Leo Tolstoy: Conversion and religious beliefs: …Tsarstvo bozhiye vnutri vas (1893; The Kingdom of God Is Within You) and many other essays and tracts. In brief, Tolstoy rejected all the sacraments, all miracles, the Holy Trinity, the immortality of the soul, and many other tenets of traditional religion, all of which he regarded as obfuscations of…

N.K. Jemisin: …The Broken Kingdoms (2010) and The Kingdom of Gods (2011). Three short stories set in the world of the Inheritance Trilogy were collected in Shades in Shadow (2015).

Ridley Scott: …visual flair—include Matchstick Men (2003), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), American Gangster (2007), and Body of Lies (2008). He later helmed the action adventure Robin Hood (2010), which starred Crowe and Cate Blanchett; Prometheus (2012), a sci-fi thriller that revisited the eerie world of Alien;

Nepal, country of Asia, lying along the southern slopes of the Himalayan mountain ranges. It is a landlocked country located between India to the east, south, and west and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north. Its territory extends roughly 500 miles (800 kilometres) from east to west

Congress Kingdom of Poland, Polish state created (May 3, 1815) by the Congress of Vienna as part of the political settlement at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. It was ruled by the tsars of Russia until its loss in World War I. The Kingdom of Poland comprised the bulk of the former Grand Duchy of

Tom Wolfe: Wolfe returned to nonfiction with The Kingdom of Speech (2016), in which he sharply criticized Charles Darwin and Noam Chomsky as he argued that language was not a result of evolution.

Thailand, country located in the centre of mainland Southeast Asia. Located wholly within the tropics, Thailand encompasses diverse ecosystems, including the hilly forested areas of the northern frontier, the fertile rice fields of the central plains, the broad plateau of the northeast, and the

Jan van Ruysbroeck: …den Rike der Ghelieven (The Kingdom of the Lovers of God). Ruysbroeck derived much from the mystic Hadewijch, who had viewed the relationship of the soul to God as similar to that between the lover and the beloved. Ruysbroeck’s systematic compendium of teaching and belief, however, contrasted with the…

Netherlands, country located in northwestern Europe, also known as Holland. “Netherlands” means low-lying country; the name Holland (from Houtland, or “Wooded Land”) was originally given to one of the medieval cores of what later became the modern state and is still used for 2 of its 12 provinces

Alejo Carpentier: …reino de este mundo (1950; The Kingdom of This World); it is about the Haitian revolution. In the prologue to this work, Carpentier expounds on magic realism, which he defines as the representation of “marvelous American reality.” His novel Los pasos perdidos (1953; The Lost Steps), his best-known work, is…

Riyadh: City layout: …a luxury hotel, and the Markaz Al-Mamlakah (“Kingdom Centre”), which offers an expansive complex of office, retail, dining, and accommodation spaces located within and around its landmark tower.

Sir Edward Elgar: …two: The Apostles (1903) and The Kingdom (1906). In these less successful works, representative themes are interwoven in the manner of the leitmotivs of Wagner. Other vocal works include the choral cantata, Caractacus (1898), and the song cycle for contralto, Sea Pictures (1900).

Lars von Trier: …television miniseries called Riget (The Kingdom), which was set in a hospital and focused on the supernatural and macabre. It proved so popular that it was followed by a sequel, Riget II (1997), and later inspired an American version, adapted by American horror novelist Stephen King, for which von…

drum: …fish of the Americas; the kingfish, or whiting (Menticirrhus saxatilis), of the Atlantic, notable among drums in that it lacks an air bladder; and the sea drum, or black drum (Pogonias cromis), a gray or coppery red, western Atlantic fish.

mackerel: …45 kg (100 pounds); the king mackerel, or kingfish (S. cavalla), a western Atlantic fish about 170 cm long and weighing 36 kg or more; and the cero, or painted mackerel (S. regalis), an abundant, spotted Atlantic fish reportedly about 120 cm long. Scomberomorus species are a favourite game fish,…

kingfish, any of various fishes, among them certain species of mackerel (q.v.) and a drum (q.v.) of the genus

rocket and missile system: Antiship: The Mach-3 AS-6 Kingfish, introduced in 1970, could travel 250 miles.

