“The media has long had its struggles with the truth–that’s nothing new. What is new is that we’re barely even apologizing for increasingly considering the truth optional. In fact, the mistakes, and the falsehoods, and the hoaxes are a big part of a business plan driven by the belief that big traffic absolves all sins, that success is a primary virtue.”
The Virgin Mary, Feminist
“Mother of God, become a feminist!” sang Pussy Riot in the protest that made them world-famous. But “is it just a crazy oxymoron to imagine the Virgin Mary, to whom a very large proportion of traditional Christian ritual and prayer is addressed, as a feminist heroine?”
The Art Dealer With Deep Nazi Ties
“Gurlitt, the ‘art dealer to the Führer,’ reinvented himself: as a victim of the Nazis, a man who had saved precious artworks from destruction and someone who had never done anything malicious.”
No Excuses – Fix The West End’s Theatres!
Lyn Gardner: “It was once said that it would be impossible to modernise football grounds but that has happened, in some cases through updating and in some instances through re-building. Like football, West End theatre is a business, and one that last year posted record revenues.”
How The Romans Celebrated The Holidays
“The Romans celebrated the winter festival of Sigillaria on 23rd of December, part of their Saturnalia festivities. Just like on Christmas Day, Sigillaria saw presents exchanged. So how does Sigillaria compare to a modern day Christmas? And can we say that the Roman’s invented Christmas?”
Legendary Detroit Jazz Saxophonist Yusef Lateef, 93
“He gained notoriety as early as the 1950s in Detroit for his prescient experiments with what would come to be known as “world music,” grafting exotic instruments like the Egyptian arghul and the melodic contours and rhythms of Africa and the Middle and Far East onto the trunk of hard-swinging modern jazz.”
How The Civil War Helped Create Christmas American-Style
“Northerners and southerners, civilians and soldiers alike attempted to recreate in it the peace and well-being that eluded the nation.”
American Imprisoned In Dubai For Parody Video
“The video in question is a 19-minute short that pokes fun at a clique of Dubai teens who are influenced by hip-hop culture.”
Spike Jonze’s Abandonment Issues
“He keeps making movies in which extremely needy people get what they are seeking (a ghost orchid, an escape from mom, fifteen minutes inside John Malkovich, an O.S. for a girlfriend) but can’t keep it.”
ENO’s Income Up 12%
“Increased performances and audience numbers together with a 71% increase in income from sponsorship and donations gave English National Opera a 12% boost in total income to just over £40 million in the year to the end of March.”
Dallas’s New Arts Center Is In The Black, But …
“Officials for the AT&T Performing Arts Center announced Monday that they finished in the black for a second consecutive year,” after an opening year that saw a $3.3 million deficit. But there’s the matter of the capital campaign.
Orlando Ballet Gets Third Exec In Three Years
“The Orlando Ballet has chosen its third executive director in three years. Ron Legler, president of Florida Theatrical Association and owner of downtown nightclub The Abbey, will be the ballet’s interim leader.”
A 21st-Century Star of Ancient Sanskrit Theater
“Not many women in India choose a Sanskrit theatre that’s more than 2,000 years old as their profession. But Margi Sathi not only picked koodiyattam, she also contributed immensely to the evolution of a strong feminine narrative of the ancient art form, while resuscitating nangiarkoothu, a women-only offshoot that dates back to the 10th century.”
Who’s The King Of English Country-House Opera?
The Glyndebourne Festival has long been the standard-bearer, but a couple of relative upstarts may be eclipsing it.
Plants May Be Much Smarter Than We Thought
Michael Pollan writes about the new – and controversial – study of plant neurobiology. (Does this mean I should feel guilty about pruning?)
How to Do Contemporary Dance
“Look no further than this instructional video by Contemporary Eric, which carefully demonstrates the 15 foundational steps of the genre,” such as the “Zombie With Emotion” and the “Why Is Your Head in My Hand?”
Today’s Top AJBlog posts 12/23/13
Detroit Diatribe: My NPR Commentary Tomorrow on the Art Institute’s Predicament
Source: Culturegrrl | Published on 2013-12-24
French music director quits after one term
Source: Slipped Disc | Published on 2013-12-23
TT: Ten books that have stayed with me
Source: About Last Night | Published on 2013-12-23
Source: About Last Night | Published on 2013-12-23
New York New Super-Towers – Time To Rethink The Skyline?
“The buildings are stirring some populist fury and prompting an argument: Do we need more public oversight when it comes to the city’s stratospheric architecture? Are we selling off our skyline to the plutocrats? Or are those who occupy these spaces serving up much needed tax revenue to the city?”
How Syria’s Government Is Using Facebook As A Weapon Against Its People
“For the last two years cyberwarriors loyal to Bashar al-Assad have made cyberspace a second front in the Syrian conflict. For nearly as long, Marquis-Boire and his colleagues Eva Galperin and John Scott-Railton have been tracking and analyzing the arsenal of computer malware used against the Syrian opposition, journalists and NGOs.”
How “A Christmas Story” Became A Cult Film Classic
“It is a curious cinematic evolution, one that speaks to how a relatively low-budget movie consumed with the simplest things from a 1940s life can have lasting appeal.”
Anthony Radich: We Need To Reinvent State Arts Agencies
“The largely grantmaking-driven state arts agencies simply are not structured to excel in today’s environment. This is primarily the case because the grantmaking function in the states as currently practiced requires an ever-expanding flow of funds to operate successfully in the long term.”
One Member Of Pussy Riot Released Early In Russia
“Tolokonnikova’s father Andrei told Reuters on Thursday that the planned release of the band members was clearly a public-relations move ahead of the Olympics.”
The Mafia And The Mystery Of The Stolen ‘Nativity’
“Stolen works of art pay for drugs and arms. The turnover in stolen art is second to the turnover from drugs.”