“Rap is indeed “real” poetry. It rhymes, often even internally. Its authors work hard on the lyrics. The subject matter is certainly artistically heightened, occasioning long-standing debates over whether the depictions of violence and misogyny in some of it are sincere. Rap, considered as a literature rather than its top-selling hits, addresses a wide-range of topics, even including science fiction. Rap is now decades old, having evolved over time and being increasingly curated by experts. In what sense is this not a “real” anything?”
Tag: 06.29.14
Bolshoi Ballet Director Back At Work Following Hospital Scare
“Artistic director Sergei Filin, 43, has recovered from an acute allergic reaction to an eye treatment that sent him to the hospital Friday … Filin, who was nearly blinded in a 2013 acid attack, wasted no time getting back to the theater for rehearsals.” Several Russian media reports over the weekend stated that he was in critical condition.
‘I Think It Would Be Fine If Major Orchestras Closed’ (S*** Nico Muhly Says)
“In a lot of cases the halls are too big. I went to see a huge orchestra concert at Avery Fisher Hall, which is an excrescence in New York … and it’s like, let it close. That’s fine; it’ll be fine. They’ll find somewhere else.”
Moscow’s Cultural QR Codes (They’re All Over)
The Russian capital’s myriad cultural and history sites – from the Taganka Theater5 to the Bolshoi to the writers’ union clubhouse in The Master and Margarita – have signs posted with codes that lead to a surprisingly rich web site (available to people at home, too) full of history, maps, biographies, and gossip.
Garrison Keillor On The Difference Between Novels And Radio Shows (And The Future Of His)
“A novel takes more than a week. … Novels tend to be too long, and they sink under their own weight – has anyone ever finished Moby-Dick? Anyone? They’re lying. A two-hour radio show is a hop, a skip, and a jump, with a bathroom break in the middle, and I am going to keep working on mine and maybe write one more Lake Wobegon novel, one with a dozen narrators.”
Shouldn’t Artists Benefit When Their Paintings Sell For Millions, Or Even Thousands? (In Favor Of Droit De Suite)
“U.S. copyright law protects ‘published’ works, and a work of art is not ‘published,’ simply made and sold – so once a work of art is out of an artist’s hands, the future profits, too, are gone. … In the music world, a minor scandal arose when Chuck Berry was cheated out of part of his royalty rights for ‘Maybellene.’ In the art world, everybody is Chuck Berry.”
That Time The English National Ballet Took The Stage Directly After Metallica
“It’s extremely exciting. This is really big for us. Really big. And fantastic for the company to be recognised as a company that is able to stand up next to the artists that are performing.”
Brazil Is Winning Social Media And The Internet – And You Probably Know Nothing About It
“Brazilians are arguably the most hyper-social people on the internet. They spend twice as much time using social media as the global average, and more time online than watching TV.”
The Painting That Inspired ‘Psycho’ – And 14 Other Artworks That Inspired Films
“Directors have frequently used imagery from painting and other art forms to shape the look and meaning of their works.”
Author Whose Novels Have Sold More Than 10 Million Copies Says She’d Be Considered A Failure If She Were Starting Now
Val McDermid: “Like most writers, you start off feeling your way. I don’t think many of us launched ourselves into the world of writing books fully formed.”