kingfisher, any of about 90 species of birds in three families (Alcedinidae, Halcyonidae, and Cerylidae), noted for their spectacular dives into water. They are worldwide in distribution but are chiefly tropical. Kingfishers, ranging in length from 10 to 42 cm (4 to 16.5 inches), have a large head,

Wiremu Kīngi was a Māori chief whose opposition to the colonial government’s purchase of tribal lands led to the First Taranaki War (1860–61) and inspired the Māori resistance throughout the 1860s to European colonization of New Zealand’s fertile North Island. After leading his Te Atiawa tribe from

The Kingis Quair, (c. 1423; “The King’s Book”), love-dream allegory written in Early Scots and attributed to James I of Scotland. It marks the beginning of the golden age of Scottish literature. Sometimes called the first “Scottish Chaucerian” poem, it reflects and acknowledges Geoffrey Chaucer’s

Sai Ong Hue: His rival, Kingkitsarat, succeeded in capturing Luang Prabang from Sai Ong Hue in 1707. The two enemies immediately appealed to the larger, more powerful surrounding states to maintain their kingdoms. Sai Ong Hue turned to Vietnam and Siam, becoming vassal to both and initiating conditions of dependence,…

cusk eel: One of these, the kingklip (Genypterus capensis), is a South African species prized as food.

nonfictional prose: Travel and epistolary literature: …on Asia, the English historian Alexander W. Kinglake (1809–91), in Eothen (1844), and, more incisively, the French diplomat Joseph-Arthur, comte de Gobineau (1816–82); both blended a sense of the picturesqueness of the East with shrewdness in the interpretation of the people. One of the most thoughtful and, in spite of…

kinglet, (genus Regulus), any of six species of small songbirds of the family Regulidae. Although among the smallest of songbirds (weighing less than 10 grams [0.4 ounce]), they are able to survive cold climates and remain exceedingly active by flitting constantly about and flicking their wings

Richard Neville, 16th earl of Warwick was an English nobleman called, since the 16th century, “the Kingmaker,” in reference to his role as arbiter of royal power during the first half of the Wars of the Roses (1455–85) between the houses of Lancaster and York. He obtained the crown for the Yorkist

Kingman, city, seat (1887) of Mohave county, Arizona, U.S. Since 1882 Kingman has been the shopping and shipping centre for sparsely settled northwestern Arizona. The city was named for Lewis Kingman, a civil engineer for what was then the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad constructed there in

Kingman Reef, coral reef, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Northern Line Islands, west-central Pacific Ocean. The reef is located about 920 miles (1,480 km) southwest of Honolulu. It is a barren atoll with a deep lagoon (5 by 9.5 miles [8 by 15 km] and has a land area of 0.01

Thomas Kingo: …was published in 1689 as Vinter-Parten (“The Winter Part”) but was later rejected by the king. Kingo’s hymns contrast this world with heaven and are deeply personal in their graphic and suggestive use of language. Underneath their Christian orthodoxy, they are both subjective and antithetical, showing the individual as immersed…

Thomas Kingo was a clergyman and poet whose works are considered the high point of Danish Baroque poetry. Kingo’s grandfather had come from Scotland, and his father was a weaver. In his youth, Kingo wrote a series of poems picturing humorous scenes in village life and a pastoral love poem,

Daredevil: …was working for the evil Kingpin. Elektra had also been Murdock’s first love, and their complicated and deadly relationship drew new readers to the title. Miller became one of the top comic writers of the 1980s, and Daredevil’s searing, dark, violent, and explosive direction was mimicked across the comics industry.…

Kings, county in southeastern New York, U.S. Occupying the southwestern tip of Long Island, it is coextensive with the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It was formed in 1683 and was named to honor King Charles II of England. Area 71 square miles (184 square km). Pop. (2000) 2,465,326; (2010)

Halle Berry: …Golden Circle and starred in Kings (both 2017), playing a foster parent living in Los Angeles during the riots of 1992. She later was cast in the action thriller John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum (2019).

Adam Cleghorn Welch: A posthumous volume, Kings and Prophets of Israel (1952), contains a memoir and a bibliography.

