“You might think you remember your 3rd birthday party when what you really remember are the pictures, or you might believe you have a very vivid memory from elementary school that in reality happened to your brother. Or, you might even be lifting your memories from the books and movies you loved as a child.”
The Rubber Duckie Must Be Stopped
“How so many cities became ensorcelled by a gimmicky bath toy is really beside the point. Rubber Duck sends an infantilizing message about the role of public art in cities.”
Egypt’s So-You-Think-You-Can-Belly-Dance Competition Show Cancelled After One Episode
“Egypt’s Dar el-Ifta, a wing of the justice ministry that issues non-binding religious edicts, said Al-Raqisa would destroy the moral structure of the country. Shortly after, producers of the show – hosted by Egypt’s pre-eminent belly-dancing star, Dina – voluntarily announced its suspension.”
Changing The Architecture Of Berlin’s Nightlife
“The plans foresee a technology center for start-ups, a student dormitory, a shopping village, a market, a trail along the river bank, warehouse space for music studios and workshops, a restaurant, a nightclub, a hotel, a fish farm, a gardening area and, given that everyone is getting a little older, a daycare center.”
When Some Tweaks To The AP History Exam Led To Serious Flipping Out (& Not By History Teachers)
“Most of the rest of the world shrugged. But conservatives noticed, and they were furious. The framework, resolved the Republican National Committee, is a ‘radically revisionist view of American history that emphasizes negative aspects of our nation’s history while omitting or minimizing positive aspects.'”
This Is Pretty Much Ballerina (And Viral Under Armour Commercial Star) Misty Copeland’s Year [VIDEO]
“Typically people don’t see African-American women as ballerinas because they don’t think that we’re soft and feminine and sylph-like. They see us as very powerful and aggressive.”
Should Writers Actually Get Paid To Read?
“The benefit of taking time off to recharge batteries and catch up on culture should be a no-brainer – we don’t want artists to exist in a cultural vacuum.”
The Louvre’s Re-Revamp (For The 21st Century)
“Even rewriting the labels is a Herculean task; the institution has around 38,000 of them. The project is ‘likely to take decades,’ he says.”
How To Become America’s Favorite Dancer
“Produced by TV geniuses who are also perhaps sadists, the rigorous celebration of dance might be the most demanding talent competition out there, requiring its contestants to leap, pirouette, cha-cha-cha, and toss their dance partners in the air with unrelenting frequency over the course of its summer run each year.”
Don’t Expect The (Dragged-Out) Amazon/Publisher Feud To Go Away Anytime Soon
“Amazon is willing to upset some customers and authors as it pursues a long-term strategy for books.”
Public Artists Fought The Law, And The Law (Almost Always) Won
“Across the country, a growing body of legal decisions and local rulings are coming out against the artist, particularly in the case of public art. And when the artist loses, the works—some of them long-standing, beautiful or neighborhood favorites—are often removed immediately or destroyed.”
When A Famous Actor Wants To Adapt Your Book As A Passion Project
“If it did turn out to be rubbish, I wouldn’t have had anything to do with it. But if it were great I could take some of the credit.”
What Motivates Street Performers When Everything Seems Set Against Them
“Though he has a license from the city, he’s received tickets for using public property for storage after putting down his spare clarinet on a sidewalk while he played, and for ‘super noise’ while playing his clarinet without an amp on Michigan Avenue. On multiple occasions he has been to court, where judges throw out the case every time.”
Want To Make Someone Feel Happy? Praise Them Many, Many Times For Each Criticism
“If you have just finished nagging your partner over housework, be sure to praise him five times very soon. Couples who went on to get divorced had four negative comments to three positive ones. Sickeningly harmonious couples displayed a ratio of about 20:1.”
Margaret Atwood’s New Work Won’t Be Published For 100 Years
“Every year until 2114, one writer will be invited to contribute a new text to the collection, and in 2114, the trees will be cut down to provide the paper for the texts to be printed – and, finally, read.”
Chicago Symphony’s New President Has Big Shoes To Fill
“Once [Jeff] Alexander takes command, he will have his work cut out for him.” Deborah Rutter really is a tough act to follow. But, writes John von Rhein, though Alexander hasn’t (yet) been as high-profile as, say, Rutter or Deborah Borda or Alison Vulgamore, he has plenty of experience that will stand him in good stead.
Joan Rivers, 81 (Kids, She Was So Much More Than The Fashion Police)
You young’uns who only know her for getting facelifts and yanking the chains of celebrities on the red carpet before awards shows: by the time she was your age, she was already a thriving stand-up and one of the best comedy writers in the business – and for a time in the 1970s and ’80s, she was one of the three or four most successful comedians in the entire English-speaking world.
Show Business Was Cruel To Joan Rivers, And She Was Cruel Right Back
“For her whole career, Rivers has been self-consciously pushing boundaries. In recent years she’s often spectacularly pushed the wrong ones, but we shouldn’t forget that, at one time, she was pushing the right ones – and doing it virtually alone.”
The Brilliant Cellist Embracing The Devil’s Music
“Today on The Gist, cellist Maya Beiser tells us how her rebellious streak led her out of the classical concert hall and into the arms of classic rock.” (podcast)
Sleep-Deprived People Have Shrinking Brains (Uh-Oh)
“If you have ever felt markedly stupider after a long period of sleep deprivation, a new study may hint at a reason. Years of sleep difficulties seem to be associated with a brain that shrinks in size over time, according to a new paper published online today in Neurology.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 09.04.14
Is It Time To Break Up Overcrowded Museums?
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts | Published 2014-09-05
Universal mother
AJBlog: Performance Monkey | Published 2014-09-04
So you want to see a show?
AJBlog: About Last Night | Published 2014-09-04
James Ellroy: The Demon Dog is Back
AJBlog: CultureCrash | Published 2014-09-05
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Toronto Film Festival Rule Change Has Filmmakers Seething
“TIFF’s move has cast a shadow over the fall festival season, prompting anxiety among distributors who feel they need as much critical attention for their films as they can get, while offering a rare glimpse at the sharp elbows and gritted teeth behind the red carpet smiles.”
Venerable Newspaper Uses Comic Sans Font On Front Page (Shaming Ensues)
“A decision by the Sydney Morning Herald to use the much-maligned font Comic Sans on its front page has made it the focus of much attention, and ridicule, on social media.”
Planned Ground Zero Arts Center Drops Frank Gehry Design
But nobody told Gehry – who, when notified by a reporter, said of the center’s CEO, “She says I build models. She doesn’t have a clue as to what I do or how I do it. It’s fine. It’s a new group. They should do what they want. I don’t want to go where I’m not wanted.”
Homer Simpson Is Thomas Pynchon’s Role Model
He said so himself, in notes he made on a Simpsons script to which he (yes!) contributed: “Sorry, guys. Homer’s my role model and I refuse to speak ill of him.” (includes image of script)