“NPR introduced public comments to its website eight years ago, when many of today’s most popular venues for digital interaction didn’t yet exist or were in their infancy. Since then, we’ve explored and developed many options for strengthening those connections. Some of these methods have proven invaluable. Others less so.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Oops! We Went All-Out To Become The UK City Of Culture, But We Have Nowhere To Put The Tourists
“Nearly a million visitors are expected to attend events in Hull as part of the landmark culture festival, which includes theatre, dance, music and other arts performances. However, the city centre’s hotels only have about 1,000 beds – so residents are being encouraged to rent out their spare rooms to tourists.”
I’m Not Scared Of The Edinburgh Fringe, Says New CEO Of Edinburgh Fringe
Shona McCarthy, on whether she’s daunted by the pace of the Fringe’s growth: “I’m not intimidated, and continuous growth is not our primary objective. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe should be whatever size it needs to be to accommodate the artists from all continents who want to have a voice here, and the venues who want to host them.”
Philadelphia’s Academy Of Music Gets A (Barely Visible) Facelift
“It’s easy to spot the splashier renovations to the Academy of Music from the past couple of decades – the meticulously restored ballroom, or the enormous crystal chandelier in the main auditorium that now closely resembles the original. Less obvious is some of the work being done this summer on the building, which has been, since 1857, the city’s prime gathering place with a sense of occasion.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 08.17.16
Bobby Hutcherson: 1941-2016
Bobby Hutcherson, whose vibraphone playing developed deep and complex harmonies, died on Monday at home in Montara, California. He was 75. When Hutcherson came to prominence in the early 1960s, he was in the forefront … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2016-08-17
From England Via Florida With Love
The Sarasota Ballet presents an all-Ashton program at the Joyce Theater. … read more
AJBlog: Dancebeat Published 2016-08-17
Groundhog Day, The (Buddhist) Musical
Intelligence is not exactly the first quality you look for in a musical. … But when Matilda the Musical grabbed our attention at the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2010, we had to acknowledge that Tim Minchin had ploughed new ground. … In converting the 1993 film Groundhog Day into a musical for the Old Vic, Minchin has gone at least one better. … read more
AJBlog: Plain English Published 2016-08-17
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The Possibilities Of Love In This Summer Of Fear And Anxiety
Natasha Lennard: “It would be facile to respond to recent events – political upheaval, mass murder, police violence and festering racism – with a call to “love.” But in extreme times, it’s worth considering: Can love (as we know it) act as a radical force rather than a distraction? Does our current idea of love need revision? Is there a new kind of love emerging in new social movements, one that works against the narrow kind of love fostered by capitalism? I discussed these and other matters with Moira Weigel, the author of Labor of Love: The Invention of Dating.”
LGBT People Are Not Tragic, And It’s Time For The Stories In Our Culture To Reflect That
Jo Chiang: “Growing up, I found no reflection of that [queer] part of myself in the people around me. But I did have films and television. … Although women who loved women could not live happily ever after, they could drive off cliffs (Thelma and Louise). Or they could set the manor on fire and perish as it crumbled around them (Rebecca). Or they could be suffocated in a senseless and racialized manner for the sake of making a statement (Orange Is the New Black). Or they could get shot (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). And shot (Orphan Black). And shot (The Walking Dead). And shot (The 100).”
Gertrude Stein Wrote A Children’s Book, And Her Style Is Perfect For It
What’s more, Stein gave advice on reading the book that fits almost everything she ever wrote: “Don’t bother about the commas which aren’t there, read the words. Don’t worry about the sense that is there, read the words. If you have any trouble, read faster and faster until you don’t.”
Marina Abramovic Gets Roasted On Social Media For Writing About Indigenous Australians
An excerpt from an early proof of her upcoming memoir, Walk Through Walls – a passage with a very uncomfortable description of Abramović’s first visit to the outback in 1979 and her first impressions of Australian aboriginals – has been getting a hard time online – complete with hashtag #TheRacistIsPresent.
When America’s Most Famous Journalist Couple Fought Each Other For War Scoops (It Didn’t Help The Marriage)
“Gellhorn and Hemingway first met in 1936 at a bar called Sloppy Joe’s in Key West, Florida. Their relationship blossomed during their coverage of the civil war in Spain. Both were phenomenal writers, known for daring reportage from the battlefield. Their similarities made them natural allies, and passionate competitors, in journalism.”