I was introduced to this album by Bob Nelson, my eighth-grade social-studies teacher, who decided for reasons of his own to introduce me to the music of my own time. – Terry Teachout
Author: Matthew Westphal
American English Preserves Old Grammar That British English Has Dropped
“The index of the Cambridge Grammar of the English Language mentions regional differences in 95 places. … In reality, America has often been the conservative one, and Britain the innovator. When British speakers borrow American habits, they are sometimes unwittingly readopting an older version of their language.” (One surprising example: the subjunctive.) – The Economist
After 25 Years, Artistic Director Of New York’s Playwrights Horizons Is Moving On
“After nearly a quarter century as the artistic director of one of Off Broadway’s most acclaimed nonprofits, [Tim] Sanford is announcing his departure. The theater’s next season — its 50th — will be his last as artistic director, and at that point he will have led the organization for half of its history. He will be succeeded by his longtime deputy, the theater’s associate artistic director, Adam Greenfield.” – The New York Times
Stefan Edlis, Leading Chicago Art Collector, Dead At 94
“Long known for a premier collection of Pop art that he built with his wife, Gael Neeson, Edlis made a star turn in a recent HBO documentary about the art market, providing one of the film’s most poignant moments.” – ARTnews
Activists Want The Oscars, Emmys And Tonys To Give Up Gendered Acting Categories. That Isn’t Happening. (Yet.)
“The debate has roots in older conversations about whether carving out places in a male-dominated field for one group, in this case women, comes at the cost of excluding others. Proponents of gendered categories say that absent such distinctions, men would dominate the nominees and winners.” – The New York Times
An Amazon.Com For Choreography?
“Described as the first resource of its kind, Choreography Online allows individuals to buy the performance licence for choreographic material through a searchable video-based site. … Uploaded choreography can be searched by genre, number of performers or difficulty, and a time-limited licence can then be bought to perform the dance, providing the original choreographer is credited.” – The Stage
20 Ancient Egyptian Coffins, Intact And Sealed, Found Near Luxor
“Found in Al-Assasif, an ancient necropolis on the west bank of Nile, the coffins were spread out over two levels of a large tomb. The site once formed part of the ancient city of Thebes, the ruins of which are found in present-day Luxor.” – CNN
So What Exactly *Is* The Interrogation Method At Issue In The Ava DuVernay/Netflix Lawsuit?
This week the law enforcement consulting firm John E. Reid and Associates sued Netflix and director DuVernay for defamation over the Central Park Five miniseries When They See Us, alleging that the script makes false statements about an interrogation method developed by the firm called “the Reid Technique.” Here’s an explanation of what the Reid Technique is and why it’s controversial. – The Guardian
Panama Papers Law Firm Sues Netflix For Defamation Over ‘The Laundromat’
The name partners of the Panama City firm Mossack Fonseca (portrayed in the movie by Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas) allege that the Steven Soderbergh film (which also stars Meryl Streep and Sharon Stone) depicts them as “ruthless uncaring lawyers who are involved in money laundering, tax evasion, bribery and/or other criminal conduct” and claim that it could harm their case in an upcoming criminal trial in Panama. – The Guardian
Leonardo’s ‘Vitruvian Man’ Will Be Going To The Louvre’s Exhibition After All
“With just days to go before its hotly anticipated Leonardo da Vinci retrospective opens, the Louvre has finally secured the loan of one of the artist’s key works, following a two-year political battle and skirmishes in the Italian judicial system.” – ARTnews