“Hebrew University archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar disclosed the contents of the discovery Monday morning: Two bundles containing thirty-six gold coins, gold and silver jewelry, and a gold medallion, ten centimeter in diameter, adorned with images of a menorah (Temple candelabrum) a shofar (ram’s horn) and a Torah scroll.”
Tag: 09.09.13
Why Are The Grimms’ Fairy Tales So Violent?
“The Brothers saw themselves as faithful recorders of a living German tradition. They wanted to preserve these stories in their true and exact form. … The violence of the folktales is part of their power. The Brothers Grimm understood this fact. They wanted to tap into that power. They thought that the tales would revitalize a German people fallen on hard times.”
Look, It’s Time To Give The Short Story Some Real Credit (But What *Is* It?)
“Nobody ever demands of an established novelist that she write a goddamn book of stories already; to write one nonetheless argues for some new twist in the long history of the form.”
The Perils – And Promises – Of Learning By Memorizing
“Memorization has enjoyed a surge of defenders recently. They argue that memorization exercises the brain and even fuels deep insights. … Certainly, knowledge matters. A head full of facts – even memorized facts – is better than an empty one. But facts enter our heads through many paths – some well-paved, some treacherous. Which ones count as ‘memorization’?”
Why Do Translators Keep Making – And Publishers Keep Issuing – New Versions Of Foreign Classics?
There are half a dozen English editions of The Decameron available, and the same number of Anna Karenina plus two more about to appear. (And let’s not even start on The Iliad.) Why? There are several reasons, including that it can be a good financial bet.
Mold Problem Renders Orlando Ballet Homeless
“The Orlando Ballet will not be able to return to its mold-infested headquarters anytime soon, which could have major financial implications for the organization, a ballet official said Monday.”
The Bach Family Business
How a refugee baker from Bratislava ended up as the patriarch of six generations of great German musicians.
Is MGM Finally Solving Its Money Troubles?
“For much of the last decade, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has been troubled by financial turmoil and infuriating production stops and starts, including a debacle in which Tom Cruise helped run its United Artists label. Is it possible, just maybe, that the studio finally has its act together? It certainly appears that way, even as some questions remain.”
Zubin Mehta’s Kashmir Concert Couldn’t Escape Kashmir’s Problems
The Indian conductor’s performance with the Bavarian State Orchestra at the Shalimar Gardens may have been intended to bring the balm of (Western) classical music to the conflict-torn state, but locals ended up alienated by heavy-handed security, the musicians felt lied to about the nature of the event, and one man had been shot and wounded by police nearby.
The Invention Of Grandparents, And How They Changed The World
“The fundamental structure of human populations has changed exactly twice in evolutionary history. The second time was in the past 150 years, when the average lifespan doubled in most parts of the world. The first time was in the Paleolithic, probably around 30,000 years ago. That’s when old people were basically invented.” (And “old” means over 30.)