great will star in an unscripted comedy series titled A Little Help with Carol Burnett. The streaming service said the half-hour show will give children ages 4 to 8 the chance to solve real-life problems submitted to them by celebrities and others. In a statement, Burnett said she was asked once how old she was inside and decided she was about 8. Burnett added that it will be fun playing with kids her own age. The star of TV, film and stage is 84. Netflix said the 12-episode series is to debut in 2018.
■ Thor star Tom Hiddleston is set to play Hamlet on the London stage — but fans will need a bit of luck to get a ticket. Hiddleston will play the moody Danish prince for three weeks in September at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art’s 180-seat theater. The production, directed by Kenneth Branagh, is a fundraiser for the theater school, one of Britain’s best. Branagh and Hiddleston are both academy graduates. Hiddleston said Tuesday that he hoped money raised would help the school train theater artists from every background, and help “keep the doors open for everyone.” The production runs Sept. 1-23. Tickets will be sold to people chosen at random who entering a ballot beginning on Tuesday and ending Sunday.