“Shame informs much of the work of our latter-day gay novelists, offered as an antidote to our overriding gay culture that recognizes ‘pride’ as the core (and perhaps only) important expression of gayness today. The literary projects offered by [Hanya] Yanagihara and [Garth] Greenwell are cultural counterpoints to gay pride, attempts to show how shame – just as much as pride, if not more – still meaningfully forms part of the terrain of gay life, and must be acknowledged as such.”
Month: July 2016
After #CastSoWhite Controversy, Concert Reading Of New ‘Prince Of Egypt’ Musical Cancelled
A day after news media picked up on social media criticism that only five of 15 cast members for a first concert reading of the work-in-progress, a stage adaptation of the hit 1998 animated film about Moses, were nonwhite, Dreamworks and the producing theater called off the event with no explanation.
Despite All The Criticism, Royal Shakespeare Company, British Museum, And Royal Opera House Renew BP Sponsorship Deals
“The ROH and RSC, with the British Museum and National Portrait Gallery, have renewed their partnerships with the oil and gas giant for a further five years as part of a £7.5 million deal. The move has drawn fervent criticism from campaigners, who earlier this year set their sights on major cultural institutions that continue to receive sponsorship from fossil fuel companies, following the termination of deals with Tate and the Edinburgh International Festival.”
TKTS Half-Price Booth Sets Up At Lincoln Center (Where There Are Real New Yorkers)
“Beginning on Tuesday and continuing for three months, TKTS will sell tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway productions from a box office inside [Lincoln Center’s] David Rubenstein Atrium … The Lincoln Center venture is an effort by TKTS, which sells predominantly to tourists, to see if it can increase the number of tickets sold to New Yorkers” (who tend to avoid the flagship TKTS location in Times Square).
James Alan McPherson, 72, First Black Writer To Win Pulitzer For Fiction
“[His] life took him from segregated Georgia, where he grew up in poverty as the son of an alcoholic father, to Harvard Law School during the social upheaval of the 1960s. Uninspired by the legal professional, he became a writer … He published no book for 20 years after the announcement of his Pulitzer for his 1977 collection, Elbow Room.”
Filmmaker Mohamed Khan, 73, Leader Of Egypt’s Neorealist Cinema Movement
“Khan’s films included The Street Player (1984), The Wife of an Important Man (1987) and Dreams of Hind and Camilia (1988) – all of which were named among the ‘100 Greatest Arab Films of All Time’ by the Dubai International Film Festival.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 07.28.16
Community is natural. But we’re losing it.
We talk about community a lot. The word gets thrown around so much that it begins to lose its meaning. It begins to sound like just another empty word … like sustainability … read more
AJBlog: Field Notes Published 2016-07-28
Family
To me community means family. It means we’re in this together no matter the outcome. Community is unity, love, compassion. Community is dancing with your tribe just because your happy. … read more
AJBlog: Field Notes Published 2016-07-28
A practice of commitment
I’ve been noticing a trend that many of my friends and colleagues will, after having children, attend church or participate other memberships and meetings so their developing family has … read more
AJBlog: Field Notes Published 2016-07-28
Community: A Poem
Community is beautifully imperfect. Community is acceptance, not tolerance. Community is the past, present, and future. Community is innovation, an open door. Community is a space where all voices are heard. Community is … read more
AJBlog: Field Notes Published 2016-07-28
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How To Fund The Arts? The City Of Birmingham Comes Up with 50 Ways
“Through discussions and consultation, the Enquiry has generated almost 50 suggestions for ways to boost investment in the city’s arts and culture, which it presents in a new report. These are broken down into four sections: public sector investment, alternative finance, collaborative working and philanthropic giving.”
Can Audiences Hooked On Binge-Watching TV Be Wooed To Binge-Reading Books?
“As TV dramas get better and better, book publishers are hoping to convert binge TV watchers into binge readers. Serialized books have a long history in publishing — Charles Dickens famously released many his novels in serial form.”
Our Digital Expanses Have Made Us Confidently Arrogant. Where’s The Value In Humility?
“The internet and digital media have created the impression of limitless knowledge at our fingertips. But, by making us lazy, they have opened up a space that ignorance can fill.”