Names and faces
■ Days after his passing, the cause of death for comedian Richard Lewis was officially confirmed. According to his death certificate obtained by The Blast, the comedian died at the age of 76 from cardiac arrest on Feb. 27 at his Los Angeles home. The document reportedly said Parkinson’s disease was a secondary cause of death. Lewis announced his Parkinson’s diagnosis last April, with his plan to retire from standup comedy coming out at the same time. According to the Mayo Clinic, Parkinson’s is a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system as well as parts of the body controlled by the nerves. While he originally became known for his self-deprecating style of comedy, Davis later became known for his guest-starring role on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” with appearances in over 40 episodes across 24 years alongside fellow comedian and friend Larry David. “Richard and I were born three days apart in the same hospital and for most of my life he’s been like a brother to me,” David said. “He had that rare combination of being the funniest person and also the sweetest. But today he made me sob and for that I’ll never forgive him.”
■ Japanese author Haruki Murakami allowed 1,100 audience members to hear the yet-to-be published short story “Kaho,” in an exclusive reading in Tokyo. Taking place at a book event called “The Owl Reads in Springs,” it was part of a fundraiser for the Waseda International House of Literature library at Waseda University, Murakami’s alma mater in Tokyo. The last Murakami short story released was “First Person Singular,” more than three years ago. “It’s freshly made, only about 10 days ago,” Murakami told the audience, adding it was written for the event first. Written for recitation, he said that it was not an easy feat. “Its content and style have to fit recitation, and it has to be relatively short,” Murakami said. He said that it still was too long, necessitating him to do two reading parts to break the story up for the audience. Journalists in attendance were allowed to report story names, but not the content. Murakami first had a bestseller in 1987 with “Norwegian Wood” and has been a consistent literary star since then, with his 2023 novel “The City and its Uncertain Walls,” awaiting an English release.