The writer Ismail Muhammad says, “You can’t disentangle blackness and California” – and nowhere, he explains through books, movies, and memories, is that clearer than in the history of Los Angeles, the idea of “South Central,” and the country’s imagination of what L.A. stands for. – LitHub
Tag: 09.20.19
What Have We Trained Artificial Intelligence To Think When It Sees Our Faces?
Hint: It’s just as racist, sexist, fatphobic, and all of the other problems as any human – but more so, because it’s been trained by a LOT of problematic human data. – The New York Times
N.O. Mustill: Master Collagist
Comparing a 1967 collage to a Photoshopped image in the current New York Times: Are both art? – Jan Herman
When You Come In Late To A Power Comedy Act, You’ve Got A Delightful Amount To Catch Up On
Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara are charming millions on the show Schitt’s Creek and are nominated for some major Emmys, but … what to say if this is the first time you’ve noticed them? Well, you’ve got a lot – a lot – of joy ahead of you. – Los Angeles Times
Suzanne Whang, Actress, Comedian, And Enormously Popular Host Of ‘House Hunters,’ Has Died At 56
Whang dealt with breast cancer for more than a decade, and she incorporated the resultant health care experiences into her comedy – while also hosting House Hunters International and acting on Dexter, Las Vegas, and Arrested Development. HGTV, the network where she made House Hunters a household name stated in its press release, “Suzanne was warm, funny and kind with a distinctive voice that made everyone feel at home.” – The New York Times
You’ll Need A Lot Of Coffee To Get Through All 50 Books On The National Book Award Longlists
All five longlists rolled out this week. Are you ready to read 10 books in each of the categories? Get your poetry, nonfiction, fiction, translated fiction, and young people’s literature reading caps on (or just wait for the lists to be winnowed to five in October … or one apiece when the awards are announced). – NPR
The Ten Best Emmys Acceptance Speeches
Will anyone join the list this year? (And can anyone ever top Merrit Wever’s 2013 acceptance speech?) – Los Angeles Times
Loving Los Angeles Enough To Tell Its Present, And History, In Books
Nina Revoyr’s books “juxtapose the jambalaya of Los Angeles’s people, neighborhoods, cultures, and social classes into complicated stories that surprise at every turn, entertain, and then illuminate the ever-present beauty of the city.” – Los Angeles Review of Books
Hollywood Is Glum, But The Emmys Show Must Go On
A lot of new shows are constantly churning through the pipeline, Netflix and Amazon are awash in television bucks, and old sitcoms are doing nine-figure streaming deals because for some reason, the kids these days love Friends and Seinfeld. But behind the scenes? Authors and agents are suing each other, some agents fled town for the weekend, and even the parties were cancelled, y’all. Can Hollywood recover? – The New York Times
How’s Jaap van Zweden Doing At The New York Phil? There Are Some Surprises
Anthony Tommasini: “When Mr. van Zweden’s appointment was announced, it was questioned whether he would prioritize cultivating living composers, commissioning major works, bringing in a new generation of conductors and soloists, and reaching out to the New York community to try and become a leading cultural figure here. Yet he has delivered quite well thus far.” – The New York Times