“Sergei Filin, the ballet director of the Bolshoi Theater, who suffered an acid attack in Moscow in January and who is currently receiving treatment in Germany, is to undergo a complicated surgery involving eye tissue transplantation” as part of the ongoing attempt to restore his vision.
Author: Matthew Westphal
Amazon Buys Goodreads; Literary World Shudders
“‘Truly devastating”‘ for some authors but ‘like finding out my mom is marrying that cool dude next door that I’ve been palling around with’ for another, Amazon’s announcement late last week that it was buying the hugely popular reader review site Goodreads has sent shockwaves through the book industry.”
Catholic Demonstrators Picket Broadway’s Testament Of Mary
The first preview performance of Colm Tóibín’s stage play, a monologue starring Fiona Shaw as the Blessed Virgin in old age, was protested by members of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property, a not-for-profit organization “concerned about the moral crisis shaking the remnants of Christian civilization.”
Rough-And-Tumble Marseilles Gets An Architectural Makeover
“Everywhere you look, the city is being polished and scrubbed, renovated and repainted. Roads are being resurfaced, trees are being planted, and vast new museums are rising from the ground in preparation for the European Capital of Culture 2013 – which began three months ago.”
What Goes On At Versailles On Mondays
A visit to Louis XIV’s chateau to see the cleaning and restoration work that happens on the one day each week when the place is closed to visitors.
Ground Zero Arts Center Will Be ‘Multidisciplinary’ – What Does That Really Mean?
“Interdisciplinary is often the word invoked when an arts center lacks focus and a mission: think of arts complex as rental space. One thing institutions should have learned by now from a history of sorry experiences is that when an arts building is designed to be adaptable to everything, it can wind up being not especially good for anything.”
Russia Begins Selectively Blocking Internet Content
“The Russian government in recent weeks has been making use of a new law that gives it the power to block Internet content that it deems illegal or harmful to children. … So far at least, the Russians have been mostly singling out not political content but genuinely distressing material posted by Russian-speaking users.”
Nashville Symphony Will Be Negotiating With Lenders And Musicians At The Same Time
“In addition to negotiating with bank lenders concerning $102 million in debt, the Nashville Symphony is facing upcoming negotiations with the Nashville Musicians Association. The symphony’s collective-bargaining agreement with the association expires at the end of July, and the window for negotiation begins in March.”
Is This Man The Arab World’s Best Rapper?
“El Rass’ signature style is an animated fusion of classical Arabic – an idiom seldom employed in rap – and contemporary wordplay gleaned from the Lebanese streets and elsewhere. … But fans and critics say the complexity and depth of El Rass’ politically and socially charged texts distinguish the rapper, who has played to packed houses in Beirut and Amman.”
Maya Angelou On Reuniting With Her Birth Mother
“Well, she didn’t look like a mother to me. She didn’t remind me of my grandmother, who we called Mama. She wore lipstick. And she had record players and she played music, loudly and danced, in the middle of the dining room floor. … I said, ‘I’d like to call you Lady, because you’re very beautiful and you sound like a lady.'”