Three African nations and one Caribbean island have authors on the shortlist for the first time; a few familiar names (Amitav Ghosh, László Krasznahorkai, Fanny Howe) made the cut, but literary stars Karl Ove Knausgaard and Haruki Murakami did not.
Tag: 03.24.15
How A Bharatanatyam Choreographer Is Remaking French Ballet’s Great Chestnut About An Indian Temple Dancer
When Shobana Jeyasingh first heard of La Bayadère, she was excited at the idea of a classic ballet about someone like her. Of course La Bayadère bore no relationship to real Indian classical dance or dancers – until, that is, Jeyasingh got her hands on the piece. (includes video)
Norman Scribner, 79, Founder Of D.C.’S Choral Arts Society
“The late Washington Post music critic Paul Hume once called Mr. Scribner ‘one of Washington’s finest musicians and one of the most gifted choral conductors in the country.’ A skilled pianist, organist and composer, he spent nearly five decades at the helm of the Choral Arts Society.”
The Detective Novel That Convinced A Generation Richard III Wasn’t Evil
“Though writers and historians have been arguing since the seventeenth century that Richard III wasn’t the villain whom Shakespeare described, it was a 1951 mystery novel that sparked mass interest in Richard’s redemption. The writer went by the name Josephine Tey, and the novel was called The Daughter of Time.”
What A Neuroscientist Says About Jon Stewart’s Brain
“Quick-witted would be the layman way to put it; he’ll be interviewing someone… and he’s just very quick, very quick at making these unexpected connections. But the term we would use for that is divergent thinking – that is, making novel connections between things that other people don’t put together, and finding the humor in that.”
“The Jeff Koons Of The Pop World” And Its “Gloriously Tacky” Future
Spencer Kornhaber on PC Music at SXSW: “Many of the grooves and hooks are undeniable – and listening to it, you realize just how unnecessary the big-budget production currently defining popular dance music might be, and how ridiculous the mist-machine drama and pained soul singing of the average zillion-selling Avicii record really is.” (Wait, that‘s not very Jeff Koons …)
Dance USA/Philly May Be Gone, But Its Portable Dance Floor Lives On
Small news? Practically speaking, it’s a godsend. One of the service organization’s great services was renting the sprung wood floor at affordable rates to companies performing all over the city. But Dance USA/Philadelphia is closing next week. Happily, one ballet troupe has rescued the floor.
Top Posts From AJBlogs 03.24.15
More Metropolitan Museum Good News: Elated Over Ellsworth, Chipper About Chipperfield
AJBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2015-03-24
An Arts Advocacy Day Conversation in Decatur, GA
AJBlog: Field Notes Published 2015-03-24
The sloth aquatic
AJBlog: About Last Night Published 2015-03-24
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Two Opera Singers Among Passengers On Downed Airline
“The singers were traveling to their homes in Düsseldorf from Barcelona, where they had played Alberich and Erda, respectively, in Wagner’s Siegfried at the Gran Teatre del Liceu. French officials said everyone aboard the Germanwings Airbus A320 died when the plane crashed on its way from Barcelona to Düsseldorf.”
How Lincoln Center Landed David Geffen’s $100M Gift (And Whether They Did It Right)
“Just three weeks after a surprising announcement that finally marked progress in long-delayed efforts to overhaul the hall, the outdated home of the New York Philharmonic, the back story of how Mr. Geffen’s $100 million gift came about is surfacing, as are questions about the gift’s size and terms.”