Simon Stephens: “British playwrights have tended to fall into two camps in the past 15 years: the type that succeeds on Broadway and the type that succeeds in Berlin. This is a gross simplification, of course … [but] I suspect there is something in it. Over the past decade my failure to have work produced in New York has been only consoled by the fact that I’ve managed to work in Germany. Something about this makes me happy.”
Month: May 2012
Even Nihilism Ain’t What It Used To Be
“One-hundred-and-fifty years ago, nihilism was born. Its midwife was the Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev, whose greatest work, Fathers and Sons, appeared in the spring of 1862 and heaved the immense figure of Yevgeny Bazarov into the world. Doctor by vocation and nihilist by avocation, Bazarov today would scarcely recognize what has become of the philosophy he launched. Nihilism is not what it once was and we are marking the most meaningless of anniversaries.”
What’s Hatching In Baryshnikov’s Dance Incubator?
“What would be the biggest wish of a choreographer about to start a company? There’s something even more valuable than a blank check: the support of Mikhail Baryshnikov. And this month two choreographers are lucky enough to have it.”
Ex-Royal Academy Of Music Staffers Admit Embezzling
“A former finance director and head of IT at the Royal Academy of Music have been charged with stealing more than £630,00 between them in unrelated deceptions.”
Americans Have Gotten Used To Gay Characters On TV
“On Glee this spring, a transgender character named Unique is competing in a sing-off. On Grey’s Anatomy, Arizona and Callie are adjusting to married life, having been pronounced ‘wife and wife’ last year. On Modern Family, the nation’s most popular television show, Cameron and his partner Mitchell are trying to adopt a second child. What’s missing? The outrage.”
How Did Limp Wrists Come To Be A Gay Stereotype?
In a sermon last month (in the lead-up to the referendum on marriage equality), North Carolina pastor Sean Harris, ‘Dads, the second you see your son dropping the limp wrist, you walk over there and crack that wrist.’ Why do we associate a limp wrist with male homosexuality?”
Top This, Toreadors! Swiss Town Hosts Cow-Fighting Tournament
“Each spring, [Aproz] is gripped by cow-fighting fever as dozens of the local Hérens cows vie for the coveted title of ‘Queen of Queens.’ The matches aren’t exactly gladiator-style brawls – the action is largely limited to head-butting, heavy breathing and abundant slobber. … The finals draw national TV crews and thousands of spectators.”
New Software Makes News Produced Without Journalists
“If your kid plays hockey or baseball, you may already be familiar with algorithm journalism. Last fall Pointstreak Sports Technologies, a Canadian company that helps sports leagues compile game statistics, struck a deal with Narrative Science, a Chicago-based tech startup, to enable stories to be automatically written on every single game in its database. Parents or players can post those stories.”
Are Young Historians Damaging Their Craft By Trying To Publish Too Early?
“While the growth in genealogy and an apparently insatiable appetite for works on the grim events of the 20th century, from the Second World War to the Stalinist purges, has made history into one of publishing’s star sectors, the profession’s guardians are concerned that the pressure to achieve a public profile is damaging for academia.”
How France’s New President Wants To Boost Culture
“During his campaign, Hollande emphasized the importance of culture, suggesting several initiatives on topics as varied as arts education and illegal downloads.”