Rene Girard was almost the Platonic ideal of a hedgehog: he belongs to that lineage of 19th- and 20th-century thinkers whose vast synthetic ambition is now seen by many in the academy as not simply wrongheaded but almost impolite. Sweeping intellectual projects such as his come across today as naïve and even oppressive, animated by the most obnoxious nostalgias for the Enlightenment. – Los Angeles Review of Books
Tag: 08.16.20
Hilary Mantel Will Not Be Writing Any More Historical Fiction, Thank You
“I haven’t got another big historical novel in view, … so I hope people will stop writing to me with suggestions. It’s lovely that people have the appetite for it but considering the pace at which I proceed, I would like some life before it’s too late.” – The Guardian
Big Live Arts Experiences Are Crucial And We Ought Not Lose Them
It’s a brave new world out there, and we’re all going to have to adapt. There are no limits to what our artists, technicians, actors, creators, musicians, dancers and designers can imagine to bring back live outdoor experiences for audiences stupefied by the isolation of the omnipresent screen. We all want to protect our national culture in its glorious diversity – but it’s the creative workforce who are really under threat at the moment. As the Red Alert campaign demonstrates, there are horrifying figures of up to 1m creative jobs at risk in an industry worth more than £100bn a year to the economy. – The Guardian
Claim: Leaders Who Read Fiction Have Governed Better During The COVID Crisis
Governments that seem to have done best “are led by people who read fiction” she said, naming Nicola Sturgeon in Scotland, Jacinda Ardern in New Zealand, Katrín Jakobsdóttir in Iceland and Sanna Marin in Finland among them.“They are all people who read fiction. What fiction gives you is the gift of imagination and the gift of empathy. You see a life outside your own bubble. If you’re sitting there reading your endless biographies of Churchill or Attlee or whatever, you’re not looking at the world outside your window. You’re not understanding the lives of ordinary people who populate the country you’re supposed to be governing. – The Guardian
Why “Bad” Movies About Dance Are A Guilty Pleasure
Sure, the acting is off, critics universally pan them and the dancing can be just so-so, but the category endures because there is still something so great about the completely nonsensical yet formulaic comfort of a good bad dance movie. And yes, while some of the films below are eye-roll-inducing and others are genuinely entertaining, let’s face it: None of them ever stood a chance on an Oscars shortlist. – Washington Post
University Of Oregon Library Says It Will Cover ‘Oppressive’ Murals
The murals were, as one versed in the history of white supremacist rhetoric in the U.S. might guess, created in the 1930s. In one, “Development of the Sciences by artist Albert C. Runquist, white researchers are on the top level, while Indigenous people are on the bottom, using basic stone tools.” Another refers to white people “preserving our racial heritage.” – KLCC (Oregon)
Alan Alda’s Hawkeye Is A Flawed Hero With Something To Teach Us Now
In 2020, some things to remember about M.A.S.H., and especially Hawkeye: “Hawkeye taught us that when your world is disintegrating, it is not only possible but utterly necessary to crack a joke — to create a counterpoint to what would otherwise be overwhelming. In his oscillations between laughter and gut-wrenching anguish, I recognized a shadow version of myself.” – Los Angeles Times
Reshooting A Zombie Movie During A Pandemic Isn’t Actually That Easy
Comedian Tig Notaro is replacing disgraced actor Chris D’Elia in Army of the Dead, but how exactly does that play out during quarantine? It doesn’t. “The film will mix full reshoots of Notaro acting opposite a partner and solo shoots of her using a green screen and CGI to incorporate her into the existing film. Production will commence as soon as it’s safe to do so.” – Los Angeles Times
What Power Lies In A Name
In northern Australia, indigenous people are reclaiming land and landmark names. “These changes are about time, mate, but we always kept the names when we worked on country anyway – they never went away. But this does give us recognition and that makes us proud.” – The Guardian (UK)
The Superheroes We Have, The Superheroes We Need
Thinking about what we’ve had – Batman, Superman – well, it’s time for a change. “A new guard of superheroism doesn’t simply mean diversity. It makes room for the possibility that especially now, as our political systems and institutions are being questioned, there is no absolute moral authority, even for those tasked with saving the day.” – The New York Times