“In the libel suit, the dealer, Hicham Aboutaam, said he has never handled antiquities looted by terrorists and that sales at his Manhattan-based gallery, Phoenix Ancient Art, have plummeted. The article reported that authorities in Switzerland, France, Belgium and the United States were investigating Mr. Aboutaam and his older brother, Ali Aboutaam.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Ohad Naharin Will Step Down As Artistic Director Of Batsheva Dance Company
“It’s difficult to imagine a Batsheva Dance Company without Ohad Naharin at the helm. The provocative choreographer has been the Israeli troupe’s artistic director since 1990, during which time the company, its lead choreographer and his movement language, Gaga, have become more or less synonymous. But changes are afoot. Batsheva quietly announced on its website this weekend that Naharin will be stepping down from his post as artistic director in September 2018.”
Two Lost Manuscripts By Gustav Holst Turn Up In File Cabinet In New Zealand
The music director and librarian of the Bay of Plenty Symphonia in Tauranga were weeding out old photocopies from their files “and [we] found these hand-written scores. We didn’t really believe we were holding genuine Holst manuscripts, but there was just enough of a tingle of excitement not to throw them away.”
James Franco Puts The Kibosh On ‘James Franco And Me’
“When Kevin Broccoli wrote his two-man play James Franco and Me, he had vague hopes that the real James Franco might tweet about it or maybe, just maybe, come see a performance. Instead, Mr. Franco’s lawyers have sent a cease-and-desist letter to a New York theater that was going to stage the satire in August.”
After Controversial Reforms, Attendance At Italy’s Museums Is Up
“Italy’s Culture Ministry says the number of visitors to Italian museums continues to rise two years after reforms that included opening top museum positions to foreigners for the first time.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 07.17.17
Welcome to the Community
We are all a part of communities of many different shapes and sizes. Large or small, local to our region or universal, communities offer connection, purpose and a sense of belonging to a group larger … read more
AJBlog: Field Notes Published 2017-07-17
Finding Magic in Community
Sometimes joining a new community can open up new, magical worlds that you never imagined were possible. This was Quentin Turner’s experience when he gained a new set of friends, teammates and community through … read more
AJBlog: Field Notes Published 2017-07-17
Previewing The Ystad Festival
Before long, the Rifftides staff will be flying to Europe for the 2017 Ystad Sweden Jazz Festival. As always, the festival lineup will include prominent visiting American artists. Among them are tenor … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2017-07-16
Thoreau Was A Darwinist
“With the possible exception of Asa Gray, no American read the Origin of Species with as much care and insight as Henry David Thoreau. … That the struggle among species was an engine of creation struck him with particular force. It undermined transcendentalist assumptions about the essential goodness of nature, but it also corroborated many of Thoreau’s own observations.”
How Tap Dance Got From Street-Corner Dance-Offs To Michelle Dorrance (Via Fred Astaire And Savion Glover)
Judith Mackrell gives us a brief 200-year history.
Understanding Poetry Is Not Some Esoteric Skill – It’s Very Straightforward (If The Poetry’s Any Good)
The problem, writes Matthew Zapruder, is that “in school we are taught that poetry is inherently ‘difficult,’ and that by its very nature it somehow makes meaning by hiding meaning. … Good poets do not deliberately complicate something just to make it harder for a reader to understand. Unfortunately, young readers, and young poets too, are taught to think that this is exactly what poets do. This has, in turn, created certain habits in the writing of contemporary poetry. Bad information about poetry in, bad poetry out, a kind of poetic obscurity feedback loop.”
Why I Hate The Best Short Story I’ve Ever Written
Akhil Sharma: “I read ‘If You Sing Like That for Me’ now and I find myself jumping out of my skin. After each paragraph, I have to get up from my desk and pace around. Talking about the story, my tone becomes contemptuous. It is strange to think that, to readers, this story means nothing like what it means to me.”