“Part of trying to get on quietly and diplomatically in life and not clash with people is keeping up the pretence that fuckwits don’t walk among us in the world, but sometimes you just have to face up to the reality of the situation: Fuckwits do walk among us in the world.” - The Villager
“Making queer-themed work in a country like Georgia is a perilous affair,” the writer-director says. “For And Then We Dance, his production had to lie about the plot in order to secure locations. … When details got out, the crew received death threats.” - Los Angeles Times (MSN)
"His understated comedy routines that emphasized the absurdities of ordinary life made him a national sensation. (He) became the first comedian with a No. 1 record and the star of two long-running sitcoms (and is) regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern comedy." - The Washington Post (MSN)
Beyond particular items in its collections, is the universal museum itself a product of colonialism that expresses an implicit belief in the superiority of Western culture over Indigenous cultures in the areas the West came to control in the age of imperialism? - The New Republic
"For much of its history, the Western sports novel had been the stuff of inspirational boys’ tales, full of moral instruction and can’t-lose heroes. … But the twenty-first century, and specifically the past decade, have served as an even richer terrain for the literature of athletics." - Esquire
Cutting Ball Theater plans to cease operations at the end of 2024. In its 25 years, Cutting Ball has mounted a Strindberg marathon, a staged documentary about its Tenderloin neighbors, Gertrude Stein and Suzan Lori-Parks on the same bill, and … classics audiences couldn’t see anywhere else. - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
"A funny thing happened when I got to the end of all that eating: I realized I wasn’t hungry. I’m still not, at least not the way I used to be. And so … I’ve decided to bow out as gracefully as my state of technical obesity will allow." - The New York Times
"The new programme, called Refúgiate en la cultura (Take Shelter in Culture), offers free flamenco shows – in the Prado, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen-Bornemisza museums, and the Royal Collections Gallery – as well as free comic monologues in libraries and discounted cinema tickets for screenings before 5pm." - The Guardian
Its iconic crown and fabulous Art Deco lobby are still handsome — if you don't look closely. As the 94-year-old landmark's ownership keeps changing and its value keeps falling, maintenance has been seriously neglected. Not surprisingly, companies don't want to rent office space there. - The New York Times
But seriously: “Sophisticated imaging technology has helped reveal that dance’s multifaceted demands engage the mind as intensively as the body; that dance can root our minds more firmly in our physical selves; and that dancing together can help us relate to each other.” - The New York Times
“In its heyday, the Barton Opus was able to recreate the sounds of many instruments, including strings, flutes and tubas. ... It also contained real percussion instruments such as a piano, xylophone, glockenspiel, cymbals and drums and could produce sound effects including steamboat and bird whistles.” - AP
“The problem of visas for visiting artists has become almost as much part of festival season as festivals themselves. … There is also an unpalatable whiff of profiteering, with analysis showing that the UK last year raised £44m in fees for visa applications that were rejected.” - The Guardian (UK)
In 1993 — not long after Munro's daughter Andrea told her mother of the abuse and Munro chose to stay with her husband — the author published in The New Yorker a story titled "Vandals." Laura Miller analyzes the tale and finds a likely explanation (though not a justification) of Munro's choice. - Slate (MSN)
His departure comes as the orchestra’s musicians and the administration are in the midst of heated talks over a new labor contract; the current agreement expires in September. The musicians have been seeking large wage increases. - The New York Times
"Film isn’t reality, no matter how it’s shot. … I guess people are so afraid of being tricked or manipulated that they feel if they impose a set of rules, somehow they don’t have to be afraid anymore. I would like to assure them that they still need to be afraid." - Nieman Lab
Kirsha Kaechele, the artist-curator behind the "Ladies Lounge" installation at the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), said she painted the faux-Picassos specifically for this project ("to match the color scheme") and has been waiting for weeks for someone to figure that out. - The Guardian
Michael Andor Brodeur, whose day job is classical music critic for The Washington Post, was relieved when informed he would not be recording the audiobook of his memoir/cultural history Swole: The Making of Men and the Meaning of Muscle. Then he had to choose who would. - The Washington Post (MSN)
The project will include traffic-calming measures, new street fixtures and lots of lush plantings. The goal: "To get more people excited about South Broad (Street) and to attract more economic development … to give people a reason to come down and visit." - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
"Created by Austrian artist Esther Strauß, Crowning drew intense ire from some conservative Christians who viewed the work as ‘blasphemous’ and ‘scandalous’ before an unknown party took matters into their own hands and sawed off Mary’s head.” - Hyperallergic
