Poet Jack Gilbert dies at 87
BERKELEY, Calif., Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Noted U.S. poet Jack Gilbert, beset by dementia years ago, died at 87 of complications of pneumonia, friend and fellow poet Bill Mayer said.
Gilbert, who was attended by a group of friends when he passed Tuesday at a nursing home in Berkeley, Calif., gained international acclaim with his 1962 collection of poems "Views of Jeopardy," which won the Yale Younger Poets Prize and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, the Los Angeles Times noted.
"I think it's fair to say that Jack was America's greatest living poet," Mayer told the Times in a telephone interview. "He was unique in that he was not a part of any [literary] school or group. He went his own way, and he lived pretty much entirely for his life and his art."
The newspaper categorized Gilbert as a literary rebel among rebels known as an intimidating personality who made many enemies among the literary establishment.
"I want poems that matter," the Times quoted him as having said.
After "Views of Jeopardy" was published, Gilbert walked away from the public attention, traveling abroad before returning to the United States to teach at San Francisco State and start a poetry workshop.
He seldom published any works until "Monolithos" in 1982, which was a Pulitzer finalist. Three more collections, and more awards, followed, though his works haven't found their way into modern anthologies.
The Times noted some critics disliked his repeated use of familiar themes such as the moon, the Aegean and women's breasts. But his admirers point to the emotion he brought to bear while writing in a spare and direct style.
Alley, Marini get the boot on 'Dancing'
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Kirstie Alley and Gilles Marini and their respective professional dance partners have been eliminated from "Dancing with the Stars" in Los Angeles.
Alley was paired with Maksim Chmerkovskiy, and Marini with Peta Murgatroyd for the all-star edition of the dance competition series.
They got the boot Tuesday night.
"The second time around was very special to me," Alley said upon hearing her fate. "I learned more about dancing, believe it or not."
"In the end, it was just an incredible experience," Marini said after being told he was leaving the show.
Dancers make it to the next round of competition through a combination of the judges' scores and viewers' votes.
Still in the running with their professional dance partners for the coveted mirror ball trophy are Apolo Ohno, Melissa Rycroft, Kelly Monaco, Shawn Johnson and Emmitt Smith.
Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke-Charvet are the co-hosts of the show.
Garofalo and Cohen wed for 20 years
NEW YORK, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Actress Janeane Garofalo says she didn't realize she and producer Rob Cohen were legally wed after drunkenly swapping vows in Las Vegas 20 years ago.
"Rob and I got married, for real, which we had to have a notary dissolve not 30 minutes before we got here tonight," UsMagazine.com reported Garofalo told the crowd at a New York Comedy Festival event celebrating the sketch comedy series "The Ben Stiller Show" during the weekend. "We were married for 20 years until this evening. We got married drunk in Vegas. ... We dated for a year, and we got married at a drive-through chapel in a cab. [We thought] you have to go down to the courthouse and sign papers and stuff, so who knew? We were married, and apparently now that [Rob] is getting married for real, his lawyer dug up something."
Cohen and Garofalo were both writers on "The Ben Stiller Show." Garofalo also appeared on the series.
Cohen, now a producer on "The Big Bang Theory," is engaged to "Jimmy Kimmel Live" producer Jill Liederman, the New York Post said.
'Red' still No. 1 on the U.S. album chart
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Taylor Swift's "Red" is No. 1 on the U.S. album chart for a third week, Billboard.com reported Wednesday.
Coming in at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 is the "Now 44" compilation CD, followed by Rod Stewart's "Merry Christmas, Baby" at No. 3, Ne-Yo's "R.E.D." at No. 4 and Aerosmith's "Music From Another Dimension" at No. 5.
Rounding out the top tier are Jason Aldean's "Night Train" at No. 6, Mumford & Sons' "Babel" at No. 7, Meek Mill's "Dreams and Nightmares" at No. 8, Kendrick Lamar's "Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City" at No. 9 and Third Day's "Miracle" at No. 10.
