“It is a place of learning and ideas, with books salvaged from the wreckage outside … A photocopy of an old history book, a shelf full of children’s stories, and self-help books by Tony Robbins, sit alongside a J.M. Coetzee novel, a volume of Islamic scholarship, and slim editions of Arabic poetry by Mahmoud Darweesh or Nizar Qabbani. They are read by candlelight during lengthy power outages or at the war front by rebel fighters.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Temporary Opera House, Built Entirely Of Wood, Opens In Geneva
The 1,118-seat venue, called the Opéra des Nations, “was recycled from a temporary building used in Paris when the French capital’s Comédie Française itself underwent renovations.” It will be used for 2½ years while Geneva’s Grand Théâtre undergoes renovation. The acoustics are said to be excellent.
What 74 Years Of New York Times Crossword Puzzles Say About The Language We Use
“The results are imperfect, since the puzzles can be tricky and there is a lot of overlap between English and foreign words. But the broad trend is clear. The puzzle today uses one-third fewer non-English clues and answers than it did at its peak in 1966, and makes two-thirds fewer international references than its peak in 1943.” (includes interactive puzzle)
Michelangelo Had Terrible Arthritis In His Hands – And Kept On Painting
Recently published research “suggests that Michelangelo Buonarroti suffered from osteoarthritis for the last 15 years of his life. Miraculously, though the researchers claim that this was why the Renaissance master could not write his own letters toward the end of his life, it did not affect his art practice, which remained prolific up to the week of his death.”
You Could Buy Michelangelo’s Villa
“The deeds to Michelangelo’s old Tuscan villa, a three-structure complex complete with Renaissance-age fixtures, functional wood-burning fireplaces, and an olive grove, could be yours for just $8,369,602.” (includes photos and floor plans)
The Play That Samuel French Tried To Stop An Hour Before Curtain? Here’s What Happened Next
The show went on – with some ingenious last-minute adjustments by the show’s creator/performer, Erin Pike. For instance, the performance started with the voicemail message a Samuel French executive left Pike saying that the performance was “illegal” and the agency would “go after [their] presenter.” (includes audio of voicemail message)
Philly’s Fledgling Summer Opera Festival Still Hasn’t Paid Last Year’s Performers
“About the only ones who don’t want to be quoted [for this story] are those suing the company who have been advised by legal counsel to stay quiet.”
What The Washington Ballet Needs In A New Director
Sarah Kaufman: “It’s difficult to imagine a new director matching Webre’s magnetism, room-brightening cheer and go-go output. But a new hire doesn’t need to. … With a strong financial position, the Washington Ballet has an opportunity to shoot for the top. It should focus on the very highest quality, not just the short-term buzz of exhilaration. Why shouldn’t it be the nation’s premier chamber-size ballet company?”
Will Streaming Music Kill Songwriting?
“If streaming is the future of music, songwriters may soon be back to where they started. Stephen Foster, America’s first professional songwriter, was also the first to die broke.”
Woman Buys $200 Sofa On Craigslist, Winds Up With $60K Warhol
“The Warhol screen print of a man’s genitalia was bought by accident after a clueless seller sold a couch through the site and threw in a box of junk that happened to contain the artwork. A New Jersey woman was the lucky buyer who decided to pick up the box while collecting the couch, all for $200, on the Lower East Side.”