Marlon James knew he was gay from a young age, but he believed he shouldn’t be, so he underwent an exorcism through his church. “He describes the exorcism process as ‘a kind of mental control’: ‘Back then I thought they were just driving out demons,’ he recalls. James said he was sick multiple times during the ‘cure’: ‘Then one day it hit me: ‘What if I got rid of the church?’ And that worked smashingly.'” – The Observer (UK)
Tag: 03.17.19
A New Mosque In The UK Connects To The Natural World
The new mosque, designed by the architects who created the London Eye, isn’t the typical style of mosque in Britain, where the driving force has usually been somewhat utilitarian. This one “is the most determined attempt yet to build in a way that is of its own place and time,” says architecture critic Rowan Moore. – The Observer (UK)
The Museum-Like Quality Of New York’s Antiquarian Book Fair
To be real, many book-lovers can’t afford the books, or even the ephemera, at the Antiquarian Book Fair. But hey, information wants to be free, right? That seems to be true at the fair, with “dealers happily telling the often fascinating stories behind their wares, even if a potential sale is nowhere in sight.” – The New York Times
The Sometimes Questionable Ethics Of True-Crime Films
As true-crime podcasts, books, and films explode onto Netflix and many, many other platforms, ethical questions should arise. “It may be impossible to make documentaries or write about horrific crimes without causing someone distress. Should that stay the hand of film-makers?” – The Observer (UK)
Can We Talk About 5 Pointz, And The Line Between Homage And Exploitation?
To do that, we first need to go down a rabbit hole of, well, history (recent history). Do we remember this? “In 2013, [the owner] made plans to tear down the building and replace it with condos, as part of a larger ongoing movement to tear down the entire city of New York and replace it with condos. The art community protested, and Wolkoff whitewashed the building overnight, destroying the artwork.” Uff. – AV Club
Patricia Arquette Is Enjoying Her Second Act
Arquette’s willingness to take on ferocious characters is serving her well – and so is TV. “Television’s artistic renaissance—and its willingness to tackle complex stories about older women—has offered Arquette some truly challenging characters, roles in which she can physically and emotionally transform herself.” – The Atlantic
How To Juggle A Hit Reality Dance Show And A West End Choreography Gig
Oti Mabuse is one of the professional dancers on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing – and then she got the call to choreograph a new production of Ain’t Misbehavin’. – BBC