Jean Claude Arnault Charged With Rape

Jean Claude Arnault, the French photographer whose drama led to the postponement of the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature, has been charged with two counts of rape in Sweden. He’s accused of raping a woman in Stockholm twice in 2011.

Arnault denies the allegations. But according to CNN, the prosecutor said, “My assessment is that the state of evidence is robust and sufficient for prosecution.”

It’s reported that 18 women has accused him of a range of sexual misconduct between 1996 and 2017. Among the allegations, he’s said to have touched Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria inappropriately at a Swedish Academy event.

Since the scandal broke, six members of the Swedish Academy have stepped down, says CNN.

Writing, Photography Among Best Freelancing Jobs

FlexJobs released a list of high-paying freelance positions ahead of summer break. Curriculum writing was the top-earning position with pay up to $50 an hour, Fox Business reported.

Copy editor/writer made the list with pay reportedly ranging up to $17  an hour. And it was joined by freelance photography, which is listed as paying up to $20 an hour.

For the best result when trying to get hired, sell yourself as the person that fills a company’s particular needs,  which means creating multiple resumes to focus on that particular job or skill, said Rachel Jay, senior career writer for FlexJobs.

Looking for Work? Check the Creative Jobs List

Microsoft Remodeling Office 365

Microsoft is rolling out changes to its web-based Office 365 software. One change includes slimming Word’s control bar, or ribbon, down to one line. The company redesigned the suite’s icons, and Word will be the first to reveal that makeover. The other programs will get new icons this summer.

Outlook will also get a slimmer one-line control bar. Plus, the search function will suggest more kinds of results, including commands and contacts, and it will provide search suggestions without you typing. Those suggestions will be based upon what you’ve been working on.

The company is aiming to find the balance between simplicity for casual users and the needs of power users, says CNN.

Apple Launching New Book App

When Apple launches iOS 12, the new operating system will have Apple Books instead of the old iBook app.

Apple Books will sell audiobooks directly from the app. Plus, it will have a variety of features designed to make book discovery easier, including a new set of tabs that are being touted as the “virtual nightstand.” Those tabs will highlight the book you’re reading, books you want to read and have selections of best sellers and staff picks, says Publishers Weekly.

Editorial content will be more prominently showcased with Apple Books, and it will be localized in the 51 countries where the app is available.

Snapchat Launched Delete Feature

If you accidentally send a personal snap to your professional contacts, there’s less reason to worry. Snapchat now lets users delete content that they have already sent.

That means you can retract text messages, audio, photos, and stickers. All you have to do is tap, hold, and select “Delete.” The recipients will be able to see that you deleted something but they won’t know what it is, says Slash Gear.

Cartoonist Fired From Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Veteran editorial cartoonist Rob Rogers was fired from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette after 25 years due to clashes with management over work that was critical of President Trump.

Since March, the paper has turned down 19 of Roger’s cartoons whereas they usually only reject a couple per year.

A broader push for less negative Trump coverage in the paper has been linked to John Block, its the paper’s conservative publisher, and to Burris, the editorial director, says the Huffington Post.

Rogers said being silenced and having the opinions on the page silenced is a disservice to readers. But with regards to his job, he said “I’ve had a long and very successful career … and I feel very lucky to have had that, and I’ll be fine.”

But Pittsburgh’s mayor Bill Peduto weighed in. “The move today by the leadership of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to fire Rob Rogers after he drew a series of cartoons critical of President Trump is disappointing, and sends the wrong message about press freedoms in a time when they are under siege,” a statement from his office says.

Anthony Bourdain’s Book Sales Surge

Two days after his death, Anthony Bourdain’s books held six of the top 10 slots on Amazon’s bestseller list.

The updated version of his memoir Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly and the follow-up book Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook were among the leaders.

Autographed copies of those books were selling for over $490 on Ebay, reported the New York Post.

Clinton/ Patterson Novel Sells 250,000 Copies

The President Is Missing, a thriller co-written by former President Bill Clinton and James Patterson, sold 250,000 copies across all formats in the first week. Of that, 152,000 were hardcover book sales, says The Hollywood Reporter.

It’s reportedly the biggest adult fiction debut since 2015’s Go Set a Watchman. And that means it has flown past Steven King’s recently released The Outsider, which was holding the #1 spot.

 

The Authors Guild  Opening Regional Chapters

The Authors Guild plans to open at least 14 regional chapters across the U.S. this year. They will be in metro areas where there are already large concentrations of members, including Washington DC, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

In the coming year, the Guild wants to open additional chapters but plans to include mid-sized cities and smaller communities.

“As we continue to grow nationally, with members spread across the country, it is vital that we give writers opportunities to engage with one another in person at the local level,” executive director Mary Rasenberger says in Publishers Weekly.

Also This Week…

Former MAD editor Nick Meglin died Saturday at age 82. He worked for the magazine for 48 years and is considered a major influence on generations of cartoonists and satirists. He is believed to have died from a heart attack, reported The News & Observer.

Poet Jalal Mansur Nuriddin died at age 74. He is considered the grandfather of rap for his rhythmic, spoken-word verses with the Last Poets, a group that channeled the voice of the Black Power movement into music that paved the way for hip-hop, explains the Washington Post.

Nuriddin is acclaimed both for his solo work, such as Hustler’s Convention and his work with  The Last Poets.

“If rap could be traced to one logical source point, this exceptional piece of vinyl would be it, without question,” critic John Duffy wrote in All Music, reviewing the Last Poets’ 1970 self-titled debut.

Photographer Clemens Kalischer died at age 97. He’s described as a photojournalist and an art photographer. His work was published in books and national publications. They hang in permanent collections and have been featured in countless exhibitions. But he was a life-long freelancer.

In an interview, his daughter said to her dad “freelance” life meant freedom more than the lack of steady pay. He was known as a hard worker, and according to his daughter, “The man never took a vacation. Every trip we took was for work,” reported The Berkshire Eagle.

Now that’s something to think about as you head into the weekend. Isn’t it?

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