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, in which the monarch shares power with a constitutionally organized government. The reigning king or queen is the country’s head of state. All political power rests with the prime minister (the head of government) and the cabinet, and the monarch

Scotland, now part of the United Kingdom, was ruled for hundreds of years by various monarchs. James I, who in 1603 became king of England after having held the throne of Scotland (as James VI) since 1567, was the first to style himself “king of Great Britain,” although Scotland and England did not

Spain’s constitution declares it a constitutional monarchy. From 1833 until 1939 Spain almost continually had a parliamentary system with a written constitution. Except during the First Republic (1873–74), the Second Republic (1931–36), and the Spanish Civil War (1936–39), Spain has always had a

king cake, a sweet, ring-shaped pastry that is served from Epiphany through Shrove Tuesday in the Christian calendar. It is particularly associated with Mardi Gras, the festive pre-Lenten season in the United States, and it is usually baked with a symbolic trinket hidden inside, often to represent

Kings Canyon National Park, scenic area in the Sierra Nevada, east-central California, U.S. It lies adjacent to and north of Sequoia National Park and is under the same administration; Yosemite National Park is about 40 miles (64 km) to the northwest. Established in 1940, it incorporated General

Prince Edward Island: three counties: Prince, Queens, and Kings. In 1997 the 8-mile- (12.9-km-) long Confederation Bridge was inaugurated. It is the world’s longest bridge over waters that freeze over in winter and connects the island to the neighbouring Canadian province of New Brunswick. The name of the island’s capital, Charlottetown, commemorates the…

Delmer Daves: Westerns: …to helm the war drama Kings Go Forth, which depicted a love triangle set in France; it starred Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis, and Natalie Wood. Later that year, however, he returned to the genre that had proven so successful for him. The Badlanders is a clever western remake of the…

Australian literature: Literature from 1940 to 1970: …history, just as Mary Durack’s Kings in Grass Castles (1959) is the story of her ancestors as well as a social history. Martin Boyd’s Day of My Delight (1965) defines his family in its historical and moral context, while Hal Porter’s The Watcher on the Cast-Iron Balcony (1963) is a…

Gastonia: Kings Mountain National Military Park, site of the Battle of Kings Mountain during the American Revolution, is 20 miles (32 km) southwest. Lake Wylie, an impoundment of the Catawba River east of Gaston, is a popular recreational site. Inc. city, 1877. Pop. (2000) 66,277; Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord…

Battle of Kings Mountain, battle in the American Revolution, fought on October 17, 1780, that saw an American victory over a larger loyalist detachment in South Carolina during the British campaign in the South. It was one of few battles of the Revolution fought solely between Americans. In 1780,

non-fungible token: NFT forms and the future: …March 2021 the rock band Kings of Leon released its album When You See Yourself as an NFT. It was the first known instance of a musical act issuing an album in this form, with buyers entered into a lottery to win concert tickets and other unique extras.

Wim Wenders: title Kings of the Road), a “buddy” picture pairing a depressed man with a movie-projector repairman who can barely communicate as they travel across Germany together. Der amerikanische Freund (1977; The American Friend), based on Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley’s Game, explores the concept of dislocation, or separation.…

Kings Peak, highest point (13,528 feet [4,123 metres]) in Utah, U.S., located 80 miles (130 km) east of Salt Lake City in the Uinta Mountains and the Ashley National Forest. It was named for the 19th-century geologist Clarence

Kings Canyon National Park: …River (a tributary of the Kings River), carved by glacial action. The granite walls of the canyon in places tower 4,000 feet (1,200 metres) above the canyon floor. Just outside the park, in Sequoia National Forest, the canyon reaches a depth of 8,200 feet (2,500 metres) from the river to…

Sam Wood: Wood’s heyday: Kings Row (1942), a sanitized adaptation of Henry Bellamann’s sensational best seller, was probably Wood’s finest work, a sprawling saga of a Midwestern town’s dark hidden life in the early 1900s. The cast included Ann Sheridan, Ronald Reagan, Claude Rains, Betty Field, and Coburn. Some…

saga: Kings’ sagas: After Sæmundr Sigfússon, Icelandic and Norwegian authors continued to explore the history of Scandinavia in terms of rulers and royal families, some of them writing in Latin and others in the vernacular. Broadly speaking, the kings’ sagas fall into two distinct groups: contemporary…

books of Kings, two books of the Hebrew Bible or the Protestant Old Testament that, together with Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, and 1 and 2 Samuel, belong to the group of historical books (Deuteronomic history) written during the Babylonian Exile (c. 550 bc) of the Jews. (In most Roman Catholic

divine right of kings, in European history, a political doctrine in defense of monarchical absolutism, which asserted that kings derived their authority from God and could not therefore be held accountable for their actions by any earthly authority such as a parliament. Originating in Europe, the

books of Samuel, two Old Testament books that, along with Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, and 1 and 2 Kings, belong to the tradition of Deuteronomic history first committed to writing about 550 bc, during the Babylonian Exile. The two books, which were originally one, are principally concerned with

