Artistic director Ashley Wheater: “Sometimes, I’ve had to sit a talented visitor down, and explain that I’ve worked hard to make a positive environment at the Joffrey, that my dancers and my company aren’t here to be beat up.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Plans For London Black History Archive Set Back As Construction Firm Fails
“Ambitious plans to create the first permanent home for a unique archive, covering centuries of black history in Britain, have been hit by the collapse of the building firm working on the Heritage Lottery Fund-backed £6.5m project.”
Stradivarius Cello Falls Off Table, Breaks Its Neck
A source at the Royal Palace in Madrid says that “experts had set the cello on its side padded with foam so they could photograph it but it tipped forward and knocked against a table, breaking its neck from the body.”
Indians Annoyed That The Avengers Shows Calcutta Slums
“‘When will Hollywood stop cashing in on the poverty here?’ says Rishabh Bal, a bank employee. ‘There is no reason to be happy about the Indian connection. It has become a trend in the west to show Indian slums and a Westerner trying to help the poor here,’ says Nitin Bhatia, a software professional.”
Could The Internet Save Book Reviews? (Of Course!)
“The digital age has transformed the physical act of reading and will alter journalistic literary criticism as well. … The full effect of these changes will have on book reviews isn’t clear, but they’re already shifting in ways that would both please and alarm Orwell.”
The Online Commenter Who Got Hired As A Columnist
“Yoni Appelbaum, a Ph.D. candidate in history from Brandeis University, was procrastinating on his dissertation. Instead of writing, he would spend his time commenting on a blog under the pseudonym, ‘Cynic’. Eventually, it got him a job writing for that website – The Atlantic.”
Once And Sons Of The Prophet Lead Off-Broadway’s Lortel Awards
“Recent Off Broadway productions of the musical “Once and the play Sons Of The Prophet won top honors on Sunday night at the presentation of the 27th annual Lucille Lortel Awards, which recognize excellence at medium-size and small New York theaters.”
Punk Lives! New Investors Plan To Reopen CBGB
“For the last six years the name CBGB has been little more than a logo on T-shirts for young people in the East Village. Now a group of investors has bought the assets of that famous punk-rock club, which closed in 2006, and plans to establish an ambitious music festival this summer, with an eye toward reopening the club at a new downtown location.”
Happiness Is Overrated, Says Augusten Burroughs
“Happiness is a treadmill of a goal for people who are not happy by nature. Being an unhappy person does not mean you must be sad or dark. You can be interested, instead of happy. You can be fascinated instead of happy.”
Why Parrots Parrot People
“A lost parakeet in Japan was returned safely to its owner last week after it told police its home address. Why do captive birds mimic human speech, and how do they decide what to say?”