A new book of his writing, edited by his son and a Judd Foundation archivist, shows the artist as “a deeply read student of history who tended to believe Western culture hadn’t yet emerged from the Middle Ages and that, more than people cared to acknowledge, violence, oppression and ignorance continued to be societal defaults.”
Tag: 12.25.16
‘The Opening Of The Blacksonian Is *The* Museum Event Of The Year’
“Yes, ‘the Blacksonian,’ because no one is going say that whole name” – the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African-American History and Culture – “and no one’s going to say ‘NMAAHC,’ either, because no one wants to hear ‘God bless you’ every time somebody does.” Wesley Morris, after throwing his bits of shade, describes the experience, both ridiculous and sublime, of his first visit.”
‘They Come In To Dance And Leave Their Parkinson’s Behind’
A visit to the dance classes that the popular British company Ballet Boyz offers for patients with the neurological disorder.
Here Are Five Of 2016’s Best Books In Translation
“In 2016, small publishers like New Directions and Coffee House Press and lauded indie powerhouses like Melville House continue to bring many deserving international voices to the forefront. And in an election year that has many Americans wondering what in the bloody hell is going on around here, books from other parts of the globe can be a welcome treat to help counterbalance the chaos.”
Can We Now Officially Call Arvo Pärt A Great Composer?
David Patrick Stearns considers the strong and weak points in the music of the world’s most-performed living composer. (He also offers “the only theory I have on why hipsters will listen to Pärt meditating on the baptism of St. Augustine.”)
Can You Even Stage ‘The Mikado’ Anymore Without Giving Offense? This Company Is Giving It A Try
For the past few years – starting with an ugly battle in Seattle – the yellowface issue has raged around productions of the Gilbert and Sullivan favorite in the U.S. Last year, facing likely protests, the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players cancelled its production and did Pirates of Penzance instead. (One wag wrote in to decry the failure to cast real pirates.) This year, after much consideration, care, and consultation, the company is trying again, with a new approach.