There has been a proliferation of luxury celebrity writer “camps” that promise insight on how to be a successful writer. Is this an indulgence for the well-off or something practically useful? – The New York Times
Tag: 09.19.19
How ‘Mao’s Last Dancer’ Transformed A Struggling Provincial Company Into A Powerhouse
Li Cunxin, who defected from China in 1981, danced with the Houston and Australian Ballets, retired from the stage in 1999, and became a Melbourne stockbroker. Then, in 2012, came a call from Brisbane. “Seven years [after he became artistic director], Li’s contribution has been dramatic. Queensland Ballet, once a struggling choreographer-led company, has become one of Australia’s most exciting repertoire ensembles … The budget has more than quadrupled, to over $20 million USD, and Li has launched not one but three major construction projects, with world-class headquarters, a theater and a new academy all in progress.” – Pointe Magazine
A “Marketplace Of Ideas” Is An Unworkable Idea
The metaphor of a “marketplace of ideas,” where some sort of rational choice theory means the eventual selection of the best quality information, looks naive in an environment where junk news driven by bots and trolls and other forms of non-transparent amplification floods the web, spreading faster than any byte of truth. – The American Interest
Geena Davis Just Made Children’s TV More Feminist
“In 2012, after receiving a $1.2 million grant from Google and working with computer engineers and social scientists, Davis launched the Geena Davis Inclusion Quotient, or GD-IQ, a method of using facial and voice recognition technology to analyze movies, TV shows and ads. The software … is able to ascertain the number of women relative to men, as well as the amount of screen and speaking time they’re afforded. – The Washington Post
Collector Paid $600 For Unknown Anthony Van Dyck Painting
A deteriorated oil sketch that Albert B. Roberts bought for $600 at an upstate New York auction in 2002 has turned out to be a study from circa 1620 for Van Dyck’s Saint Jerome with an Angel. The sketch — in as-is condition (including bird poop on the back) — is currently on view at the Albany (NY) Institute of History and Art. – artnet
Why We Can’t Agree On What’s True Anymore
Public life has become like a play whose audience is unwilling to suspend disbelief. Any utterance by a public figure can be unpicked in search of its ulterior motive. As cynicism grows, even judges, the supposedly neutral upholders of the law, are publicly accused of personal bias. Once doubt descends on public life, people become increasingly dependent on their own experiences and their own beliefs about how the world really works. – The Guardian
Netflix Might Start Giving Out Bonuses For Successful Films
Of course, that would mean it might need to release numbers because, after all, what is “successful” for Netflix? Bonuses for awards, however, might also be in the works at the streaming giant. – Bloomberg
Illustrator Marjorie Blamey, Who Just Died At 101, Had 10,000 Wildflower Paintings To Her Name
Blamey was an utterly prolific illustrator of wildflowers. She “contributed all the colour illustrations, amounting to many thousands of paintings, for a succession of distinguished field guides” – all without formal botanical training. “Her watercolour illustrations opened people’s eyes to the beauty of wild flowers at home and throughout Europe. … Her pictures captured the essence of a plant in a way that photography rarely can, and made identification much easier than was previously the case.” – The Guardian (UK)
Call It The End Of A (Millennials-Long) Era: Convents And Monasteries Are Dying
In Europe, an entire way of life is ending. “Around 1960, there were still about 110,000 nuns and monks in Germany. Twenty years ago, there were 38,348. Now, there are about 17,900.” But what to do with all of the art, architecture, land, and so much more? Er, how about student housing? “The students bring life into the convent. When they party on the field behind their building in the summer, it’s the superior general who has to deal with the calls from unhappy neighbors.” – Der Spiegel
German Jury Revokes Book Award Prize Over Author Kamila Shamsie’s Boycott Of Israel
Shamsie says it’s an outrage that her support of the Boycott, Divest, Sanctions movement would lead to this end. “The eight-member jury had decided on 6 September to make the British-Pakistani author their latest winner, citing writing that ‘builds bridges between societies.’ But when they learned of Shamsie’s support for the BDS movement, they announced that they would cancel their original vote and withdraw the award.” – The Guardian (UK)