Photography has long played a crucial role in how we shape the narrative of our lives. Milestones are documented, creating an archive that can be looked back on for years to come. But the value of facilitated photographs—whether a carnival’s fake backdrop of Niagara Falls or giant stilettos at the Happy Place—are a bit more difficult to parse. The photos are blatantly staged and not attached to important life events. – The Walrus
Tag: 02.08.19
The Bluegrass Song About Atonal Music That’s Gone Viral On YouTube
“(Gimme some of that) Ol’ Atonal Music,” by the singer Merle Hazard, details in sunny and endearing tones a love of atonality, while explaining to newbies what that is (music that isn’t in one clear key), and includes the best atonal banjo solo you’ve ever heard (probably the only atonal banjo solo you’ve ever heard). That the solo, and the production values, are so good, is no surprise: The soloist and the recording’s producer is Alison Brown, one of the leading five-string banjo players in the country. Combine that with a crack backup band, Hazard’s sweetly earnest delivery and a John Cage spoof that’s actually funny, and you have a lot of people laughing at their desks. – Washington Post
About Time: Landmark Deal Gives Actors Profit Sharing On Work They Help Develop
The deal, reached between Actors’ Equity, a union representing 51,000 performers and stage managers, and the Broadway League, a trade organization for producers, is a milestone, marking the first time that the industry’s financiers have tacitly agreed to acknowledge that performers are contributing ideas, not just labor, to shaping new musicals and plays. – The New York Times
As A Ring Is Busted, Counting The Ruinous Damage Of Years Of Fake ‘Authentic’ Native Art
Several businesses were involved in purchasing jewelry from the Philippines and selling it as “genuine” Native American art – scams worth $12 million, with 300 shipments from 2010-2015. “During the court hearing, Native American artist Liz Wallace said, ‘I don’t think calling this cultural appropriation is adequate. It’s economic colonization.'” – Hyperallergic
Let’s Just Sum Up The Publishing Scandals Of February
Holy hell. Quick recap: “We got a Talented Mr. Grifter story about a best-selling novelist, a plagiarism scandal involving the former editor of the biggest and most reputable paper in the country, and a blackmail saga involving dick pics.” – Vulture
Amazon, Privacy, And Kids At School
Hm. The company has announced some recent “initiatives” and training courses for kids. “These programs aren’t just charity of course: They stood to serve Amazon itself in various ways—the most obvious, perhaps, being PR.” (And data collection.) – Vice
Can A Dallas Museum Initiate A Thaw With Russia?
It’s worth a try. “It’s been nearly a decade since Russian state museums last loaned works from their vast and magnificent collections to U.S. institutions. For example, no art by Rembrandt, Matisse, Picasso, da Vinci, Monet, Pissarro, Van Gogh or Gauguin housed in Russia’s storied Hermitage Museum has appeared in the U.S. since the Russians withdrew from all lending agreements in 2010.” – Dallas Morning News
Is Britain’s West End Finally Stepping Up For Women Playwrights?
Looks like it. Of course, there’s always (been) Agatha Christie and The Mousetrap, but looking beyond Dame Agatha, “Changes do appear to be happening. And activism … is helping.” – The Stage (UK)
Lou Harrison and The Great American Piano Concerto — Reprised
Lou Harrison’s Piano Concerto is “a technical tour de force: a terrific sonata form whose trajectory does not depend on directional harmony.” – Joe Horowitz
The Director Of ‘The Shoplifters’ Isn’t Interested In Happy Endings
If you’ve seen Hirokazu Kore-eda’s other films, like Nobody Knows or Like Father, Like Son, you won’t be surprised that The Shoplifters isn’t all about joy. The director says, “I don’t portray people or make movies where viewers can easily find hope. … Some people want to see characters who grow and become stronger over the course of a film. But I don’t want to make such a movie.” – The New York Times