Vain, Solzhenitsyn was less vain than most dissidents. He had no political deference, but a metaphysical humility had been beaten into him by what he had undergone. Exile was not a “new beginning” for him. He undertook it with dread, and a somewhat unrealistic idea of how tight a link he could maintain to the culture of the old country. – National Review
Tag: 01.10.19
Boogie Fever: The Dance Plagues Of Medieval Europe
A widespread belief of the 15th century held that the bite of a tarantula could only be treated by wild, mad dancing; groups of people would be possessed by a compulsion to dance, and towns would pay musicians to play for the sufferers. (Hence the dance called the tarantella.) “In fact, mass epidemics of dancing have afflicted various parts of Europe since the seventh century, breaking out particularly in times of famine, disease, and political unrest.” — JSTOR Daily
The Renoir Family Had Daddy Issues
“The filmmaker Jean Renoir made a career of dismantling the beliefs of his absentee father, the painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Jean satirized the aristocracy and upended his father’s saccharine scenes of leisure.” — The Paris Review
How Did The Catholic Church Go From Being A Major Patron Of The Arts To… Meh
For centuries, the Catholic Church was one of the world’s most important collectors and patrons of art, but in recent decades, the Vatican’s holiday nativity scene has often been one of its most high-profile artistic contributions. This shift didn’t happen overnight—or even in a generation—but across centuries, and it is inseparable from the evolution of modern European nations, the secularization of public life, and the rise of the art market. – Artsy
Critics Talk About The Pleasures And Pains Of Extremely Bad Reviews
“Who are Extremely Bad Reviews written for? What do they hope to accomplish? Are they spiteful acts of vengeance, or more principled demands for justice? Are outright slams more prevalent now, or more effective now, or both, or neither? The answers change with the medium, and the target, and the reviewer in question.” — The Ringer
How Do You Cast Kids Who Are Supposed To Be Musical Prodigies?
The “School of Rock” features very talented students who can really play their instruments and sing. So just where do you find the talent that can carry the show?
Diversity? Fine. But How Are We Defining It?
Historically, diversity is something America fights, or accepts begrudgingly with remorse and reservations, or fights anew when it challenges economic dominance. In a country born of the original sin of slavery — to keep labor cheap; to ensure high profits for the richest one percent (sound familiar?) — this shouldn’t be surprising. What is surprising is how we keep being surprised. – Clyde Fitch Report
Quit Using ‘Relatable’ As A Criterion To Judge (Women’s) Writing
“The point of this is—women own the things that happen to them, even if these things happened between them and much more powerful or well-known men. Writing about these things does not make women narcissists.” – LitHub
The Taste-Maker Industrial Complex
It used to be that a handful of glossy magazines and fashion houses determined what’s cool. No longer. And perhaps that explains how “streetwear” has taken over and become big business. – BBC
This TV Movie About Brexit Has Been Just About As Contentious As Brexit Itself
“If James Graham has learned one thing from writing his latest political drama, it is this: ‘Brexit sends reasonable people mad,’ he said. ‘You are stepping into an arena where normal rules don’t apply.'” — The New York Times