“Now that amateur autobiography and its detractors are everywhere, autobiographical writers are increasingly invested in defining and defending the value of their work. How can it escape the gravitational pull of solipsism? For a growing number of essayists, memoirists, and other wielders of the unwieldy ‘I,’ confessional has become an unwelcome label—an implicit accusation of excessive self-absorption, of writing not just about oneself but for oneself.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Britain Increases Tax Breaks For High-End TV Drama
“As part of the Budget, [Chancellor of the Exchequer George] Osborne revealed that productions where expenditure for pre-production, principal photography and post-production accounted for upwards of 10% of the production budget would be eligible for relief. The previous threshold was 25%.”
Sylvie Guillem To Receive Special Olivier Award
“The classical and contemporary dancer will be presented with a special award at the London ceremony on 12 April. In her 33 year career, Guillem has danced all the leading roles of the classical repertoire with companies including The Royal Ballet and Kirov.”
When “Bitch” Is Not An Insult
“Bitch is, of course, one of the oldest ways to insult a woman in English: an 18th-century slang dictionary called it ‘the most offensive appellation that can be given to an English woman, even more provoking than that of whore.’ And yet, the word has evolved in unexpected ways, ending up with some strangely positive connotations.”
Amsterdam Museum Bans Artist For Threatening to Piss on the Art
“[A] judge slapped an unbending ban from the Stedelijk Museum on [Rob van Koningsbruggen] for saying that he would ‘piss all over’ a painting by Marlene Dumas ‘to improve it with a well-aimed stream.’ He had also threatened to urinate on a piece by Luc Tuymans.”
A Museum Designed For Taking Selfies (And Touching And Climbing On The Art)
A Manila venue called Art in island “helps jaded museum-goers regain a healthy perspective on art by allowing them to touch, sit on, and climb 3D approximations of paintings like Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night. With portions of each work slightly altered or left out entirely, the art isn’t even finished until you complete the picture.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 03.19.15
What’s the Matter with “Why the Arts Matter?”
AJBlog: Field Notes Published 2015-03-18
Yep, We Do That – Sequel (Part II)
AJBlog: Engaging Matters Published 2015-03-18
It’s Official: A New Director For National Gallery
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts Published 2015-03-18
[ssba_hide]
Is There Yet Another Harper Lee Manuscript Stashed Somewhere?
Beginning in 1978, Lee visited Alexander City, Alabama to research the case(s) of Reverend Willie Maxwell, suspected in the death of five different family members but never convicted – and ultimately shot by another relative. Lee told Maxwell’s lawyer that she was working on a big In Cold Blood-style book and collected huge files of material; now the lawyer’s family wants to know what’s left of it, and where.
€50,000 Karajan Music Prize To Period-Performance Star Thomas Hengelbrock
“Hengelbrock is founder and director of the Balthasar-Neumann-Chor and the Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble, each dedicated to historically informed performance. … The annual award, presented by the Festpielhaus Baden-Baden in Germany, … [rquires] that the cash sum be used by the recipient to help further the careers of young musicians.”
Why “Dancing With the Stars” Endures
“DWTS is easy to dismiss – all those sequins! … [But] the show really does do something unique – not just for reality TV, but for TV in general: It celebrates the merits of good, old-fashioned hard work. The people on the show aren’t just working it; they’re also just plain working.”