Author: Matthew Westphal

“Nothing Left to Lose” — My First Orchestra Job, etc.

Harvey Lichtenstein took me out to lunch and informed me that the Brooklyn Philharmonic had lost over two-thirds of its subscribers in two years. Would I be interested in taking over? I said yes, provided I could do what I wanted. And what is it you want? Harvey asked. Cross-disciplinary festival programming, I replied. Harvey said OK – he had nothing left to lose. – Joseph Horowitz

The Little Piece Of Papyrus That Rewrote The History Of Christianity (Until It Didn’t)

Dr. Karen Leigh King had become a very rare thing: a theology professor whose speaking engagements could sell out a venue. Her work on the Gnostic Gospels, in particular a fragmentary Coptic manuscript called the Gospel of Mary (referring to Mary Magdalene), had brought to light the real possibility that women could real influence and authority in the earliest centuries of Christianity. Then, in 2010, she received an email with the subject line “Coptic gnostic gospels in my collection” … – Literary Hub

A Day In The Life Of India’s Dance Village, Still A Haven From Coronavirus

“‘We have been living our lives exactly as if nothing has happened,’ [said] Surupa Sen, Nrityagram’s artistic director of 23 years. … [The village] continues to be what it always has been, but more so: a dance haven, self-contained and single-minded in its focus, at a remove from a chaotic and sometimes frightening world. … For this piece, we asked the dancers to document their day, from dawn to dusk, capturing moments and places with disposable cameras.” – The New York Times

Are Societies With Gendered Languages Really More Sexist?

With respect to grammatical gender, there are three kinds of languages: gendered (e.g., Spanish, Arabic), where virtually all nouns are designated masculine, feminine, or, in some cases, neuter; genderless (e.g., Chinese, Turkish), with no grammatical or lexical distinction between male and female; or “natural gender” (e.g., English, Swedish), where only people and animals who possess a biological gender get gendered nouns and pronouns. Do speakers of gendered and genderless languages tend to see the world differently? Do their countries differ in gender (in)equality? Nayantara Dutta looks at some research. – BBC

A Deacquisition Binge At American Museums?

“During the height of lockdown in April, the Association of Art Museum Directors … loosened its guidelines on how members could use the proceeds of art sold from their collections. Now, … museums in the United States are likely to make more than $100 million through the sale of art this fall, according to an analysis by Artnet News. Some welcome this result as a sign that institutions are taking practical steps to change systems that were long considered intractable; others say it is a troubling indication that museums are taking the easy way out and turning their collections into cash machines.” – Artnet

Netflix Indicted By Rural Texas Grand Jury For ‘Cuties’

“The court filing [in Tyler County] claims Netflix knowingly promoted work that ‘depicts the lewd exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child … which appeals to the prurient interest in sex.'” The French film, which contains no nudity but shows some very suggestive dance moves which have attracted controversy, is about an 11-year-old Senegalese immigrant who joins a teen dance team. – The Texas Tribune

Second City Has Put Itself Up For Sale

The announcement comes toward the end of a difficult year for (arguably) the world’s most famous improv comedy institution: in addition to the crippling effect of the COVID-19 epidemic (which saw two-thirds of the company’s staff laid off), The Second City has been shaken by accusations of institutionalized racial discrimination which saw co-owner and executive producer Andrew Alexander resign in June. – Variety

Ancient Villa With Mosaics Unearthed Under Apartment Block In Rome

“The remains of the series of ornately decorated rooms were discovered when engineers were carrying out the earthquake-proofing of the 1950s residential building in 2014. Archaeologists were called in to undertake €3 million excavations funded by BNP Paribas Real Estate, the company that owns the apartment block. The archaeologists found a complex of lavish rooms with black and white mosaic flooring. The site will soon be accessible to the public as a subterranean museum.” – Forbes