Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz wrote more than 60 books on subjects from philosophy to zoology, including a classic on the Kabbalah. But his major achievement is what he called his “hobby”: a 45-volume translation (which took him 45 years) of the Babylonian Talmud from the original Aramaic into modern Hebrew (from which it’s been trnalsated into English and other languages), with enough commentary and background info that even a beginner can approach it. – The New York Times
Tag: 08.09.20
Reimagining How Theme Parks Work
Expect the cornonavirus era, say theme park experts, to accelerate a play-driven evolution that has steadily been increasing in parks — in part because they naturally lead to exploration, but also because they appeal to locals and regular park-goers, a demographic that’s more vital than ever if plane travel continues to dip. – Los Angeles Times
Reflections On A Music Theory Fight Over Race
Insisting that music theory, musicology and ethnomusicology are separate disciplines with no shared ground impoverishes all of our work. By narrowing our focus and policing our boundaries, scholars miss connections and opportunities, and we remain frozen in disdain for all that we don’t know. A distinction between applied and academic music may have its uses, but hyper-specialization leads ultimately to a belief that scholars can’t be creative and that artists are incapable of critical thought. – The Conversation
Our Collective Dreams Of Rome
So many legends, so much art, and yet … “Rubbish collects in gutters, litter spills from over-stuffed communal bins, pigeons scavenge among fallen, leaking garbage bags. People walk casually past the trash, a symptom of ineffectual politicians and waste plants straining for space. La grande bellezza is looking like shit.” Then the virus came. – The Guardian (UK)