Since 1985, arts figures including Georgia O’Keeffe, Frank Capra and Ella Fitzgerald have received the National Medal of Arts while similar cultural achievement has been recognized by the National Humanities Medal, which presidents have awarded to the likes of Steven Spielberg, Anna Deavere Smith and Louise Glück. But neither of those medals has been awarded since President Trump took office, the longest gap ever and one that again draws attention to the president’s often awkward relationship with the arts.
Month: July 2018
Why Are Authors Advised To Ignore Bad Reviews? We’d Be Better Off If They Didn’t
“Our literary culture would be richer if we could observe more interactions between authors and critics. (A couple of very smart people explain why they think this is a bad idea here.) Unfortunately, authors are routinely advised to ignore negative reviews, while positive reviews are showered with smiley faces on social media, as though literary criticism were simply an extension of book marketing.”
Alternative Nobel Reveals Its Longlist – And It’s A Pleasant Surprise
The New Academy asked Swedish librarians to nominate an author from anywhere in the world who has told the story of “humans in the world” – and the resulting longlist is surprisingly surprising. Yes, some of the perennial Nobel contenders are here, and deservedly so: Cormac McCarthy is nominated, as are Margaret Atwood, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Amos Oz and Haruki Murakami. But the librarians have also added some fresh faces to the usual suspects
The Best Augmented Reality I’ve Seen Is This Immersive Theatre Piece
The most fascinating shows are easy to miss. VR companies like Oculus are already trying to take immersive theater to living rooms, but the best experiences still remain low in tech and very site-specific, staged in real-world places, and kept mostly phone-free (I turn off my phone during shows). In a year where I’ve seen a lot of attempts at making augmented reality become a magical thing, this theater piece was probably the best augmented-reality experience of all.
Using Dance As A Tool In Mental Health
Mental health is an issue that can be difficult to approach and discuss. Dance can break down this barrier as it allows us to express ourselves without using words: how we move our bodies can say so much. Dance allows us to explore complex ideas, feelings and emotions, and find creative ways to express that in movement.
By The Numbers: What Edinburgh’s Festivals Do For The City
Edinburgh’s flagship festivals contributed £14.4m to the Scottish culture sector in 2016/17, according to new research that examines the events’ local impact for the first time. The festivals, which celebrated their 70th anniversary last year, were also credited with creating a “halo effect” that enhances the reputation of Scotland’s cultural activity, and generating international opportunities for its creatives.
Changing Of The Guard: The Bill Maher Generation Fades As The Hannah Gadsbys Rise
The difference between these current comedy avatars isn’t confined to their material about the shifting cultural status of straight men, although that’s a big part of it. Originality and craft are just as important. To put it bluntly, many of the most established, big-name acts in comedy, like Maher, Ricky Gervais, Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, Dave Chappelle, and (to a lesser extent) Chris Rock are either coasting or flailing. At worst, they’re regurgitating old styles and points of view and sounding culturally as well as artistically conservative in the process.
How Netflix Figured Out How To Dominate The Emmys
Yeah, it spent billions. But “Netflix racked up its dominant tally by having lots of Emmy-approved shows in many categories, rather than one or two overperforming titles — perhaps the best possible outcome for an outlet whose business model is geared toward appealing to as wide an audience as possible. While HBO, NBC, and Hulu all had shows with more than 20 nominations, Netflix’s biggest performer — The Crown — earned a comparatively modest 13 noms.”
Highlights From This Weekend’s AJBlogs 07.15.18
- Recent Listening In Brief: Black Art Jazz Collective, Lynn Arriale Black Art Jazz Collective, Armor of Pride (High Note Records) Half of the Collective’s members are leading lights among jazz artists in their forties and early fifties. They include trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, … read more
- Communities Can Start Quietly Jean Mineo recalls a memory that left a powerful impression on how communities form and our ability to go out and create them. In managing a number of … read more
- Communities Come From Needs Kate Schapira shares three stories about the needs that form a community and the effort it takes to be a part of one. Late summer, 2017: for a project, I needed many small drawings of … read more
Will Robot Labor Free Us To Pursue Our Passions?
“Just as the division of labor among humans leads to much better work outcomes, so will the rise of automation benefit the worker. Only the outcome will be many multiples greater than that which springs from human divisions of labor. Imagine the future if robots achieve their potential to erase all manner of work forms,” he writes. “How very exciting.”