“I’m modestly encouraged by how many readers nowadays pay attention to voices – Rebecca Solnit, Maggie Nelson, Olivia Laing – you would have to call essayistic. It turns out that readers are still well able to engage with works of nonfiction that address the world urgently and at the same time try to reimagine what this venerable form, the essay, may be capable of doing in artistic terms.”
Tag: 10.31.17
Michael Jackson Is The Top-Earning Dead Celebrity Of 2017
Jackson is atop the Forbes list of top-earning dead celebrities for the fifth straight year, with $75 million. Forbes says Jackson’s earnings are boosted by a new greatest hits album, a Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil show and a stake in the EMI music publishing catalogue.
Edinburgh To Close Famous Music School. And Why?
The local authority hopes to save as much as £383,000 through the closure of the school, which helped launch the early musical careers of Garbage lead singer Shirley Manson and Celtic fusion star Martyn Bennett.
Why Is Academic Artspeak So Dense?
“Let’s stop pretending this language reflects ‘research.’ Let the reader decide whether an idea is plausible or implausible by explaining it, not by presenting it as established fact. Let’s have an end to academic artspeak – and while we’re at it, start letting art speak for itself.”
Man Behind ‘Hamilton’ Ticket Ponzi Scheme Pleads Guilty To Securities Fraud’
“Five other charges related to the pyramid scheme have been dismissed. The development comes just days after [Joseph] Meli’s attorneys at Kasowitz Benson Torres – notable for its extensive connections with President Donald Trump – brought a motion to suppress evidence based on alleged government misconduct.”
They’re Finally Breaking Ground On DC’s Contentious Eisenhower Memorial
“After 17 years of soap opera-like drama – including villains, family squabbles and money problems – the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial has reached its happily-ever-after stage. … Ushering any construction project through Washington’s bureaucracy is never quick or easy, but the Eisenhower Memorial journey suffered multiple setbacks, most focused on architect Frank Gehry’s modern design, unveiled in 2010.”
NPR’s Chief Of News Put On Leave Following Sexual Harassment Accusations
“NPR has placed its senior vice president for news, Michael Oreskes, on leave after fielding accusations that he sexually harassed two women seeking career opportunities nearly two decades ago, when he worked at The New York Times. … Meanwhile, a current NPR employee is going public with her account of filing a formal complaint with the network’s human resources division in October 2015.”
A Seaside Pier Wins 2017 Stirling Prize For Architecture
“Nicknamed ‘The Plank’, De Rijke Marsh Morgan’s stark wooden wonder [in the English Channel town of Hastings] – using timber reclaimed from previous fires – was praised for changing ‘the idea of what architecture is’.”
Netflix Suspends ‘House Of Cards’ Production Following Abuse Allegations Against Kevin Spacey
“Production on the final season of House of Cards was suspended Tuesday, two days after its star, Kevin Spacey, was accused of having made an unwanted sexual advance toward a 14-year-old boy [actor Anthony Rapp] in the 1980s.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 10.31.17
From Mileposts to Through Line
Mileposts are those small signs we see (or, usually, ignore) as we speed along the interstate that indicate how far we’ve travelled. It’s only in the rarest instances that anyone pays them any attention. … read more
>AJBlog: Engaging Matters Published 2017-10-31
Deaccession Obsession: AG Enters the Fray; Compendium of My Berkshire Museum Commentary
As I reported Monday on my Twitter feed (while I was traveling and off-blog), the Massachusetts Attorney General has officially entered the fray in the legal battle over the Berkshire Museum’s planned art sales. … read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2017-10-31
Artists as Researchers: Equity in Changing Places
In Cincinnati’s Walnut Hills district, … Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation is leading the way on physical and economic changes to the area. The developer’s leadership, including Aprina Johnson, a local artist on the staff, recognized the importance of learning from residents about social impacts too. They developed a plan for an innovative initiative: paying artists to be researchers. … read more
AJBlog: The Bright Ride Published 2017-10-31