The inadequacy of a scientistic explanation does not mean that beauty is therefore a “mystery” or anything similarly occult. It means only that other explanations must be sought, in formal and iconographical and emotional and philosophical terms.
Tag: 09.03.13
Players’ Rebellion At Israeli Sinfonietta
“Ma’ayan Beider-Jacobssohn, 32, of Rehovot, very quickly became the leader of the musicians, most of them older Russians who earn a paltry salary. After he fought for their rights, the orchestra’s management dismissed him. On Monday a labor court ordered his job restored, but apparently that isn’t the last word in this struggle.”
Why Novelists Are Afraid Of Criticizing Other Novelists
“The literary world is tiny. The subgroup represented by novelists is even tinier. If you’re an author who regularly reviews other authors, the chances of running into a person whose novel you have criticized are fairly high.”
Caleb Crain On Building A Gay Literary Canon
“I think everybody ends up assembling their own canon as they read. The whole idea of it is that it’s not – it’s a legacy, and it’s one you kind of pick and choose. You don’t just reproduce your parents’ furniture, you buy your own along the way. … Do we want a separate history and literature? The straight canon is very gay.”
So Journalists Are The New Intellectuals?
“Much of the very best intellectual work being done in the United States is still being done by journalists, not scholars, and is still being published outside the university, by magazines and trade presses. Needless to say, the thriving of exceptionally talented journalists is cause for nothing but celebration. But lately, with nearly everything about publishing in flux, the relationship between intellectuals and the public is more vexed than ever.”
Deaccessioning Battles, Usually Confined To Art Museums, Hit Shakespeare
“A proposal by the library of the University of London to auction a rare set of early printed editions of Shakespeare’s plays has been branded ‘egregiously wrong’, ‘completely unjustifiable’ and likely to result in ‘four iconic and unique books moving into private hands’.”
How Has Australia’s Outgoing Government Handled The Arts?
“The national cultural policy, Creative Australia, stands as the most significant arts achievement. Launched by former arts minister Simon Crean in March, it is a pragmatic document, largely free of the national identity rhetoric … He was clearly frustrated at cabinet’s reluctance to back the cultural policy, and his forced departure from the arts ministry a week after its launch was dispiriting.”
No, The Onion Isn’t Even Funny (A #SlatePitch Special)
David Weigel: “Where’s the fun in sticking up for an incredibly popular opinion? Well, here’s the fun: It’s really shareable on Facebook!”
Study: Goldfish Prefer Bach To Stravinsky
“For the study, published in the journal Behavioural Processes, Shinozuka and colleagues Haruka Ono and Shigeru Watanabe played two pieces of classical music near goldfish in a tank. The pieces were Toccata and Fugue in D minor by Johann Sebastian Bach and The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky.”
This Summer’s Dali Show In Madrid Broke Admission Records
“A museum spokesman confirms that 732,339 people visited “Dali: All of the Poetic Suggestions and All of the Plastic Possibilities”. There were long lines to get in, and the Reina SofÃa stayed open until 11pm to cope with the demand.”