“But nothing prepares you for the richness of the stone carved interior. It is best to sit for a moment in one of the center pews (you may have to move the chapel cat who has residential rights) and slowly absorb the carved richness of almost every surface.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Stars Of Cannes Winner Say Filming Was A Nightmare
“The stars of Palme d’Or-winning drama Blue is the Warmest Colour have said that making director Abdellatif Kechiche’s film was ‘horrible’ … [They] said the Franco-Tunisian film-maker ranted and raved at them [throughout the project], … while a fight scene was the result of a continuous one-hour take during which Kechiche refused to allow his stars to simulate blows.”
The Protestant Work Ethic Is Real, Say Dutch Researchers
“The connection between work and happiness is much more intense in Protestant countries than in others. Protestants suffer intense hardship from unemployment; the ‘psychic harm from unemployment is about 40 percent worse for Protestants than for the general population,’ according to the authors. This also holds true for non-Protestants living in Protestant countries.”
Extra! Read Van Gogh’s Own Words After Cutting Off His Ear!
“The newly discovered article in a Parisian daily records important details. Le Petit Journal reported that Van Gogh used a razor. He then went to a ‘house of ill repute’, where he ‘gave his ear in a folded piece of paper’ to the doorkeeper. Van Gogh told the recipient: ‘Take it, it will be useful’.”
Hatchet Job Of The Year? Bruce Bawer Has At Jack Kerouac
“To read through these seven hundred-odd pages of Kerouac’s staggeringly slapdash effusions set in elegant Galliard, outfitted with the usual meticulous editorial apparatus, and bound – like Twain’s novels and Lincoln’s speeches – in a beautiful Library of America volume is enough to trigger a serious attack of cognitive dissonance.”
High Art: Craftsmen Make Glass Bongs Into Aesthetic Objects
“Now that marijuana has been legalized for medical purposes in 20 states, and for recreation in Washington and Colorado, makers of what is known as ‘heady glass’ are showcasing their work in art books and public competitions.”
Deep Inside Simone Kermes
“Do you want to see my vocal cords? I want to show you my vocal cords. For a singer it’s like you are naked. Like you take off your clothes for Playboy. … Nobody is showing the cords because if they are not healthy you can see it. I wanted to put them in the last album but Sony said ‘no Simone, you cannot put them in the book’. I said ‘why not?'”
Minnesota Orchestra Board: Even Come The Apocalypse, We Won’t Give In
“Richard Davis, chairman of the orchestra’s negotiating team, said management will stand firm in the 11-month lockout, despite the looming prospect of outcomes once deemed unthinkable – including the departure of Music Director Osmo Vänskä, the cancellation of key concerts at Carnegie Hall and delaying the start of the 2013-14 season in the newly remodeled Orchestra Hall.”
Seeking Ancient Burmese Art For A New York Debut
Curators are searching “among hundreds of rarely seen ancient objects in the neglected museums and dusty storerooms they have been scouring across Myanmar as they prepare for a 2015 exhibit at the Asia Society in New York City that will celebrate the nation’s long-hidden Buddhist art.”
FunnyOrDie Crossed With The Onion, But In Portuguese: Brazil’s YouTube Comedy Guerrillas
“New Internet ventures are challenging established companies in various industries in Brazil, but few here have captured audiences and ruffled feathers like Porta dos Fundos, whose satirical videos are challenging – and influencing – how Brazilian society ponders thorny subjects like religion, drug use, politics, sexuality and, of course, corruption.”