Toronto writer Larry Gaudet pairs Goya’s “Disasters of War,” print reactions to the Napoleonic wars, with his own prose about today’s violence. You can get his new book for anything from $45,000 to, he hopes, a free download.
Tag: 10.14.11
The Rebel Star That Broke The Medieval Sky
When astronomers charted the course of Mira, “what ensued was a cultural earthquake. These variations challenged the idea that the realm of the stars was eternal and unchanging – the received wisdom of the time, underwritten by Aristotle.” Censorship and much Church drama ensued – and changed astronomy forever.
Did A Ballerina On Top Of A Bull Spark The Occupy Wall Street Movement?
“When Vancouver-based Adbusters presented the idea to the world, it did so in the form of a poster that featured a dancer posed on the shoulders of the Wall Street bull statue, a foggy clamour of demonstrators behind her. The poster asked the question, ‘What is our one demand?’ Activist groups seized on it, as did the hacktivist group Anonymous, and a collective began to form.”
After Leading A Revival Decade, RSC Leaders Step Down
At the revived, re-funded and redeveloped Royal Shakespeare Company, artistic director Michael Boyd and executive director Vikki Heywood say a decade is long enough, and it’s time to move on. What will happen to the RSC in London?
The Crazed Secondary Market May Eat Young Artists Alive
“The secondary (or resale) market has historically relied upon dead or ageing artists for its supply, but the heat around contemporary art has fuelled a new phenomenon: an emerging resale market for artists in the early stages of their careers.” But will it destroy those careers even as it feeds on them?
Just How Vast Is Literature? Well, Big Enough For A New Prize
When the shortlist for the UK’s Man Booker prize was announced, some literary critics and authors thought the list was “too readable.” The disgruntled forces’ new Literature Prize might be provocative – but bring it on, says a member of the Booker committee.
Love It Or Loathe It, Fox News Has Massively Changed Journalism
The Fox News mastermind, Roger Ailes, wanted to make news that doubled as entertainment. Whatever else Fox has done – damaged journalis or altered the political course of the country, some claim – it’s certainly succeeded at Ailes’ goal.
A Modern Audience May Not Want That Intermission Time To Think
With short, focused plays like “God of Carnage” and “Red” all the rage across the country, are playwrights (not including Tracy Letts) writing for a Twitter and texting-happy audience?
We’re Special And Unique! Sell Us Food And/Or Sex, Please
“Here we all are, seeking uniqueness, looking for those things that neatly express the idiosyncrasy of our peculiar personalities. And yet, our uniqueness (at least as consumers) is mostly a sham. Somehow, we all end up in the same place, chasing the same trends while drinking the same drink while staring at the same app on the same phone.”
No, It’s Not Hoarding. It’s Collecting. Why Do We Do It?
“Collecting always seems to start with rocks.” But, asks Bookslut founder Jessica Crispin, do driven collectors pursue their goals for the thrill – or for a quick profit?