Books continue to be written about what it was like to live in Germany under Hitler. I wonder if any of the authors have auditioned Wilhelm Furtwängler’s wartime broadcasts with the Berlin Philharmonic. They should – and also ponder a kindred question: the function of culture in the life of a nation. – Joseph Horowitz
Tag: 03.15.20
Amazon Flooded With Fake COVID Books
The retailing giant has already been removing “tens of thousands” of listings from “bad actors” attempting to artificially raise prices on items such as face masks and hand sanitiser. Now it is fighting a losing battle against the writers rushing out self-published books to profit from coronavirus fears. Generally shorter than 100 pages, dozens have been published in the last few weeks, promising worried readers ways to prevent or avoid the virus. – The Guardian
Until They Were Shut Down, Chicago’s Jazz Clubs Kept Swinging This Weekend
Until Gov. Pritzker on Sunday ordered all bars and restaurants in the state to shut down at close of business on Monday night through March 30, the jazz clubs kept on swinging — albeit with smaller audiences and less energy than just a week ago. – Chicago Tribune
To Put It Bluntly, The International Box Office Is Screwed Right Now
Sorry to every movie that opened last weekend – or, heaven forfend, this one. – Variety
Actors’ Equity Mounts A Letter-Writing Campaign For Laid-Off Workers
Here’s part of the letter (note: not a lot of actors are “middle-class” either) for the campaign as shared in tweets on Sunday: “Now is the time for Congress and local governments to put workers first to ensure that everyone who works in the arts and entertainment sector has access to emergency paid leave, health care and unemployment benefits. Payroll tax cuts won’t help those whose theaters are now dark. For every middle-class actor you see onstage, there are dozens more working behind the scenes and in an administrative capacity.” – Los Angeles Times
Some Theatres Have Hired Film Crews Quickly So ‘All That Work Wouldn’t Be Lost’ To The Shutdown
At Signature Theatre in Arlington, Va., the staff hired a crew to film a new play whose run was supposed to last until March 29 – and the theatre is shut until March 30. The idea is not 100 percent figured out yet, and there are definitely Equity and other union issues to discuss, but … “The theater decided it might be able to show the play to patrons still holding tickets by giving them special access to the film online. … Many companies, like Signature, are asking people to donate the cost of those unused tickets to help defray expenses at an uncertain juncture.” – The Washington Post
The Few People Still Going To Movies Over The Weekend Enjoyed Some Relative Peace And Quiet At The Cinema
One moviegoer in Manhattan: “We understand what all the drama is, … but we felt that if we went to the first movie of the day, it wouldn’t be that crowded. And we wanted to just change the subject for a moment.” – The New York Times
Mayor Of Los Angeles Closes All Bars And Gyms, Says Restaurants Can Only Be Takeout For Now
Grocery stores, pharmacies, and food banks can remain open, but movie theatres are also closed (at least, those that hadn’t already closed themselves). – Los Angeles Times
Burglars Steal A Van Dyck, Two Other Paintings From An Oxford Museum
No one was injured in the theft, but what the heck is going on? “The loss of the paintings was a fresh blow to [Christ Church] college, which had already made headlines this weekend after it discovered that cases of burgundy and Pouilly-Fuissé worth between £1,000 and £2,000 have been mysteriously disappearing from its large fine wine collection.” – The Guardian (UK)
A Monument To Mining Gets A Reprieve And New Life
This 1915 monument to coal mining is going to live on, by luck (and a heritage fund). “The crowning glory was a spectacular debating chamber, nicknamed the pitman’s parliament, in which each numbered seat corresponded to a colliery. Deliberately designed to resemble a mine-owner’s country estate, Redhills was a unique and extraordinary monument to working-class pride, ambition and self-organisation.” – The Observer (UK)