Tag: 03.22.20

A History Of Being Alone

Virginia Woolf insisted on the need for a room of one’s own, but only the upper middle classes could have afforded one at the time. In the 19th century, only 1% of the British population lived on their own; in 2011 it was 31%, or some 8 million people. Yet as urbanisation and large families pitched people together, the anonymous world of industrial capitalism also split them apart. Rural life may have been rough, but at least you knew who lived next door. So if a longing to be alone became more acute, so did a sense of being forsaken. – The Guardian

Dame Fanny Waterman, Founder Of The Leeds Competition, Turns 100 And Dishes About Music

Dame Fanny says: “I had courage when people said, ‘It won’t work in Leeds’. Even my darling husband said that and I said ‘I’ll show you’. I rang up Marion and she said ‘Let’s try’. That was the ambition I learned from my parents. My father was concerned about style and ability and never produced anything that was shabby, and I used to try to emulate that. You can either do nothing with your world, or you can say to yourself ‘I’m going to strive in everything for betterment’.” – Yorkshire Post

Ai Weiwei Says An Artist Must Be An Activist

In addition, as a huge show in London is suspended because of the COVID-19 outbreak, he says, “Cultural institutions are probably the last to be damaged, but the first to show how severely this can affect our understanding about art and culture, which reflect tragic human moments like this. It is very hard to predict the future, but it seems like the situation is not going to be easily resolved and will have a strong impact. All the factors that allowed for this incident still remain the same – this could happen again – and a more thoughtful response in terms of social structure and the philosophical understanding of this situation is required.” – The Guardian (UK)

Small Indie Musicians And Workers In Small Indie Music Spaces Are Living A Nightmare

Says one freelance photographer and bartender, “All my jobs have been canceled at the photo studio, and now my safety job has disappeared too.” One academic who studies the music industry says, “Only 5% of promoters and 30% of artists can continue their careers in this environment, and they weren’t well off to begin with. … In short, they’re screwed.” – Los Angeles Times

The Comedian Who Tried To Put On An Entire Saturday Night Live By Himself

After multiple sketches and a cold open, not to mention a quarantine-themed title sequence, Ian Abramson might be just a bit exhausted. “If it doesn’t kill him, Abramson should do this again, too. Or perhaps other performers should pick up the baton and make their own SNL homebrew. It may be bathtub gin now that there’s Prohibition and the distilleries have been converted to make hand sanitizer, but it’ll still get you buzzed. And it may be the future of entertainment. For now, at least.” – Fast Company