In the past several decades, performance art—or at least the evocation of “performance art”—has somewhat unexpectedly wormed its way into popular music. The union began, perhaps, in the nineteen-sixties and seventies, with Yoko Ono and John Lennon’s bed-ins for peace, and reached a sort of apex with Lady Gaga arriving at the 2011 Grammy Awards inside a giant egg.
Tag: 05.22.18
Three Thoughts About The Publishing Business
The publishing business, like all businesses, can be summed up in the words of William Munny, life coach: “Deserve’s got nothing to do with it.” People “succeed” in publishing based on whether their books sell, and whether their books sell really has nothing to do with their character or their intellect or whether the actual book is any good or not.
This Is America: Donald Glover Fans Take Over Pro-Donald Trump Reddit Group
“The takeover began on Monday when fans began posting photos and memes of the acclaimed actor and recording artist. ‘The One True Donald,’ one user posted on Monday, along with a black-and-white head shot of Glover. … ‘Not a racist. Not a rapist. Can read. Was never bankrupt. Likes Mexicans. Talented. Pays his taxes. Handsome. Loves immigrants. Not a puppet for Russia. Doesn’t want to [redacted] his daughter. Must be the real one true Donald,’ another posted above a picture of Donald Glover. Others posted artwork of Glover and calls to vote for Donald Glover for president.”
Another Advantage Of The Conductorless-Chamber-Orchestra Model: No Lecherous Maestros
“In his classic book, The Maestro Myth, Great Conductors in Pursuit of Power, first published in 1991, Norman Lebrecht described how ‘sexual rapacity’ added to the mystique of many conductors. … As though the touchy-feely nature of the performing arts, with that odd sense of a creative imperative for artists, is actually an entitlement, especially for those who are socially inept or nerdfully ignorant. … Moreover, the hierarchical nature of symphony structures insures that, even with a code, the allocation of power remains unchanged. And so this all becomes another argument for the kind of horizontal structures that you find with the likes of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.”
Why Is The Taj Mahal Deteriorating? Smog, A Filthy River, And Massive Amounts Of Bug Poop
“Insect slime is only one of the problems facing the monument … The once mighty Yamuna — after being dammed upstream to provide electricity for the region surrounding India’s capital, New Delhi — now runs low and thick with trash and untreated waste, and blooms with insect-attracting algae. Auto emissions, deforestation and crop burning have contributed to heavy smog that experts say has dimmed the tomb’s pearly exterior to a jaundiced yellow.” Says one environmental activist, “The Taj Mahal has never looked as fatigued, pale and sick as it does now.”
It’s So Disgusting Backstage At British Regional Theatres That It’s Become Dangerous, Say Actors
“Mould, loose tiles, leaking drains, hanging wires, rats and a lack of disabled access are just some of the issues cited by performers and creatives. Actor Daniel Page, proposing the motion on behalf of the West and South West London Branch [of Equity], said: ‘I’ve seen gaffer tape holding up wires, gaffer tape holding up dressing-room mirrors, and I fear that we will lose these palaces that are our working environment if we don’t do something about it soon.'”
Man Booker International Prize Goes To Olga Tokarczuk’s ‘Flights’
“More than 100 novels were submitted for the 2018 award, and Tokarczuk’s Flights saw off work by two former winners – South Korea’s Han Kang and Hungary’s László Krasznahorkai – to secure the £50,000 prize, which is shared equally with her English translator Jennifer Croft.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 05.22.18
From the Q & A
In March I participated in the Intersections Summit hosted by Milwaukee Repertory Theater. It was a gathering of community engagement practitioners from theaters (mostly) across the U.S. Prompted by the event, … read more
AJBlog: Engaging Matters Published 2018-05-22
At Cannes: Big Movies Do Fine, But Indie Film Market Declines
Whichever way the 2018 Cannes Film Market is taken, heartening signs of continued market traction have to be placed in a context of a longer-term attrition in the independent theatrical market affecting both many mid-sized English-language movies and arthouse titles alike. The bottom hasn’t fallen out of either market. But their theatrical space, in domestic and international, looks decidedly smaller.
Why Is “Design Thinking” Taking Over Education?
If design thinking (for short, let’s call it the DTs) merely involved bilking some deluded would-be entrepreneurs, well — no harm no foul. The problem is that faddists and cult-followers are pushing the DTs as a reform for all of higher education.