“The factual errors are so great that it would be as though someone set out to dramatize the reality show Deadliest Catch by showing a group of fishermen sitting on a dock in Alaska trying to catch crabs with fishing rods.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Jeremy Lloyd, 84, Writer Of Cult BBC Comedies
He and colleague David Croft co-created the series ‘Allo ‘Allo! and Are You Being Served?.
The 20 Most Powerless People In The Art World In 2014
“While other art publications sing the praises of the rich and powerful, we like to look at those who are largely overlooked (or worse, exploited) in order to understand the real state of the art world and its discontents. So, here you have our annual assessment of those below the most powerful.”
Earthquake-Proofing Michelangelo’s “David”
“The Italian government is to spend €200,000 (£160,000) on a new plinth to support Michelangelo’s statue of David after hundreds of earth tremors shook Florence and the surrounding region in recent days.”
The Best Movie Trailers Of 2014
“In the past 12 months, the number of movie trailers you’ve seen is probably greater than the number of actual movies you’ve seen. Now that the Internet means you don’t have to show up to a theater to watch them, previews are more widely available – and widely discussed – than ever. Which means the good ones really deserve to be appreciated.” (includes video)
Did Tuberculosis Really Kill Chopin?
In 19th-century Europe, the heyday of Romanticism, consumption was the glamorous, poetic way for the beautiful and gifted to die, and Chopin fit the bill perfectly. But there have been questions ever since the composer’s death about whether TB really was what killed him. The exhumation and (visual-only) examination of his heart this fall didn’t necessarily settle the question – and actually testing the heart would be even more contentious than you’d think.
How To Write: A Year In Advice From People Who Really Know
Favorite suggestions from David Mitchell, Jane Smiley, Claire Messud, William Gibson, Billy Collins, and other contributors to The Atlantic‘s “By Heart” series.
Keeping Alvin Ailey’s Company Vital, 25 Years After His Death
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Robert Battle, only the third person to head the company in its history (and the first not to be an original member of the company) talks about keeping Mr. Ailey’s technique and works alive as well as adding other choreographers’ work to the repertoire. (audio)
Why American Jews Eat Chinese Food on Christmas
“For many Jewish Americans, the night before Christmas conjures up visions, not of sugar plums, but plum sauce slathered over roast duck … The story begins during the halcyon days of the Lower East Side where … Jews and Chinese were the two largest non-Christian immigrant groups at the turn of the [20th] century.”
Why Guilt-Prone People Aren’t “Team Players”
“A lot of us know someone who is a bit more guilt-prone than they should be, liable to nose-dive into a shame spiral over seemingly minor incidents. A new study hints at some of the effects this trait could have in the workplace or the classroom: Guilt-prone people may be less likely to want to team up on projects out of fear they will disappoint their colleagues.”