“At the time of this writing, there are sixteen thousand two hundred and seventy-seven days remaining in my life. I know this because an app I have installed on my phone tells me so. … And this is essentially the point of the app. It’s supposed to make you think like this – to terrify you into productivity, turning mortal dread into a procrastination preventative.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Is Your Native Language Your Financial Destiny?
“Differences in the way various languages talk about the present and future [i.e., verb tense] could help explain why Germans urge free-spending Greeks to adopt their fiscal discipline, and why Americans are baffled by China’s low consumption and high savings rates, according to research published [last spring].”
Alvin Ailey Co. And Wayne McGregor Stretch Each Other
Artistic director Robert Battle, looking to expand the repertoire and stylistic range of a troupe that had become a bit predictable, engaged McGregor to stage his stark and hyperkinetic Chroma on the Ailey dancers. They’re the first non-classical group to perform the work – and (to McGregor’s happiness) the first that’s dark-skinned.
When A Choreographer Joins The Circus (Yes, Ringling Bros.)
“He’s choreographed such musical hits as Rock of Ages, Dreamgirls, … and Blades of Glory. Now Kevin Wilson is taking on a new venture: choreographing what has been called ‘The Greatest Show on Earth.’ Wondering how this creative director pulls together a cast and crew that includes everything from clowns to a horse named ‘Comanche?’ We wondered, too.”
Bad Sex Award Goes To Manil Suri And His Shoals Of Atomic Nuclei
“Among the pools of sweat, ripe brie, knotted vines, hot stones, damp glades and chocolatey tobacco in this year’s entries, it was the exploding supernovas of Manil Suri’s third novel, The City of Devi, that clinched him the most dreaded award in the world of books: the Literary Review bad sex prize.”
New Bill In U.S. Congress Could Make College Textbooks Free
“[That] is the idea behind the Affordable College Textbook Act, a bill recently introduced in Congress by Senators Dick Durbin and Al Franken. The bill would create a grant program that would support the creation and use of so-called ‘open textbooks,’ meaning textbooks that are licensed under terms that allow them to be accessed and distributed for free.”
Federal Judge Gives First Hint Of Detroit Art Collection’s Status In City’s Bankruptcy
“‘A one-time infusion of cash by selling an asset,’ he [wrote], would have only delayed the city’s ‘inevitable financial failure’ unless it could have also come up with a sustainable way to enhance income and reduce expenses. Judge Rhodes added that in considering selling assets, a city ‘must take extreme care that the asset is truly unnecessary in carrying out its mission’.”
Donmar Warehouse Settle Suit By Blinded Actor
“Actor David Birrell has received ‘substantial’ damages after he was blinded in his right eye when a prop gun misfired during an onstage duel at the Donmar Warehouse” in 2010.
The Blonde American Who’s Amazing Arabs By Singing Their Music
Jennifer Grout, a 23-year-old from Boston who speaks almost no Arabic, sings it so well that she’s now a finalist on this year’s Arabs Got Talent – the only one performing the classical repertoire in which Umm Kulthum and Fairouz became famous but which most younger Arabs neglect.
The Bolshoi, Where Ballet Actually Means Life And Death
Judith Mackrell reviews the bizarre and dramatic backstage saga at the theater that (probably hasn’t) ended with the guilty verdicts in the trial of the men accused of throwing acid into Sergei Filin’s face.