Mitchell is the second contributor to the Scottish artist Katie Paterson’s Future Library project … Starting with Margaret Atwood, who last year handed over the manuscript of a text called Scribbler Moon, each year for the next 100 years an author will deliver a piece of writing which will only be read in 2114.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
How Diane Arbus Pulled Herself Out Of Absolute Misery To Become The Photographer We Know
“Diane Arbus was teetering on the edge of a breakdown. In 1956, she tearfully dissolved the decade-long fashion-photography enterprise that she had been conducting successfully but stressfully with her husband, Allan. Her misery was longstanding. Fashion photography is built on artifice. Diane needed, temperamentally and philosophically, to poke through pretensions and masks to expose the hidden truth.”
Rediscovering A 19th-Century Black Female Novelist
“While looking through old British newspapers, I was astonished to read an 1893 announcement in The Daily Telegraph proclaiming Sarah E. Farro to be ‘the first negro novelist’ with the publication of her novel True Love. I wondered: who was this woman? And why didn’t we know about this reportedly groundbreaking novel?”
What Film Was Stanley Kubrick Planning When He Died? ‘Pinocchio’
“Emilio D’Alessandro, Kubrick’s trusted personal assistant and friend for more than 30 years, told the Guardian that the director wanted to tell the story of Pinocchio and to shoot a movie about Monte Cassino, one of the most bitter and bloody battles of the second world war.”
What Kinds Of Books Are Selling These Days? Paperbacks, Audiobooks, Coloring Books – But Not E-Books
“After years of seemingly unstoppable growth, e-book sales have started to slip, while paper has improbably bounced back. Digital book sales fell nearly 10 percent in 2015 from the previous year. Paperback sales grew by a healthy 16 percent.” What’s more, “those who came of age with digital technology seem, surprisingly, to prefer paper to pixels.”
Actress Challenges L.A.’s 99-Seat Theater Plan With Suit Claiming Unpaid Wages
“Adding fuel to the long-simmering fire over whether actors working under the 99-Seat Theater Plan are ‘volunteers,’ ‘independent contractors’ or ’employees,’ actress Ann Colby Stocking has filed a complaint … against Odyssey Theatre Ensemble and its producer, Ron Sossi. Her demand is for over $6,000.”
Japan’s Vagina Kayak Artist Does An Autobiography In Manga Cartoons
“In simple, childlike cartoons, she illustrates the origins of her art practice – her realization, at a young age, that ‘Japan’s view of pussy is really weird.'”
To Boycott Or Not To Boycott? Considering How Artists Should Respond To North Carolina’s House Bill 2
“An established artist in high demand will likely make a much bigger impact by canceling than a lesser-known artist would, so the payoff for the risk is much greater in terms of awareness. And an established artist has more leverage – both with the public and with administrators, agents, and venues – because he can draw on decades of goodwill.”
We Have An Eight-Figure Deficit – No, Wait, We Take That Back, We Have A Seven-Figure Surplus, Says Ballet Company
“There was a literal embarrassment of riches for the Australian Ballet this morning, as the company had to issue a retraction for a release sent to the media yesterday claiming the company made a $14 million loss in 2015.”
Martha Argerich’s Swiss Festival Loses Sponsor, Will Probably Close
For 15 years, the Progetto Martha Argerich in Lugano has had a devoted following of audience members, famous musicians who want to collaborate with Argerich, and the label warner Classics, which issues a 3 CD-set of highlights from each year’s festival. But the event’s main sponsor has been the now-scandal-plagued Banca della Svizzera Italiana, which has discontinued funding.