Valley of the Kings, long narrow defile just west of the Nile River in Upper Egypt. It was part of the ancient city of Thebes and was the burial site of almost all the kings (pharaohs) of the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties (1539–1075 bce), from Thutmose I to Ramses X. Located in the hills behind

Waipio Valley, valley in the Kohala Mountains, northern Hawaii island, Hawaii, U.S. Enveloped on three sides by 2,500-foot- (750-metre-) high cliffs ribboned with spectacular waterfalls (including Hiilawe Falls, which drops more than 1,000 feet [300 metres]), the picturesque valley faces a heavy

American literature: Critics of society: …and the racially prejudiced (Kingsblood Royal [1947]) were satirically sharp and thoroughly documented, though Babbitt is his only book that still stands up brilliantly at the beginning of the 21st century. Similar careful documentation, though little satire, characterized James T. Farrell’s naturalistic Studs Lonigan trilogy (1932–35), which described the

Arcade Fire: October 4, 1977) and bassist Tim Kingsbury. The band’s ranks continued to swell, including additional drummers, violinists, and others.

New South Wales: Transportation: Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport, located near the city centre, is one of the oldest continually operating airports in the world and is very congested, handling both national and international traffic.

Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith was an Australian pilot who, with a three-man crew, flew the Atlantic from Portmarnock, Ireland, to Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, June 24–25, 1930. He was also the first to cross the mid-Pacific by air. Smith was educated at Sydney Cathedral School and Sydney

sacred kingship, religious and political concept by which a ruler is seen as an incarnation, manifestation, mediator, or agent of the sacred or holy (the transcendent or supernatural realm). The concept originated in prehistoric times, but it continues to exert a recognizable influence in the

Ben Kingsley is a British actor recognized for playing a wide range of roles, including that of the title character in Gandhi (1982), for which he won an Academy Award for best actor. Kingsley, of English and Indian descent, first began acting in amateur theatrical productions in Manchester,

Charles Kingsley was an Anglican clergyman and writer whose successful fiction ranged from social-problem novels to historical romances and children’s literature. The son of a clergyman, he grew up in Devon, where he developed an interest in nature study and geology. After graduating from Magdalene

Henry Kingsley was an English novelist and brother of Charles Kingsley. Henry is best known for Ravenshoe (1861), in which the hero fights in the Crimean War. After leaving the University of Oxford, he set out for the Australian goldfields but was unsuccessful and returned to England after five

Mary Henrietta Kingsley was an English traveler who, disregarding the conventions of her time, journeyed through western and equatorial Africa and became the first European to enter parts of Gabon. A niece of the clergyman and author Charles Kingsley, she led a secluded life until she was about age

Halle Berry: …appeared in the spy movie Kingsman: The Golden Circle and starred in Kings (both 2017), playing a foster parent living in Los Angeles during the riots of 1992. She later was cast in the action thriller John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum (2019).

Michael Caine: …spymaster in the comic thriller Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014). Caine was lauded for the humility of his performance as a composer in Youth (2015), director Paolo Sorrentino’s paean to aging artists. He followed with a remake (2017) of the 1970s film Going in Style, playing a retiree planning a…

Gilbert Islands, group of 16 coral islands and atolls, part of Kiribati, in the west-central Pacific Ocean 2,800 miles (4,500 km) northeast of Australia. The low-lying islands—Makin, Butaritari, Marakei, Abaiang, Tarawa, Maiana, Abemama, Kuria, Aranuka, Nonouti, Tabiteuea, Beru, Nikunau, Onotoa,

Lei Jun: …joined the Beijing-based software company Kingsoft Corp., and by 1998 he had risen to become its CEO. He helped transform Kingsoft from a struggling company focused primarily on word-processing programs into a financially stable firm with products that also included video games and computer security software. In 2007 he led…

Barbara Kingsolver is an American writer and political activist whose best-known novels concern the endurance of people living in often inhospitable environments and the beauty to be found even in such harsh circumstances. Kingsolver grew up in eastern Kentucky, the daughter of a physician who

Kingsport, city, Sullivan county, northeastern Tennessee, U.S., on the Holston River, near the Virginia border, about 90 miles (145 km) northeast of Knoxville. The area was settled in the late 1700s when entrepreneur William King founded a boatyard along the river. The region was part of the

Kingston, city, capital, and chief port of Jamaica, sprawling along the southeastern coast of the island, backed by the Blue Mountains. It is famous for its fine natural harbour, which is protected by the Palisadoes, a narrow peninsula that has been developed as a recreational and tourist resort.

