Charles Wright: “I will not be an activist laureate, I don’t think, the way Natasha [Trethewey] was … and certainly not the way Billy Collins was, or Bob Hass, or Rita Dove, or Robert Pinsky; you know, they had programs. I have no program.”
Tag: 06.13.14
This 18th Century Mystery Painting Inspired The Hit Movie ‘Belle’
“The real journey started with the questions – Who is she? Who is the white girl sitting next to her? But even more importantly – who commissioned the painting?”
How (And Why )To Quit Amazon And Shop In A Real, Bricks And Mortar Bookstore
“By now, purchasing print books in a brick-and-mortar building is something of a lost art, like taking snuff or drinking brandy after dinner. Which is not to say that it’s not worth doing. Quite the opposite.”
Cut Canadian Radio? But We’re Radio People!
“While CBC TV does stellar documentaries and public affairs shows — and I’m sure other outlets would happily buy them — the entertainment and TV news offerings have long underwhelmed us. Shows with three-quarters of a million viewers are called “hits.” Meanwhile, radio’s audience has grown to more than six million.”
Digital Versus Celluloid – The Movie Debate Isn’t Over
In one corner are those who believe digital’s practical and economic benefits make it impossible to resist. In the other, “purists” such as Tarantino and “The Dark Knight Rises” director Christopher Nolan who cherish the visual “texture” of 35mm and warn that something important is being lost.
Golf Is Illegal In China. And Yet It’s A Metaphor For Current Chinese Culture
“The longer I lingered, the more I realised that the story of golf in China actually had very little to do with golf itself. In many ways, it was a microcosm of the country as a whole. Golf touched on everything: the burgeoning economy, the widening wealth gap, rural land rights disputes, an environment in peril, wild west development – and plenty of political intrigue.”
Ukrainian Separatist Militia Seize Culture Center
Despite promises that they would not damage the centre’s art and property, “DPR militia under the influence of alcohol looted the rented offices of the foundation, vandalising private property, and removing equipment, tools, the contents of the foundation’s safety vault, including the private property of its employees.”
Detroit, DIA, Hire Consultant To Help Battle Creditors
“Artvest’s appearance in the bankruptcy drama opens a new front in the battle over the DIA and underscores that the fight is far from over — despite widespread support for [city manager Kevin] Orr’s restructuring plan, whose $816-million grand bargain transfers ownership of the museum to an independent nonprofit while also preventing more debilitating cuts to municipal pensions.”
The Indonesian Performance Artist Who Got Famous For Dancing On Butter
“Two years ago, the Indonesian performance artist Melati Suryodarmo gained YouTube notoriety when a version of her Exergie — butter dance was posted to the website. Originally accompanied by Indonesian drum percussion, the reworked clip set [her] performance of a traditional Indonesian-inspired dance on 20 blocks of melting butter to Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’.”