Britain’s biggest bookstore chain was near bankruptcy when James Daunt became CEO in 2011, and “[he] steered Waterstones out of a death spiral by rethinking every cranny of the company, from small (those shelves) to large (the business model).” Now, as he takes over B&N, which has been contracting for two decades, “his guiding assumption is that the only point of a bookstore is to provide a rich experience in contrast to a quick online transaction. And for now, the experience at Barnes & Noble isn’t good enough.” – The New York Times
Author: Matthew Westphal
Facebook Finally Settles With Teacher It Banned For Posting Courbet’s ‘Origin Of The World’
“A French street art association is the unexpected beneficiary in the years-long legal battle brought by the French schoolteacher Frédéric Durand-Baïssas against Facebook over censorship claims. The Paris-based group Le MUR (The WALL), which works with artists including A1One and BK Foxx, is due to receive an undisclosed amount from the social media giant.” – The Art Newspaper
Tourists Are No Longer Allowed To Sit On Rome’s Spanish Steps
If they do, they can get €400 tickets. And if they try to wade in the Trevi Fountain the way Anita Ekberg did in La Dolce Vita? €450. Those guys in centurion costumes who pose with tourists at the Colosseum are now forbidden, and there are plenty of other new rules “intended to ‘guarantee decorum, security and legality’ by prohibiting actions that are ‘not compatible with the historic and artistic decorum'” of the historic center of the Eternal City. – The New York Times
How, And Why, ‘What The Constitution Means To Me’ Works
“In the play’s first few moments — its preamble, really — [Heidi] Schreck lays out the elements for its perfect union of form and function: direct address, displayed enactment, meta-theatrical distancing, contemporary commentary, droll humor, and a disarmingly cheery demeanor that is both absolutely genuine and deployed for maximum comedic and critical effect.” Alisa Solomon examines each of those elements and how they fit together. – The Nation
Benefits (Yet Again)
It’s been two years since I posted my effort at categorizing the benefits of the arts. The subject is an urgent one because of both the social and political pressures to justify funding and our need to be able to articulate the inherent value of the arts to a disbelieving (or at least bemused) public. So, again, here goes. – Doug Borwick
Using Theatre Games To Teach Police Officers And Civilians To Communicate With Each Other
Brooklyn director Terry Greiss worked with the NYPD to develop a program called To Serve, to Protect, and to Understand, which brings officers and civilians together with meals and acting games and ultimately gets them to tell and act out each other’s stories. In New Jersey, a similar program called Walking the Beat involves police with high school students. – American Theatre
‘Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark,’ Beloved By Two Generations Of Kids (And Hated By Their Parents)
Laura Miller: “For many kids, reading the Scary Stories books represented a first tentative step toward growing up and into independence. … Unlike, say, a Playboy magazine, they weren’t absolutely forbidden. But one glance at Gammell’s hollow-eyed ghouls, shrieking skeletal brides, and gibbering specters told any kid that here was something that danced right on the edge of taboo. … To claim your right to deliberately scare yourself (even if it gives you nightmares) is to make a bid for self-determination.” – Slate
We’ve Got To Do Better At Teaching Teenage Male Dancers About Dance Belts
When Avichai Scher was a young student, no teacher or other authority figure ever said a word to him about when or how to start wearing a dance belt, which led to some very embarrassing moments when he was 13. His experience was, and is, all too common, he writes, though there are a few teachers and one company who are starting to deal with this issue properly. – Dance Magazine
Art Exhibition About Censorship In Japan Closed By Censorship
To be clear, government censorship wasn’t involved, although a number of right-wing politicians criticized the show. Titled After “Freedom of Expression?”, the exhibition at the Aichi Triennale in Nagoya featured artworks that had been kept out of other museums and shows, and it was cancelled after repeated threats of violence, including one to set fire to the venue. The issue? A statue of a Korean “comfort woman” — an extremely sore subject between Japan and Korea ever since the end of World War II. – The New York Times
Longtime Composer For ‘The Simpsons’ Files Wrongful Termination Lawsuit
“[Alf] Clausen joined The Simpsons during its second season and worked on the show for 27 years. When he was let go in 2017, he said he received a call from Simpsons producer Richard Sakai, who said the show was seeking ‘a different kind of music.’ In his new lawsuit, filed Monday, Clausen countered, saying, ‘This reason was pretextual and false. Instead, Plaintiff’s unlawful termination was due to perceived disability and age.'” – Rolling Stone