West Lafayette, city, Tippecanoe county, west-central Indiana, U.S. It lies along the Wabash River (bridged) opposite Lafayette. A town was platted on the west bank of the Wabash in 1836, but it failed to attract settlers because it was located in an area prone to flooding. A second settlement was

Kingston, village in South Kingstown town (township), Washington county, southern Rhode Island, U.S. It developed after 1700 at the crossroads of the Pequot Indian Trail and the road to Tower Hill settlement and served as the county seat from 1752 to 1900. Until 1885 it was known as Little Rest

Kingston, city, seat (1683) of Ulster county, southeastern New York, U.S. It lies on the west bank of the Hudson River (there bridged), at the mouth of Rondout Creek, 54 miles (87 km) south of Albany. A fur-trading post was established on the site about 1615. The first permanent settlement, called

Kingston, city, seat (1792) of Frontenac county, southeastern Ontario, Canada, on the north shore of Lake Ontario, at the point where it joins the St. Lawrence River, 135 miles (220 km) northeast of Toronto. Founded in 1673 by Louis de Buade, the comte de Frontenac and governor of New France in the

Kingston, town, southeastern Tasmania, Australia. It is located on the Browns River, which flows into the estuary of the River Derwent, and it forms part of the municipality of Kingborough in the Greater Hobart area. The area was first settled in 1804 and was known as Brown’s River. A family named

Kingston’s emergence as a significant music centre can be attributed to two factors. The first is geographic: Jamaica was close enough to the United States to be strongly influenced by its music—New Orleans, Louisiana, radio stations could be heard in Kingston, and sailors regularly returned to

the Kingston Trio: …a series of chart-topping albums—including Kingston Trio at Large (1959), Here We Go Again (1959), and String Along (1960)—before breaking up in 1967.

the Kingston Trio, American folk group that helped spark the folk music revival of the 1960s. The original members were Dave Guard (b. October 19, 1934, San Francisco, California, U.S.—d. March 22, 1991, Rollinsford, New Hampshire), Bob Shane (b. February 1, 1934, Hilo, Hawaii—d. January 26, 2020,

Kingston upon Hull, city and unitary authority, geographic county of East Riding of Yorkshire, historic county of Yorkshire, northeastern England. It lies on the north bank of the River Humber estuary at its junction with the River Hull, 22 miles (35 km) from the North Sea. Hull was a medieval wool

Kingston upon Thames, royal borough and outer borough of London, England, about 12 miles (19 km) southwest of central London. It lies on the south bank of the River Thames and is part of the historic county of Surrey. The present borough was established in 1965 by amalgamation of the former royal

Maxine Hong Kingston is an American writer, much of whose work is rooted in her experience as a first-generation Chinese American. Maxine Hong was the eldest of six American-born children of Chinese immigrant parents. Hong’s father, a scholar, had left China in 1924 and immigrated to New York City;

Queen’s University at Kingston, nondenominational, coeducational university at Kingston, Ont., Can. Originally called Queen’s College, it was founded in 1841 as a Presbyterian denominational school to train young men for the ministry. The Presbyterian church’s control over the school was gradually

Kingston upon Thames, royal borough and outer borough of London, England, about 12 miles (19 km) southwest of central London. It lies on the south bank of the River Thames and is part of the historic county of Surrey. The present borough was established in 1965 by amalgamation of the former royal

Kingstown, capital and chief port of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. Located on the southwestern end of the island of Saint Vincent, the town overlooks Kingstown Harbour and is sheltered by Berkshire Hill on the north and Cane Garden Point on the south. The port has

Kingsville, city, seat (1913) of Kleberg county, southern Texas, U.S. It lies along the coastal plain, 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Corpus Christi and 153 miles (246 km) south of San Antonio. The land for Kingsville was deeded by Henrietta King, and the city was laid out in 1904 to be the

