Alicia Rodis was struck by how much more care went into staging physical interactions that were violent or dangerous than into staging those that were sexual. For a fight scene, choreographers mapped out every beat, helping actors work through each movement in slow motion, over and over, until they were automatic. In stunt work, a focus on safety was considered “nonnegotiable.” Why weren’t sex scenes governed by the same approach? – The Atlantic
Author: Douglas McLennan
Why Do The Same Images Show Up On Book After Book?
The book cover design world, it turns out, has something of an all-star squad of stock and archival image that show up on book covers time and time again. James Morrison, an editor, designer, and avid reader who lives in Adelaide, Australia, has been tracking the squad for about two decades. – Eye On Design
French Architects Attack Plan For A Makeover Of Paris Gare Du Nord Train Terminal
The award-winning French architect Jean Nouvel as well as historians and town planners wrote an open letter to Le Monde saying the €600m (£540m) renovation plan to create a glass structure – with tens of thousands of square metres of shops, walkways, split-levels and 105 escalators – was a “serious urban error” that would deform the historic building, fail Parisians and befuddle travellers. – The Guardian
The Scientist Who Believes Plants Can Talk
Last year Dr. Monica Gagliano published a heady and meandering memoir about the conversations with plants that inspired her peer-reviewed work, titled “Thus Spoke the Plant.” She believes, like many scientists and environmentalists do, that in order to save the planet we have to understand ourselves as part of the natural world. It’s just that she also believes the plants themselves can speak to this point. – The New York Times
Linda Ronstadt On Her Life With Parkinson’s
“I have a form of Parkinsonism that doesn’t respond to standard Parkinson’s meds, so there’s no treatment for what I have. It’s called P.S.P.—Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. I just have to stay home a lot. The main attraction in San Francisco is the opera and the symphony, and I make an effort and go out, but I can only do it a few times a year.” – The New Yorker
The Disconnects Of This Year’s Booker Prize Finalists
“Given the thematic unity of this year’s prize – from long- to shortlist, there has been an emphasis on experimentation and engagement with the present day – it’s not immediately obvious where divergence of opinions will begin; as ever, it’s a pin in a donkey’s tail.” – The Guardian
Cincinnati Performing Arts Centers Install Metal Detectors To Screen Patrons
“Everyone entering the buildings prior to public events will be required to walk through a metal detector (magnetometer) and have their bag searched or be screened with a hand-held metal detector to search for prohibited items.” – Cincinnati Business Journal
How Radio Technology Conspired Against Women’s Voices
Women who speak publicly and challenge authority have long been dismissed as “shrill” or “grating.” What’s less widely understood is how the design of the technology that transmits human voices has shaped this gendered invective since the dawn of the broadcast era: everything from microphones to modes of transmission have been optimized for lower voices. – The New Yorker
Is There A Better Way To Listen To Music?
Music scholars insist that if we listened to music the way a musician would, understanding how notes trigger feelings, how tones take on their own textures and meanings, then we might experience something more visceral and expansive. We could push deeper into every song. – The Paris Review
Kansas City Rep Gets A New Leader
Stuart Carden, who starts his new job within days, will be only the fifth artistic director in the Rep’s 55-year history. – Kansas City Star