Tolkan, known for portraying authoritarian figures, died ‘peacefully’ in Lake Placid, New York, his agent said James Tolkan, known for his roles as an authoritarian figure in the Back to the Future and Top Gun films, has died. He was 94. Tolkan died Thursday in Lake Placid, New York, where he lived, his booking agent, John Alcantar, said Saturday. A brief obituary published on the Back to the Future website said Tolkan died “peacefully”, but no cause of death was given. Continue reading...

Whether or not you’ve fallen for this cheesy white-bean tomato bake, we’d like you to meet its bolder counterpart, smoky and spiced, with lots of melty cheese Black beans shine in a deep-red mixture of fried garlic, caramelized tomato paste, smoked paprika and cumin The whole skillet gets coated in a generous sprinkling of sharp Cheddar or Manchego cheese, then baked until melted

The author of “Babel” and “Yellowface” is drawn to stories of striving. Her new fantasy novel, “Katabasis,” asks if graduate school is a kind of hell.