Sam Shepard made stardom look easy — his demons got in the way

Inside: Tracy Morgan's feel-good comedy series; My Morning Jacket revisits "Z"; Salman Rushdie's new book.‍  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­   ADVERTISEMENT November 5, 2025 | View in browser Entertainment Sam Shepard made stardom look easy — his demons got in the way A new biography of Sam Shepard, an EGOT-level talent as a playwright and performer, traces the career he forged after leaving the San Gabriel Valley without fully establishing the power of his work. Read More ADVERTISEMENT 'Crutch,' Tracy Morgan's feel-good comedy series, has a strong cast that lifts familial jokes Tracy Morgan stars in Paramount+'s multicam sitcom, a spin-off of CBS' "The Neighborhood," and plays a widowed father whose empty nest is disrupted by his adult children's return. Read More Latin Grammy voters can now vote for the general Grammys. Will it make a difference? Nearly a third of the new Latin Recording Academy members identify as Hispanic or Latino now, a significant jump from previous years. But will this make a difference in recognizing the most popular Latin music artists as mainstream? Read More ADVERTISEMENT Latin Grammys 2025: Bad Bunny, Fuerza Regida, Karol G to perform The lineup of artists slated to perform at the 2025 Latin Grammy awards on Nov. 13 has added three heavy hitters. Read More After stabbing attack, Salman Rushdie's new stories grapple with mortality and magical realism Salman Rushdie's new story collection, "The Eleventh Hour," explores mortality through five inventive stories blending realism and magic. It's a moving work from a writer embracing his "second-chance life." Read More Keep up with California Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe Now If 'Star Wars: Visions' has you newly hooked on anime, watch these 11 shows (and a movie) next Based on what "Star Wars: Visions" Volume 3 episodes you liked best, here are some anime shows and a movie to check out next. Read More How My Morning Jacket crafted 'Z' into a timeless rock classic that defies nostalgia My Morning Jacket celebrates the 20th anniversary of album "Z" with a deluxe rerelease featuring previously unreleased demos and B-sides. Read More What the steady drumbeat of layoffs means for Hollywood workers Hollywood's workers have endured the pandemic, strikes and production slowdowns in L.A. Now they're up against an onslaught of layoffs throughout the industry. Read More Tori Spelling settles divorce with Dean McDermott, requests spousal and child support Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott are putting their married days behind them. The estranged pair settled their divorce Monday, two years after going their separate ways. Read More ADVERTISEMENT Thank you for reading Entertainment Digest from the Los Angeles Times Sign up for more L.A. Times newsletters. Sign Up You received this email because you opted to receive email communications from L.A. Times. Unsubscribe | Manage marketing email preferences | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell My Personal Information | CA Notice of Collection Advertisers have no control over editorial decisions or content. Place an ad or classified. Copyright © 2025, Los Angeles Times 2300 E. Imperial Highway, El Segundo, CA 9‌0245 1-800-LA-TIMES latimes.com