Author: Douglas McLennan

What Bob Dylan’s Non-Response To The Nobel Means

“The Nobel Prize is in fact the ultimate example of bad faith: A small group of Swedish critics pretend to be the voice of God, and the public pretends that the Nobel winner is Literature incarnate. All this pretending is the opposite of the true spirit of literature, which lives only in personal encounters between reader and writer. Mr. Dylan may yet accept the prize, but so far, his refusal to accept the authority of the Swedish Academy has been a wonderful demonstration of what real artistic and philosophical freedom looks like.”

What Happens When You Mix Classical Music And Electronica? It’s A Bit Confusing

“There was a disconnect to Mercury Soul that couldn’t be solved, no matter how clean the cross-fade between DJ and orchestra. The audience was entreated to dance to standard-issue house music and pedestrian pop fare (“Billie Jean,” Prince’s “Controversy”), but only for 15 minutes at a time. Meanwhile, Roumain shredded on his violin — impressive and novel, certainly, but not particularly conducive to dancing. There were also conflicting codes of conduct — the audience didn’t know exactly when to applaud, clap along to the beat or talk among themselves.”

Museum Of Contemporary Art San Diego Turns 75 And Announces Huge Expansion

“The expansion, which will double the size of the museum to a total of 102,000 square feet — including galleries, administrative areas and other public spaces — will finally allow MCASD to show its collection in a permanent way. (Currently the museum has only 10,000 square feet of gallery space, which allows for the display of only one exhibition at a time.)”

Philip Roth Gives His Book Collection To The Newark Public Library

Mr. Roth’s library, some 4,000 volumes, is now stored mostly at his house in northwest Connecticut, where it has more or less taken over the premises. A room at the back of the house has been given over to nonfiction. It has library shelves, library lighting — everything except a librarian, Mr. Roth said recently on the phone from his New York apartment.

Claim: Superhero Stories Work Great For Comic Books But Are Terrible For Movies

Jonathan Lethem, who initially set out to become a visual artist, says that comic books are a unique storytelling medium with pleasures that don’t necessarily translate well to live action. “It seems to me there’s a disconnect at a fundamental formal level between what a comic book does when you encounter it and what a CGI superhero movie does when you encounter it,” he says.

National Theatre Of Scotland Gets A New Director

“Jackie Wylie will be the first Scottish leader of the theatre, and follows the surprise departure of Laurie Sansom earlier this year after three years in the post. Wylie was previously artistic director and joint chief executive of the Arches in Glasgow. From 2008 until its closure in 2015 she transformed the theatre and clubbing complex into a hotbed of cultural activity.”

London Mayor Proposes Plan For Work/Housing Spaces As High Rents Push Artists Out

“Between 2014 and 2019, 3,500 artists are predicted to lose their places of work in the UK capital—a 30% cut, according to a report by the Greater London Authority. Launched in March 2016 and led by Outset Contemporary Art Fund, Studiomakers is working with local authorities, private landowners and property developers to find alternative ways to retain existing studios, as well as create new ones.”

Tired Of That Mega-Gallery Experience? Smaller Galleries Get Creative About Where/How To Show

“We live in an era when much of what you read about are mega-monster galleries that are very rich and powerful, with tons of money and satellites. But that’s really only 5 percent of the market. The vast majority of galleries are small single- or double-venue operations that are looking for creative ways to extend themselves into the community without feeling the need to engulf and devour the world.”