“These dancers could be among the young talent of any ballet company, but for now they are something else: Immigrants in the United States trying to land dancing opportunities while navigating cultural differences. The ballerinas fled from the Cuban National Ballet while on tour in Mexico.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Sacramento Lags In Arts Funding And Economic Benefits, Finds Study
The most recent “Arts and Economic Prosperity” study from Americans for the Arts finds that arts organizers pumped $82 million into the region’s economy (with attendees contributing almost $30 million more), but that, compared to cities of similar size such as Portland and Indianapolis, Sacramento sees less arts spending and notably less economic benefit.
Chinese Cinema’s Answer To The Social Network
The new hit movie American Dreams in China tells “the story of three friends who launch an online English instruction school for Chinese students.” The film, writes David Weigel, “is an oddly fascinating tribute to the three Cs: capitalism, China, and copyright theft.”
Everything’s Looking Up At Lyric Opera Of Chicago After Busiest Season Ever
Ticket revenue is up 15%; attendance is up 4.6%; the company exceeded its fundraising goals. “But the gain that’s really cheering company officials is the more than 27,000 new customers – people attending Lyric events for the first time.”
Thomas Pynchon Hides In Plain Sight
“It is not clear why he so intently avoids the public eye. His literary peers – Joseph Heller, Kurt Vonnegut, Don DeLillo, among others – regularly appeared before the masses, either to teach fiction or grant interviews about this or that upcoming book. By contrast, Pynchon appears to interact only with people in his own line of work … It’s equally unclear how principled his avoidance of others is.”
Colum McCann On The Power Of Literature
“I’m not sure if it can absolutely change things, but literature can certainly become a stay against the tyranny of pessimism and misery. Misery and pessimism stand in opposition to value. And we all need to feel valuable. This is where stories come in.”
Empathy Vs. Disgust In The Human Brain
The sight of an injured rat hauling itself along a Manhattan sidewalk prompts Arielle Duhaime-Ross to consider the struggle between the two antithetical impulses.
The Ambivalence Manifesto
“We are the Ambivalents, unable not to see both sides of the argument, frozen in the no-man’s land between armies of true believers. We cannot speak our name, because there is no respectable way to confess that you believe two opposing propositions, no ballot that allows you to vote for competing candidates, no questionnaire in which you can tick the box, ‘I agree with both of these conflicting views’.”
Auditors Express Doubt About Nashville Symphony’s Viability
“Independent auditors of the Nashville Symphony say ‘there is substantial doubt’ about the symphony’s ability to continue as a going concern, according to a new audit posted on Givingmatters.com.”
Minnesota Orchestra Broke No Laws In Its Use Of Public Funds: Auditor
“The state Legislative Auditor’s Office has found no improprieties in how the Minnesota Orchestra Association used state money – both general operating funds and a $14 million bonding grant to help renovate Orchestra Hall.”