“On Tuesday, the orchestra announced a new residency at the Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music, one similar to those it conducts at Indiana University and in Miami. The project marks the orchestra’s first formal collaboration with the school.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Actors In Japan Find New Niche As Family-Members-For-Rent
Elif Batuman meets some of the actors who play fake family members, the clients who hire them, and the agency entrepreneurs who bring client and erstwhile family together.
How Gay Literature Changed Forever, Starting In 1981
Michael Cunningham: “The AIDS epidemic didn’t mean the end of dancing, or sex, or drugs. It didn’t have much effect at all on the general interest in youth, beauty and money. But it’s putting it mildly to say that this new guest, the silently grinning one standing by itself in a corner, dankened and befouled the atmosphere.”
Lending Libraries For Art Are Catching On
“Art lending libraries function like traditional book libraries: individuals can borrow an artwork, enjoy it in their own home, and return it by a due date with little to no fee. They have a decades-long history on university campuses, but they seem to be gaining popularity among museums, public libraries, and nonprofits.”
Artists May Want To Sell Their Work In New York, London, Or Shanghai, But They Want To Live In Berlin
It may not be a new development at this point, but it remains true. “No matter where they are from originally, they like to live and work in the German capital, producing art even if they don’t show it there. Having solid galleries and museums certainly helps, but it may be more a function of cheap space, the city’s embrace of offbeat behavior and a hard-to-quantify ability to channel the creative spirit.”
New Braille-Based Typeface Can Be Read By Both Blind And Sighted People
“Tokyo-based designer Kosuke Takahashi has redesigned the tactile script to make it readable for both visually impaired and sighted individuals. His new typeface, Braille Neue, updates the nearly 200 century-old system by superimposing its raised dots onto carefully configured letterforms, allowing it to be understood by both sight and touch.”
The ‘Monkey Selfie’ Case Is Really, Truly Over This Time (And The Court Slammed PETA Hard)
“The answer, just to relieve any suspense, was no, monkeys can’t own copyrights or bring copyright infringement suits, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled Monday, upholding a lower court. That outcome was no surprise. What was unusual was that the appeals court chose to rule on the case at all and the criticism it leveled at PETA in the course of doing so.”
Two Seconds That Explain George Balanchine (Brought To You By Alastair Macaulay)
“In George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco, nobody dies, nobody falls to the ground, nobody falls in love. The only set is the sky-blue backdrop. The women’s costumes, minimal, are white tunics. Yet much does happen. A group of women becomes a vision of pulsating classicism and of gleaming American energy.”
A New York City Ballet Dancer’s Hopes For The Company Post-Peter Martins
Abi Stafford: “A new director might also spread out roles more evenly. In addition to having happier dancers, I think this would help everyone would perform better. Those who previously carried heavy workloads wouldn’t be dancing injured and exhausted. Dancers who were underutilized would feel more confident and in shape. I’d love to see casting against type, too. Give us a chance. We may surprise you!”
Actor Who Voices Apu On ‘The Simpsons’ Offers To Step Aside
Appearing on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Hank Azaria said, “I think the most important thing is to listen to Indian people and their experience with it. Listening to voices means inclusion in the writers room. I really want to see Indian, south Asian writers in the writers room, genuinely informing whichever direction this character takes. … I’m perfectly willing to step aside. It just feels like the right thing to do to me.”