Richard Angas, 71, was rehearsing for a production of Britten’s Peter Grimes at England’s Opera North when he fell ill.
Author: Matthew Westphal
Christie’s Sued By Insurer Over Superstorm Sandy Damage
“Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services is being hit with a lawsuit in New York court alleging that its ‘gross negligence’ during Superstorm Sandy damaged art collected by late cellist Gregor Piatigorsky. The facility in Red Hook, Brooklyn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Christie’s auction house that stores and protects art for outside clients.”
When It Comes To Consciousness, Is Science Completely Missing (Or Avoiding) The Boat?
NYU philosopher Thomas Nagel lays out the basic premise of his c/ntroversial book Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature Is Almost Certainly False.
Turkish Soap Operas Conquer The Muslim World
“TV audiences across the Balkans, the Gulf, and the Middle East are soaking up Turkish soaps by the dozen, and to the tune of more than $100 million per year in sales. … The soaps not only communicate Turkish culture to the outside world, they market it.”
Poet For Hire On Craigslist
“Poet available to begin work immediately. Capable in rhyme and meter, fluent in traditional and contemporary forms. Quotidian observations available at standard rate of $15/hour; occasional verse at slightly higher rate of $17/hour. Incomprehensible garbage $25/hour. Angst extra.” Guess what: the ad has worked.
For Once, Actors Get To Throw Tomatoes (Real Ones) At Critics
“Performers at the Edinburgh Fringe were given a chance to have their revenge on critics this week, by pelting them with tomatoes. A handful of critics … volunteered themselves as human targets.”
French Government Campaign: Stop Being Mean To Tourists
“Officials have been deluging cafes, hotels, shops and taxi ranks with 20,000 more pamphlets titled ‘Do You Speak Touriste?’, a manual on how to make travelers feel more welcome, after 35,000 copies handed out in July ran out.”
Hong Kong’s Ghosts Struggle With Hyperinflation
“For hundreds of years, Chinese have burned stacks of so-called ‘ghost money’ for their ancestors to help ensure their comfort in the afterlife. The fake bills resemble a gaudier version of Monopoly money … The value of the biggest bills has risen in the past few decades from the millions and, more recently, the billions. The reason: Even Hong Kong’s dead try to keep up with the Joneses.”
Label Cancels Minnesota Orchestra Recording Project As Lockout Drags On
“Concerned that an ongoing lockout of musicians by the Minnesota Orchestra has left the orchestra unprepared, the Swedish recording company Bis has postponed a planned September session, orchestra officials confirmed today.”
The Great Sibling Feud Of Modern English Lit
“It sounds like the premise for a novel: Two brilliant sisters from Sheffield, England pursuing their writing careers side by side. Omnipresent comparison and competition. A feud. Veiled barbs in books. Studied indifference in interviews. Fame favoring first one and then the other.”