“In Hollywood, at least when I was making films there, there were people in the studios that actually had personalities. You could distinguish one from the other. And now, I don’t see that at all. … I just want to do what I do. And I don’t even get scripts from Hollywood. I don’t even ask for scripts anymore because I kind of know what they’re going to be.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
The Most Unusual College President In America
“Over the course of nearly forty years, [Leon] Botstein – a historian, writer, and conductor – has built Bard in his own polymath image,” revamping the curriculum, packing the faculty with well-known intellectuals, founding alternative high schools, operating degree programs in prisons … Everything but running sports programs and hitting alumni up for money, the way normal college presidents do.
Colorado Symphony Unveils Plan For Overhauled Concert Hall
“The proposed $40 million investment in Boettcher, part of downtown’s Denver Performing Arts Complex, would make it a 21st-century theater that has the capability to broadcast and stream live shows.”
Spoilers – They’re All About Social Power
“Revealing … dramatic plot twists and turns of hit television shows used to be considered a social faux pas. Today,” according to a study for Netflix conducted by a cultural anthropologist, “the motivation for spoiling a show for someone else now is about more than just watching TV, he said. It is about the politics of daily life.”
Now There’s Even A “Games Of Thrones” Ballet
Perhaps fittingly, it’s performed by a company called Brutal Ballet. (video)
If Empathy Doesn’t Work, Try Religion
“Relying on empathy to motivate charity means that it is not enough that the needy are humans, but they must also be lucky … The needy must also not be repulsive, but preferably be adorable. … The Abrahamic tradition has a different approach to altruism. The New and Old Testaments largely command people who are comfortable to give to people who aren’t – unconditionally.”
Remember That Afghan Town With The Blown-Up Buddhas? It Wants To Be A Vacation Destination
“As manager of Bamiyan’s tourism association, Ibrahim is the brains and muscle behind a push to convince foreigners to visit a town made internationally famous by one of the worst acts of cultural terrorism in recent history. Having enjoyed years of relative stability, Bamiyan wants to open up its cultural heritage to intrepid travelers curious to see more of the country than war.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 09.23.14
Do Artists Embrace or Resist Technology?
AJBlog: CultureCrash | Published 2014-09-23
ArtPrize Matures: The People Vs. Experts
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts | Published 2014-09-24
Even if…
AJBlog: Sandow | Published 2014-09-23
Autumn Comes
AJBlog: RiffTides | Published 2014-09-23
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Atlanta Symphony Cancels First Seven Weeks Of Concerts Amid Lockout
“The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra announced on Monday that it will delay the opening of its 70th anniversary season, sending patrons a rather downbeat email announcing that it had ‘regretfully’ postponed all concerts… through November 8.”
Protests Over “Death Of Klinghoffer” At Met Opera Opening Night (They Weren’t “Massive”, Exactly)
“Several hundred protesters gathered outside the Met before the performance of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro for a noisy demonstration calling for the company to cancel its production of John Adams’s 1991 opera, The Death of Klinghoffer, which is to have its Met premiere next month.”