Some of the things we most commonly do – re-reading (especially when we skim), highlighting sections of text – actually make things worse. Education researcher Ulrich Boser explains why, and offers some better suggestions, in this Q&A.
Comic-Con To Open Its Own Museum In San Diego
“A 1930s baseball bat, 1950s tennis racquet and 1980s skateboard – all totems of San Diego’s rich sporting history – are being swapped out for comics, movie props and souvenirs of today’s pop culture in a major shift at Balboa Park.”
There Is No Frigate Like A Book, Especially In Times Of Fear Of Immigrants And Refugees
Books are part of the resistance to any repressive regime. “How many times, and in ways that did not seem to require my consent, have I suddenly and in my own bed found myself to be Russian or French or Japanese? How many times have I been a peasant or an aristocrat? How many times have I been a woman? I have been free and without liberty, gay, disabled, old, loved and loathed.”
When Wagner Feuded With Brahms
The older composer essentially told Brahms that the younger composer would be nowhere without him. And, despite the many issues, “Wagner is so ingrained into our classical musical landscape … that it’s impossible to listen to him and not feel a deep sense of familiarity. For all of his snark towards Brahms for ‘making him what he was,’ be it direct or indirect, Wagner did kind of shape classical music in a world beyond Beethoven.”
Which Is The Best ‘I Want’ Song From Disney Musicals?
The “I Want” song is a classic way to reveal character early on in a musical – and almost every great Disney character has “an ode, operetta or full-blown ballad where the main character bursts into song revealing their innermost desires.”
So Much Of What We Know About How We Learn Seems To Be Wrong
“We think of our minds as like computers: Information comes up and then gets filed into various folders. Instead, we need to really engage with material, and discover what connections there are with what we already know. Self-quizzing can help with that, because you’re explaining things to yourself — making that information meaningful.”
Jack Gray, 89, Fought For The Rights Of Writers Of Screenplays
Jack Gray devoted most of his life to protecting the rights of freelance scriptwriters for film, radio and television in this country –a group he believed were the most vulnerable to exploitation in the creative industries. A talented playwright himself in his younger years, he gradually gave up imaginative writing in favour of reports, speeches and policy papers for the cause he passionately believed in.
Want To Maximize Box-Office Income? Make Your Ticket Pricing As Complicated As You Can Get Away With
“This doesn’t mean that prices shouldn’t be presented simply. Your pricing should be ‘swan-like’: serene on the surface, with all the paddling going on underneath to maximise the opportunity for income.” Consultant Tim Baker discusses applying the concept of “marginal gains” to ticket pricing.
‘It’s Not An Attack On The Arts, It’s An Attack On Communities’: Kennicott On The Trump Budget Cuts
“These cuts aren’t about cost savings – they’re far too small to make even a ding in the federal budget. They are carefully calculated attacks on communities, especially those that promote independent thinking and expression, or didn’t line up behind the Trump movement as it swept to power through the electoral college in November. But the president’s proposed budget also includes attacks on communities that did indeed support Trump but that are too powerless to resist.”
Dozens Of Theatres Lobby The Guardian To Reinstate Its Theatre Blog
“More than 40 UK theatres, including the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Sheffield Theatres and the Royal Exchange, have signed a letter to The Guardian calling on it to reinstate Lyn Gardner’s theatre blogs. Gardner is currently contracted to write 150 blogs a year for The Guardian, however these will cease next month to cut costs.”
James Cotton, 81, King Of The Blues Harmonica
Known by his colleagues as “Mr. Superharp” (“mouth harp” is another name for harmonica), Cotton made his instrument integral to the blues, making landmark recordings with Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf before forming his own band, which influenced an entire generation of blues-rock musicians.
Britain’s Leading Theatre Magazine Launches New Awards To Recognize Debuts
“The Stage Debut Awards will recognise actors, writers, directors, designers and composers making their professional theatre debuts in the UK. Nominees will be considered in nine categories, including best director, designer and composer as well as best actress and actor in a play and in a musical. A panel of industry experts will decide the winners in each category. There will also be the opportunity for the public to vote on the award for best West End debut.”
Louise Erdrich, Matthew Desmond Win National Book Critics Circle Awards
“More than 30 years after winning a National Book Critic Circle award for her first novel, Love Medicine, Louise Erdrich has won again. LaRose, the tale of two Ojibwe families linked by tragedy, took the NBCC fiction prize Thursday night in New York.”
New Jersey High School Wins National ‘Courage In Theatre’ Award For Its ‘Ragtime’ (And Raves From New York Pros, Too)
“Musical Theatre International selected [Cherry Hill High School East] ‘for its perseverance and dedication to the arts in the face of adversity,'” for facing down objections to the use of the n-word in Ragtime‘s script. “It was only the third time that the New York-based licensing agency has given the award since it was established in 2007.” There was plenty of praise for the production, too, with several professionals saying it was the best high school production they’d ever seen.
Canada Council Announced New $88 Million Arts Initiative For The Digital World
“It’s clear that the new generation, the generation of digital natives, has expectations of how they relate to any experience or any content or any moment. The arts sector needs to master and take advantage of the digital transformation, as opposed to pretend that we are victims of it.”
A list Of The Many Foreign Musicians Denied Entry Into The US To Perform At SXSW
“So far, this has affected numerous musicians who planned to perform at the festival, with some of their experiences shedding a very unflattering light on the U.S. immigration system. Below are the stories of every band that has, so far, been unable to make it to SXSW due to visa issues.”
The Very Real Tangible Costs Of Eliminating The NEA
“Its grants are bestowed to all 50 states in the nation, in all congressional districts. Forty percent of the NEA’s budget goes directly to states to spend for themselves, with the proviso that they match the funds dollar for dollar via their own arts agencies—encouraging a further investment in the arts at the state level. Just as significantly, 65 percent of the NEA’s direct grants go to small and medium-sized arts groups, keeping the arts alive in rural and underserved communities. It’s here where the agency’s elimination would be most keenly felt, at organizations largely ignored by private donors, but which bring the arts to audiences including veterans and schoolchildren, often in impoverished neighborhoods.”
Trump V. Big Bird? Do You Like Those Odds?
“There is no viable substitute for federal funding that ensures Americans have universal access to public media’s educational and informational programming and services. The elimination of federal funding to CPB would initially devastate and ultimately destroy public media’s role in early childhood education, public safety, connecting citizens to our history, and promoting civil discussions – all for Americans in both rural and urban communities,” said CPB President Patricia Harrison in a statement.
Elimination Of NEA And NEH Is ‘Worst-Case Scenario For Arts Groups’
“The budget plan, which calls for the elimination of four independent cultural agencies – the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting – also would radically reshape the nation’s cultural infrastructure.” Philip Kennicott and Peggy McGlone survey the likely damage.
It’s Official: Proposed Trump Budget Would Cut NEA, NEH And Corporation for Public Broadcasting
It was the first time a president has called for ending the endowments. They were created in 1965 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation declaring that any “advanced civilization” must fully value the arts, the humanities, and cultural activity.