A Chicken in Every Pot and a Play in Every Garage: A federal tax bill with a footnote to specifically help live theaters just passed the Senate Finance Committee and is receiving vocal support from Neil Patrick Harris, Bryan Cranston and Tyne Daly. Take it away, Associated Press:

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer's proposal would allow 100 percent of any live theater investment to be deducted up to $15 million per production, whether the eventual show is a hit or a flop, a benefit that is currently being granted to film and TV projects...

Schumer said the change would create "thousands and thousands" more jobs for actors and backstage workers, and produce more shows nationwide, giving a shot in the arm to the hotel, restaurant and taxi industries. He noted that other countries also grant live theater similar breaks.

This, obviously, is good news—though it's a little pathetic to have to celebrate the fact that live theater is going to be put on some equal tax-break footing with TV and film. (I'm guessing the only reason live theater doesn't already have these kinds of tax breaks is that it can't afford high-caliber lobbyists.) But thank god for small favors and all that. The House could vote on the bill as early as next summer.

Peter Matthiessen: The excellent writer died over the weekend. The best post about his passing came from The Paris Review, which Matthiessen helped found:

He lived a life of adventure but was, even in public, the first to admit his vulnerabilities and flaws. As a writer, he held himself to the highest standards—his own—even in the face of incomprehension or disregard.

If you're looking for Matthiessen books to try out, give The Snow Leopard a shot for non-fiction, and try At Play in the Fields of the Lord if fiction's your bag.

GIFs Are Art, Dammit: Seattlish published a lovely set of animated GIFs by local animators Stefan Gruber, Neely Goniodsky, Clyde Petersen, and Otto Bullut.

For Once, Just Being Nominated Really Is an Honor: According to The Bookseller, "Debut novelists Eimear McBride, Audrey Magee and Hannah Kent join Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Donna Tartt and Jhumpa Lahiri on the shortlist for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction." Adichie, Tartt and Lahiri are all heavy-hitters; if you're looking for young authors to keep an eye on, you might want to check out the first three names on that list.