Ian Bogost: “Normally we think of play as the opposite of work. Work is the thing you have to do, and then there’s play, the thing you choose to do. But if you think of play as being in things, there are things that are playable, then it becomes the work of figuring out what a thing can do.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
On The History Of The American Flag In Black Protest Art
“[Colin Kaepernick’s] protest was a piece of performance art, and in staging it he blurred the line between art and protest. Kaepernick isn’t just a part of the long line of black athletes who have used their platforms to speak out about political issues; he (unintentionally) inserted himself into the rich tradition of black artists who have invoked the American flag in political protest.”
Convincing Berkeley Students To Engage With John Calvin, Even Though They Despise Everything The Man Stood For
“In my history of Christianity course, we read a number of challenging writers. Each one I ask students to read with as much sympathy, charity and critical perspective as they can muster. But nothing outrages them – not the writings of Augustine or Erasmus or Luther – more than two or three pages of John Calvin”, the “Ayatollah of Geneva.”
Preserving Disappearing Languages From All Over The World – In One City
“[Toronto’s] roughly 2.8 million residents come from about 200 distinct ethnic origins and speak more than 140 languages and dialects. Of these, [linguist Anastasia] Riehl says, at least a ‘few dozen’ are endangered and several probably don’t even have proper names. “Large multi-ethnic cities like Toronto become the last context for these languages.'”
‘Guilty Or Not Guilty? You Decide …’: Viewers Dispense Vigilante Justice Live On Camera
“The alleged carjacker is strapped to a chair as the video stream goes live and a distorted voice is heard describing his crimes. Footage is then shown of an attack before the words ‘Guilty or Not Guilty? You Decide …’ flash up on screen alongside a website address. The verdict is overwhelmingly guilty and the man is killed by lethal injection while the camera is running.”
Why Theater Artists In Taiwan Have To Avoid Politics, Even Though It’s A Democracy (Is The U.S. Headed This Way?)
Stan Lai, the country’s leading playwright-director: “The acute confrontational stance of the two opposing parties has created a fatigue and distaste toward politics in society in general, including the artistic community. … There is no space for objective and rational discourse. That is why artists in Taiwan today naturally gravitate away from dealing with political issues.”
Jack Hofsiss, Tony-Winning Director Who Kept Working Even After Becoming A Paraplegic, Dead At 65
When he won a Tony in 1979, at age 28, for The Elephant Man, his career kicked into overdrive – until he was paralyzed in a diving accident in 1985. But, after a long recovery and a period of depression, an invitation from the Berkshire Theater Festival restarted what would become a long career.
Gawker Media’s New Owners Delete Six Existing Posts, Staff Rebels
“[Editorial staffers and the new owners at Univision] fought over the decision to delete six posts from the embattled digital media company’s stable of sites … Also expected to be discussed at the meeting was staffers’ request that Univision indemnify them personally for stories published – a request that the media giant denied, sources said.”
Thomas Heatherwick’s $150 Million ‘Stairway To Nowhere’
“By the look of the renderings officially unveiled on Wednesday morning, New York’s next significant landmark may be the city’s biggest Rorschach test, too.”
U.S. House Passes Bill To Outlaw Ticket Bots
“The Better Online Ticket Sales Act, or BOTS Act, would make it illegal to circumvent the security rules of an online ticketing Web site in order to buy tickets. The bill passed the House of Representatives in a voice vote Monday, and it’s now being considered by the Senate.”