Tag: 02.25.20

Edgar Allan Poe Probably Didn’t Commit Suicide, Say Researchers

“One of the most mysterious aspects of Poe’s legacy is his untimely death at the age of 40 after being found ‘delirious’ and in ‘great distress’ on the streets of Baltimore. The author was incoherent, rambling, and wearing someone else’s clothes when he was discovered, and after a few days spent in a local hospital he passed away. Many believe that the authors death was a deliberate act, but researchers at Lancaster University are challenging the notion that Poe killed himself.” – Study Finds

The Stories In, And Behind, Raphael’s Tapestries For The Sistine Chapel

“By 1515, after Pope Julius II famously commissioned Michelangelo to repaint the chapel’s ceiling (1508–1515), the chapel had become decidedly top-heavy in its decoration. Then-Pope Leo X (born Giovanni de’ Medici) commissioned a series of designs for tapestries from the artist who was already decorating the papal apartment, Raffaello Sanzio, known to many as Raphael. The Medici crest features prominently in the woven frames of the tapestries’ scenes.” – Hyperallergic

Dance Student Sues School For Making Her Lift Too Heavy A Partner

Charlotte Vanweersch alleges that the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds hadn’t taught her how to properly lift a partner as heavy as the one she was assigned for a “throwing and lifting” routine and that she suffered serious shoulder and neck injuries as a result. She is asking the court to award her up to £500,000 in damages. – The Times (UK)

The Experience Economy – It’s More Than The “Product”

“The experience of the product is bigger than the product itself,” said Donald Chesnut, who became Mastercard Inc.’s first chief experience officer in 2019. “It’s everything around it. How well does it work? How does the product feel?” Some 89% of companies employed a chief experience officer or an equivalent role in 2019, up from 61% in 2017, according to research and advisory firm Gartner Inc., which surveyed nearly 400 large companies in the U.S., Canada and U.K. about their customer experience management. – Wall Street Journal

Have Fun: Smithsonian Releases 2.8 Million Images To Public

Featuring data and material from all 19 Smithsonian museums, nine research centers, libraries, archives and the National Zoo, the new digital depot encourages the public to not just view its contents, but use, reuse and transform them into just about anything they choose—be it a postcard, a beer koozie or apair of bootie shorts. – Smithsonian

Royal Shakespeare’s Gregory Doran Hits Back At Idea That “Wokeness” Is Threatening Shakespeare

“Dominic Cavendish fears that the woke wolves are beginning to police Shakespeare, and that ultimately they will apply a sort of politically correct censorship which will render the plays unperformable. I can’t agree with that. I think directors, especially some of the freshest and most radical today, many of whom are women, want to reveal what is most urgent, most resonant and sometimes most challenging in his work, and address those issues head on.” – The Stage

How To Make Historical Ballet Relevant

Exploring the context in which the ballets arose offers insight into their complexity, and helps us question contemporary assumptions about the choreography, librettos, and music that have survived. By pairing imagination with historical awareness, we can rediscover the experiential aspects of dance and music and gain insight into these arts as we practice them today. – San Francisco Classical Voice

Yuja Wang Upset Her Audience In Chicago When She Mixed Up The Order Of Her Program (On Purpose)

Because of cultural tradition, each audience brings specific expectations to a performance. Classical listeners, who are steeped in the European performance practices, have been conditioned to want to know as much as possible about the music before a note is sounded. Jazz audiences – who have embraced a more casual, all-American approach to listening – generally sit back and savor the sounds, recognizing standard tunes, enjoying obscure works and realizing that free-flying improvisations may have no title at all. – Chicago Tribune

Shocking: How Easily Humans Are Getting Intimate With AI

We’re witnessing a major shift in traditional social life, but it’s not because we’re always online, or because our tech is becoming conscious, or because we’re getting AI lovers like Samantha in Spike Jonze’s film Her (2013). To the contrary, we’re learning that humans can bond, form attachments and dedicate themselves to non-conscious objects or lifeless things with shocking ease. – Aeon