Cinerama to Renovate, Again? The investment company, Vulcan, owned by our city's prince, Paul Allen, announced today that its palace to the art of moving pictures, Cinerama, will be closed starting on August 4th "for some exciting renovations." Their plan, we are told, is to reopen "later this year." However, the details of this curious project have yet to be communicated to the public.

Hugo House Announces Lit Series Lineup: Mona Simpson, Dorothea Lasky, Dean Young, Sheila Heti, and Jess Walter will be taking part in the Hugo House's 2014-15 literary series. The lit series, if you don't know, brings three authors and a musical act together to produce new work on a theme. This year's musical acts include the Drop Shadows and poet Ed Skoog, and themes include "The Parent Trap" and "Rough Day." This series represents the debut of novelist Peter Mountford as Hugo House's new event curator; looks like he's off to a great start.

Israeli Hip Hop Opera Cancelled at Edinburgh Fringe Festival Due to Gaza Protests: Because the Incubator Theatre receives money from the Israeli government, Scottish demonstrators targeted its production The City, which was scheduled to run at the Edinburgh festival. "The logistics of policing and stewarding the protest around The Reid Hall—and the effect of the disturbance on Underbelly and other venues' other shows—make it untenable for the show to continue," said a theater spokesperson. On one hand, it's too bad—the Incubator Theatre is just trying to do a show. On the other hand, blood is blood and death is more urgent than a curtain call.

Phonies: The recent publication of three uncollected J.D. Salinger stories is "unfortunate."

Hijuelos Rides Again: A new Oscar Hijuelos novel will be published posthumously. It sounds interesting:

The book, an intensively researched 859-page historical novel about the friendship between Mark Twain and the Welsh explorer Henry Morton Stanley, was a departure for Mr. Hijuelos, who is best known for chronicling the lives of immigrants.

The Slow Demise of Movies Filmed on Film: How Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, Judd Apatow, and JJ Abrams teamed up to save film from extinction...for now.

Bad News for John Spider-Man Smith: A woman's passport renewal was refused because her newly adopted middle name, "Skywalker," amounts to copyright infringement, the BBC reports.

Speaking of Copyrights... A new lawsuit is trying to free the song "Happy Birthday" from the clutches of Warner/Chappell Music, which collects royalties every time "Happy Birthday" is used in media.

Very Important Pot Poll: Now that pot is legal in Seattle, we’re finding it strewn around the sidewalk on our way to work.