Kingswood, urbanized area, unitary authority of South Gloucestershire, historic county of Gloucestershire, southwestern England. It is situated directly east of the city of Bristol. Kingswood was closely associated with the 18th-century Methodist leaders George Whitefield and John Wesley. It was

Kingu, in Mesopotamian mythology, the consort of Tiamat. The creation epic Enuma elish tells how Tiamat, determined to destroy the other gods, created a mighty army and set Kingu at its head. When Kingu saw Marduk coming against him, however, he fled. After Tiamat’s defeat, Kingu was taken captive

Kinguélé, waterfall and site of a hydroelectric complex on the Mbei River of Gabon. Kinguélé is situated near Kango and is about 95 miles (150 km) by road east of Libreville, the national capital. There are actually two sets of waterfalls. The upper Kinguélé falls drop a total of 115 feet (35 m) in

Vietnam: Legendary kingdoms: …fairy of the mountains produced Kinh Duong, ruler of the Land of Red Demons, who married the daughter of the Dragon Lord of the Sea. Their son, Lac Long Quan (“Dragon Lord of Lac”), was, according to legend, the first truly Vietnamese king. To make peace with the Chinese, Lac…

Jinhua, city, central Zhejiang sheng (province), China. Jinhua is the natural centre of the eastern half of the Jin-Qu (Jinhua-Quzhou) Basin, being situated at the junction of two of the tributaries of the Wu (Jinhua) River—the Dongyang River and the Wuyi River. It is also a junction on the railway

Itzamná: …Hunab Ku and occasionally with Kinich Ahau, the sun god. The moon goddess Ixchel, patron of womanly crafts, was possibly a female manifestation of the god. Itzamná was also a culture hero who gave humankind writing and the calendar and was patron deity of medicine. (See also Bacab.)

Sylvie Kinigi is an economist and politician who served as prime minister of Burundi from July 1993 to February 1994. Kinigi studied economics at the University of Burundi and held civil service jobs before becoming an adviser to the prime minister in 1991. After Melchior Ndadaye, a member of the

Xanthus, principal city of ancient Lycia. The ruined city, situated on a cliff above the mouth of the Koca (Xanthus) River in what is now southwestern Turkey, was designated (along with the nearby Letoon religious centre) a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988. The early history of Xanthus is

Xanthus, principal city of ancient Lycia. The ruined city, situated on a cliff above the mouth of the Koca (Xanthus) River in what is now southwestern Turkey, was designated (along with the nearby Letoon religious centre) a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988. The early history of Xanthus is

Cyprus: Political process: Among them are the Movement of Social Democrats EDEK (Kinima Sosialdimokraton EDEK) and the Democratic Rally (Dimokratikos Synagermos; DISY). In the Turkish Cypriot zone the major parties include the National Unity Party (Ulusal Birlik Partisi), the Communal Liberation Party (Toplumcu Kurtuluș Partisi), and the Republican Turkish Party (Cumhuriyetc̦i Türk…

hormone: Endocrine-like glands and secretions: Blood contains kinins, which are polypeptides that originate in the blood and perhaps elsewhere; bradykinin, for example, causes contraction of most smooth muscles and has a very potent action in dilating certain blood vessels. Its function, which is not yet established, may be to regulate the rate…

Marc Maron: …protégé of self-destructive “scream” comedian Sam Kinison and began abusing cocaine and alcohol. After stints in Boston and San Francisco, Maron relocated in 1993 to New York City, where he became a staple of the nascent alternative (heady, non-joke-based) comedy scene.

fundamiji, in Japanese lacquerwork, variation of the jimaki technique. In this kind of ground decoration, a thick layer of fine gold or silver grains is dusted onto a freshly lacquered surface and, when dry, covered with a clear lacquer. After this has dried, it is polished with powdered charcoal

Hirohito was the emperor of Japan from 1926 until his death in 1989. He was the longest-reigning monarch in Japan’s history. Hirohito was born at the Aoyama Palace in Tokyo, the son of the Taishō emperor and grandson of the Meiji emperor. He was educated at the Peers’ School and at the Crown

Thomas Kinkade was an American artist who built a successful industry on his light-infused paintings of tranquil idyllic scenes. Kinkade studied art history and took studio classes for two years at the University of California, Berkeley, before transferring to the Art Center College of Design in