Water levels in the River Elbe dropped so far that “hunger stones” were revealed – carved boulders used since the 1400sto commemorate droughts and warn of their consequences. One of the stones bears the inscription “Wenn du mich siehst, dann weine” (If you see me, weep). – The Guardian
Author: Douglas McLennan
Study: The Twitter Universe Is Nothing Like Here In Real Life
Pew Research Center recently conducted a survey of 2,791 adult American Twitter users, and the team’s findings paint a stark contrast between those who are extremely online and those who are not. While the gender and ethnic makeup of Twitter users seems to be mostly similar to the greater U.S. population, there are significant differences in terms of political views, income-generation, and more. – Fast Company
Ibsen Was A Hugely Influential Playwright And His Ideas Permeate Still. But…
Terry Teachout writes that the ideas – groundbreaking and shocking in their times, are now so familiar that they’re boring. “To be sure, we live with their culture-changing consequences—we know them well—but the plays themselves too often come across as static, talky exercises in bourgeois-baiting, as smug as Shaw at his worst but without his compensating wit.” Commentary
Herb Alpert Was A Helluva Trumpet Player. For 30 Years He’s Also Been A Brilliant Philanthropist
He has been a consistent and articulate proponent of the arts at a time in which the field is under siege. His free-wheeling and improvisational approach belies a coherent underlying strategy that is both forward-looking and impactful. And in an almost uniformly risk-adverse philanthropic climate, Alpert has shown a refreshing tendency to boldly go where other funders are unwilling to tread. – Inside Philanthropy
Returning Cultural Items From Museums Is Complicated. Here’s A Primer
David Shariatmadari does a good job taking his readers through the issues. – The Guardian
Medieval Monks Were A Distracted Lot. Here’s How They Focused
It occurred to historian Jamie Kreiner that the monks she studied spent a lot of their time trying to figure out how to stay focused. And maybe their advice might be useful to the present-day world full of digital distraction. – Aeon
Rebuild Notre Dame, Of Course. But We Need More Sensitivity To What Can’t (Or Shouldn’t) Be
This story takes up the cases of several high-profile fires that have damaged cultural icons and asks: 1. why do we not seem to be more careful in taking care of them, and 2. when contemplating what was destroyed, we sometimes restore in ways that end up as garish cartoons of what they were. – ArtWatch
More Than 7000 TV Writers Have Fired Their Agents, Says Union
The writers’ union’s memo also claimed, “Most of the writers who haven’t yet signed termination letters are retirees or no longer actively working.” – New York Magazine
Suzanne Farrell Back At City Ballet – What It Means
Alastair Macaulay: “What makes Ms. Farrell so important? Her place in Balanchine history is central: She inspired him to make some of his most radically modernist works; opened up fresh torrents of Romanticism in him; showed how old roles could be transformed. She combined grandeur, musicality, wit, fervor and acumen to phenomenal degrees.” – The New York Times
Report: By Next Year More Canadians Will Be Streaming Than Paying For Cable TV
It’s an amazingly fast shift in how people are watching. The amount they watch hasn’t gone done, just how they access it. And, perhaps a shift in what they watch too. – CBC