Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Names and faces
▪ Sharon Osbourne recently tested positive for covid- 19 and was briefly hospitalized, the TV host announced in an Instagram post Mo n d ay night. “I’m now recuperating at a location away from Ozzy (who has tested negative) while ‘The Talk’ is on scheduled hiatus,” she wrote, referring to husband Ozzy Osbourne. “Everyone please stay safe and healthy.” Osbourne, 68, is the second panelist on “The Talk” to announce a positive coronavirus test in recent days. Carrie Ann Inaba said last week that she was battling the virus and experienced a fever, cough and aches. “I have been in a very safe environment following all the guidelines and safety protocols and it still found its way to me,” Inaba wrote in her Instagram announcement at the time. “So, this is a friendly reminder to be extra careful this holiday season. Wear your masks, socially and physically keep your distance, and wash your hands. Take care everyone. And I’ll keep you updated on my journey.” “The Talk” is scheduled to return from its previously scheduled break Jan. 4, according to People. It aired its final new episode of the year last Thursday.
▪ A decade after publishing his memoir “Decoded,” Jay- Z is forming a more lasting partnership with the book industry.
Roc Nation, the entertainment company founded by the rapper, is starting an imprint with Random House called Roc Lit 101. In a joint announcement Tuesday, Random House and Roc Nation promised “books at the dynamic intersection of entertainment and genre-defying literature.” Among the initial releases for next summer: “Till the End,” a memoir by the retired pitching star CC Sabathia; and music journalist Danyel Smith’s “Shine Bright,” a story of Black women in music that combines memoir, criticism and biography. Future releases will include a book by Meek Mill on “criminal justice and survival,” memoirs by rappers Yo Gotti and Fat Joe and fantasy fiction from rapper Lil Uzi Vert, along with everything from cookbooks to children’s stories. Roc Lit 101 will be led by Chris Jackson, the publisher and editor-in-chief of the Random House imprint One World and a recent recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the Center for Fiction; and Jana Fleishman, executive vice president of Roc Nation. Fleishman said in a statement that “There are so many untold stories and we consider it a true privilege to be able to amplify diverse voices while exploring the uncharted worlds that are about to open to us.”