‘Yes, Chef,’ a Memoir by Marcus Samuelsson

A Life Spent In Sugar And Spice

“Yes, Chef,” which was written with Veronica Chambers, chalks in the details of Mr. Samuelsson’s story with modesty and tact. What lifts this book beyond being merely the plainly told story of an interesting life is Mr. Samuelsson’s filigreed yet often pointed observations about why so few black chefs have risen to the top of the culinary world.

“A hundred years ago,” he says, “black men and women had to fight to get out of the kitchen. These days, we have to fight to get in.” READ MORE

Exposing the Hilarity of Gay Parenting

We wanted to hear more about the good, the bad and the funny of being an LGBT parent, so today, we’ve called upon Dan Bucatinsky. He and his husband are the dads of two, a seven-year-old daughter and a four-year-old son. His new book is “Does This Baby Make Me Look Straight? Confessions of a Gay Dad.” He’s also written and produced shows for HBO, Showtime and NBC.

We’re also joined today by Marcus Mabry. You probably know that name if you are a regular reader of the New York Times. He is editor-at-large for the New York Times based in London and he and his partner are the dads of two-year-old twins.

Welcome to you both. Happy belated Father’s Day to you both, by the way. READ MORE + AUDIO

Louis C.K. Spars with Jay Leno, Announces New Tour on The ‘Tonight’ Show (Video)

During an appearance Monday on The Tonight Show — his second stop on NBC that day as [Louis C.K.] continues to ramp up promotion for the third season of his hit FX surreal sitcom Louie – the comedy star fretted over his status as a straight male. Having once dedicated a part of his live show to the benefits of being a white male (“I’m not saying that white people are better, I’m saying that being white is clearly better,” he said in his Chewed Up special), he fretted Monday over what he says is his inability to snuggle in a male friend’s armpit, tell friends he misses them and call things wonderful, among other things. READ MORE + VIDEO

How to Manage Clever People

Artists, designers, and programmers are different, difficult, and–depending on your strategy–delightful.

Great talent is special and you should respect it. There’s a popular belief that creativity is inherently childlike, that creative people are infants who need to “learn” and not be spoiled. This is wrong. Trying to fit superstars into a box is counter-productive, perverse, and doomed. But don’t go to the other extreme and treat these individuals as though they’re made of glass. They’re tough–maybe tougher than you are–and know their worth. What they most want is respect.

Creatives aren’t interested in rules for their own sake and may be highly driven to break them. READ MORE

LL Cool J Debuts My Connect Studio, Announces ‘Authentic Hip-Hop’ Album

Rapper LL Cool J is on a mission to bring the creation of music to the next level.

The multi-platinum hip-hop veteran, who has released 12 studio albums, hosted the 54th Annual Grammy Awards earlier this year and has a recurring role on the CBS crime drama “NCIS: Los Angeles,” recently announced the launch of his new virtual studio recording software, My Connect Studio. READ MORE