“[He was] an implacable enemy of anyone who wanted to study the legendary Irish writer for almost any reason. … Though his ability to thwart scholars and Bloomsday fans diminished after 2012, when the copyright on most of Joyce’s work lapsed, Stephen Joyce still had the dubious distinction of being the most well-known of a funny list of characters: extremely obstinate literary executors.” – The Outline
Author: Matthew Westphal
Rare Set Of Banners By Alexander Calder, Long Thought Lost, Reappears In Philadelphia
“Eight colorful banners designed [for the 1976 Bicentennial] by Alexander Calder that were lost for decades, then thought destroyed, and then serendipitously found and displayed for about six weeks a decade ago — only to vanish again from public eye and memory — have been found once again, and will be exhibited permanently in the Parkway Central Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia.” – The Philadelphia Inquirer
Expanding Best Picture To More Than Five Nominees Was ‘One Of The Best Moves The Oscars Have Ever Made’
Kyle Buchanan: “Of course, the decision to blow up the best-picture category wasn’t greeted with nearly as much enthusiasm in June 2009 … Industry veterans worried that the expansion would sap a nomination of its prestige factor, and many of the publicists and producers who had won previous best-picture fights felt particularly aggrieved, like high achievers learning that the SAT had become easier after they took it. … [Even so,] I’d go so far as to say it saved the show.” – The New York Times
The “free range” workplace
When we “go to work” in the arts, we often mean actually going to an official and shared physical workspace. But there’s more and more opportunity and reason to cut the tether altogether — to abandon a shared, physical “home base” for an entirely remote or virtual work network that doesn’t have a street address. – Andrew Taylor
Dancers Are Expected To Be More Flexible Than Ever — And That Can Be Dangerous
“While high extensions can be very exciting, it is thought that this trend has led to an increase in injuries in the lower back, hips and ankles. Adam Sklute, artistic director of Ballet West, has noticed that dancers who are incredibly supple often have a greater lack of control. … The fact is, the more flexible you are, the more you have to work on gaining the strength to manage it.” – Dance Magazine
England’s Business Tax To Be Cut 50% For Small Music Venues
“230 small and medium-sized venues in England and Wales will see a 50% reduction in business rates, a fee which is charged to most non-domestic properties. It should save each venue an average of £7,500 a year, according to the Independent Venues Trust – a charity which aims to protect and improve UK grassroots music venues – and make it more likely that acts still have small, sweaty spaces to hone their craft.” – BBC
The Race To Create The Darkest-Ever Black Was Actually A Series Of Accidents
“We weren’t looking to create the world’s blackest material, “says the founder of Surrey Nanosystems, which introduces Vantablack in 2014. “That wasn’t our thing. We were trying to solve a calibration problem for space instruments using carbon nanotubes.” And five years later, an even darker black was developed, absorbing 99.995% of all light that strikes it. Vivian Le explains how these materials were developed, why they aren’t pigments, and the reason everyone got mad at sculptor Anish Kapoor. (podcast plus text; includes video) – 99% Invisible
A ‘Slave Play’ Post-Mortem By The Cast And Creative Team
Producer Greg Nobile: “Just north of 30 percent of our audience were what we call ‘new to file,’ which means they were actually first-time ticket buyers, which is an incredible number. Usually that’s in the single digits, if anything, especially for plays.” – The New York Times
Tim Crowley Saved Marfa, Texas And Built It Into An International Destination. Is He Now Ruining It?
When Donald Judd, the artist who came to the West Texas desert village and attracted other artists there, died in 1994, he left his foundation with $400 in the bank and Marfa faced doom. Then Crowley, a Houston attorney and developer, and his gallerist wife came to town and pumped a lot of money into it, buying properties, building businesses and bringing in new and prosperous residents. But over the last few years, as Crowley’s plans have gotten bigger and more commercial, many Marfans think that this man who owns the whole town has started messing it up for everyone else. – Texas Monthly
Michou, ‘Blue Prince Of Montmartre’ And Paris Nightlife Legend, Dead At 88
Never seen wearing any color but blue and never drinking water when champagne was available, the impresario born Michel Catty introduced the modern drag show to France in the 1950s with the tiny cabaret Chez Michou, where he and his “Michettes” became a Parisian institution. – Yahoo! (AFP)