"I think what happens in virtual worlds can, in principle, be very significant. You can build a meaningful life in a virtual world. We can get into deep social and political discussions and decisions about the shape of society in a virtual world." - The New York Times
He spoke and wrote of African civilizations as infinitely varied ethical, philosophical and aesthetic systems. To grasp their complexity and sophistication, he said, required a “guerrilla scholarship” that combined art history, anthropology, dance history, religious studies, sociology and ethnomusicology. - The New York Times
Rather than face the unenviable task of enticing post-pandemic audiences to a substandard hall, Lincoln Center and the Philharmonic will unveil an eagerly awaited, transformed venue almost two years early. - Architectural Record
The pandemic hit dancers hard. The president of a new dance network: "We all feel the rhythm in our hearts and we move, and so that's what we stand to do and that belief, that need existed long before the pandemic ... and it will exist long afterwards." - KLCC (Oregon)
Sorry to the Sudoku fans (not that it hurts to do Sudoku, or crosswords, for that matter) - but what makes people smarter is working on problems together. - Slate
The statue, in Bristol, was of a man who made the area rich through the triangle trade - "which kidnapped Africans and transported them to the Americas as slaves, then shipped the cotton and sugar they produced there to Britain to fuel the industrial revolution.' - The Guardian (UK)
No one really knows. "I have many ideas for how we might improve democracy in the United States, but it is genuinely difficult for me to envision the path from A to B, from the status quo ... to something more equal and inclusive." - The New York Times
The absolute worst time to win, perhaps, but Michael R. Jackson's Strange Loop somehow persisted through every theatre in the world being dark and every potential audience member on lockdown. - NPR
Vincente Fernández was a "debonair Mexican crooner with the buttery baritone whose romantic rancheras and timeless folk anthems defined the grit and romance of his turbulent homeland and elevated him to a cultural icon for generations of fans throughout Latin America and beyond." - Los Angeles Times
The venue "has postponed its ballet season premiere after a coronavirus outbreak in its ranks, just days after the famed Milan theater staged its high-profile opera season opener with a full-capacity audience." - Voice of America News (AP)
At least, live pop music is seeing its attendance take another dive; some artists estimate that as many as 40 percent of those who have tickets aren't showing up at venues. - The Observer (UK)
Indeed, the Spanish "obscures the fact that the entire film and its depiction of Puerto Rican communities are still inherently mediated through the story’s original white male creators, and now, through the film’s white director, white screenwriter, white cinematographer, and mostly white producers." - Slate
Why are they still here? "Hollywood as a whole called on the HFPA to exit stage left, take a beat and come back stronger (and more diverse, more legitimate) in 2023. But, alas, Monday is happening." - Washington Post
Mary's final letter was to her cousin Henry III of France. "An international team of researchers have found that Mary used a delicate folding process to seal the letter, ensuring that any tampering would be immediately obvious to its recipient." - The Guardian (UK)
