With outdoor concert, Lincoln Center starts path to return

NEW YORK >> On a sun-splashed portion of Lincoln Center, with 120 health care workers listening in neatly arranged rows of folding chairs, members of the New York Philharmonic made an initial return to concerts Wednesday, 13 months after the novel coronavirus pandemic decimated their season.

A brass quintet and a horn quartet with flute Mindy Kaufman beamed as they played a 90-minute lunchtime concert in Hearst Plaza. The concert began a schedule that will include more than 100 open-air concerts and graduations.

“It’s so beautiful to have culture back in New York City,” Mayor Bill de Blasio told the crowd. “We live through our artists, our musicians. We live through the plays we go to, all the things that make New York City special.”

Dave Grohl releasing memoir ‘The Storyteller’ on Oct. 5

NEW YORK >> Some unexpected free time in 2020 led Grammy winner Dave Grohl to put some thoughts and memories into words.

Grohl’s memoir “The Storyteller” will come out Oct. 5, Dey Street Books announced. The 52-year-old Grohl will reflect on everything from his childhood to his years with Nirvana and Foo Fighters to times spent with Paul McCartney, David Bowie and many others.

Grohl’s book grew out of an essay he published in and out of anecdotes he shared on his Instagram account.

“I soon found that the reward I felt every time I posted a story was the same as the feeling I get when playing a song to an audience, so I kept on writing,” Grohl said in a statement.

“The response from readers was a soul-filling as any applause in an arena. So, I took stock of all the experiences I’ve had in my life — incredible, difficult, funny and emotional — and decided it was time to finally put them into words.”

Mike Pence

Former Vice President Mike Pence memoir set for 2023 release

NEW YORK >> Former Vice President Mike Pence has a book deal. His autobiography, currently untitled, is scheduled to come out in 2023.

“I am grateful to have the opportunity to tell the story of my life in public service to the American people, from serving in Congress, to the Indiana governor’s office and as vice president of the United States,” Pence said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the outstanding team at Simon & Schuster to invite readers on a journey from a small town in Indiana to Washington, D.C.”

According to Pence’s agent, David Vigliano, “all major publishers” competed for the book, and the deal was worth “well into seven figures.” A top editor from a rival publishing house confirmed that amount. The editor was not authorized to discuss negotiations and asked not to be identified.

Simon & Schuster announced Wednesday that it also signed Pence to a second book but did not immediately provide details. Pence is the first major Trump administration official to have an announced deal since the president left office in January.

At this time in 2017, former President Barack Obama; former first lady Michelle Obama; former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden; and former Secretary of State John Kerry were among the recently departed Obama administration officials who had agreed to book deals.

Several top publishing executives have told The Associated Press that they were not interested in a memoir from former President Donald Trump, citing the siege of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 by Trump’s supporters.