“As deconstructionist reading started becoming more widespread, disseminated in the United States, a lot of people noticed the similarity—rightly so—between the reading style and New Criticism because of the close reading and the attentiveness to language. That was a major thing that happened that actually influenced the course of English study in the United States for a couple of decades—and, actually, still.” – LitHub
Blog
Why Has Spotify Been Moving So Heavily Into Podcasts?
To corner the audio ad market, of course. But execs insist that the company is not going to be evil: “Having watched how companies like Facebook and Google built up the digital ad ecosystem, Spotify’s Jay Richman, who heads the company’s ads business and platform, says the streamer is determined not to focus on scale over quality.” – Axios
How The COVID Relief Money Will Help Performing Arts Venues
“Under the federal plan venue operators, promoters, music managers and talent agencies can apply for non-repayable, two-part grants that cover as much 45% of a venue’s 2019 revenue, capped at $10 million in the first round, followed by a supplemental grant in spring 2021 valued at 50% of the original grant. To qualify, applicants must have been in business on Feb. 29, 2020, and show 2020 revenues decreased by at least 25% on a quarterly basis compared to 2019. Venues will be able to begin applying for the funds in the coming days with priority given to venues that faced 70–90% revenue losses in 2020.” – Billboard
Violinist Ivry Gitlis, 98
Born in mandate-era Palestine in 1922, he started playing violin at 6, entered the Paris Conservatory at 11 and won the school’s top prize at 13, and toured the world as a soloist into his 90s. (He also had a small sideline in movie acting.) – France 24 (AFP)
Colosseum In Rome To Get Retractable Floor, Just Like It Had Originally
Well, this new one will probably be higher-tech, but yes, the Italian government has requested bids to construct a retractable floor along the lines of the one the ancient venue had until about 1,000 years ago. Plans are for construction to start in 2021 and be completed in 2023, after which concerts and theater will be performed there. – Artnet
Composer ‘Blue’ Gene Tyranny Dead At 75
Born Joseph Gantic, raised as Robert Sheff, and having acquired the name he was known by during a brief period as a member of Iggy Pop’s band, he performed Charles Ives and John Cage while still in high school, worked with Robert Ashley and Laurie Anderson, and made a career composing and performing music that, as Steve Smith puts it, “deftly balanced conceptual rigor with breezy pop sounds.” – The New York Times
Leaked Texts Show How Sackler Family Counted On Museum Philanthropy To Save Their Skins In Opioid Crisis
“For years, as an opioid crisis ravaged America, the Sackler family, which founded Purdue Pharma, the company that made OxyContin, remained largely out of the public eye, free to accumulate billions of dollars of wealth in tranquility. But in recent years, the walls began to close in, as the press and regulators and lawyers and state attorneys general began to investigate Purdue’s role in the epidemic. And as pressure rose, to whom did the Sacklers turn to vouch for them? The museums that had taken their philanthropy.” – The.Ink
Village Voice To Be Revived By New Owner
“Brian Calle, the chief executive of Street Media, the owner of LA Weekly, said on Tuesday that he had acquired the publication from its publisher, Peter D. Barbey. … [Calle] added that he planned to restart The Voice‘s website in January and would publish a ‘comeback’ print edition early next year, with quarterly print issues to follow.” – The New York Times
Upright Citizens Brigade Closes Yet Another Theater
“Almost exactly eight months after the closure of their [last remaining] New York venue and improv training center, the Upright Citizens Brigade has announced the end of their Sunset Theater in Los Angeles.” The company’s four founders (Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, Matt Besser, and Matt Walsh) said in their Twitter announcement, “We have been unable to make mortgage payments during this extended shutdown.” – Vulture
Broadway Star Rebecca Luker Dead Of ALS At 59
An operatically trained soprano whose clear and youthful voice was a natural for such roles as Maria in The Sound of Music and Christine in The Phantom of the Opera (which she understudied and which became her first lead role on Broadway), she was a three-time Tony nominee, for work in Show Boat, The Music Man, and Mary Poppins. Her last Broadway appearance was as Alison’s mother in Fun Home in 2016, and she worked until late last year before announcing her ALS diagnosis this past February. – Playbill