They’re different from the quality of movie soundtracks, many of which don’t stand alone, and they’re “a marvelous untapped source of experimental instrumental electronica. … The context of gameplay encourages compositions that are melodically specific, sharp-edged, and hummable.” – Hyperallergic
Author: ArtsJournal2
The Scottish Artist Who Brought Oz To Life
Sound stages of the 1930s and 1940s needed lots of stage sets, and at MGM, George Gibson was the man in charge. “The backdrops he created appeared in films such as The Wizard of Oz (1939), An American in Paris (1951) and Brigadoon (1954). His backdrops were as large as 60ft x 150ft (18m by 45m) and so realistic that the audience often did not realise the setting was a soundstage.” – BBC
We Lost A Lyric Poet When We Lost Amelia Earhart
But no one really knew it because her husband kept it one of her carefully guarded secrets. Now, “searching the archives for Amelia Earhart’s lost poems is a study in fragments—every tucked-away line on the back of a receipt hidden in a notebook an invitation to speculate on her thoughts. Even when her widower published pieces of her verse in his memoir, he had an independent source verify the authenticity of one of them, unsure if the private voice on the page was indeed hers.” – LitHub
Archaeologists Find A New Shrine In Rome, Perhaps To Romulus
The find is in the Roman Forum, where authorities revealed on Friday that they believe this may date to the 6th century B.C.E., 200 years after Romulus was said to have lived. That means it’s a memorial site, if indeed it is a site to Romulus. Also, oops: “It’s the second time the sarcophagus and cylindrical stone stub have been unearthed, but it’s only now that archaeologists are attributing an exciting significance to them.” – The Washington Post (AP)
Fleabag And Feminism
Well, that’s a fraught subject. Phoebe Waller-Bridges, who wrote the show and plays the character, says, “Actually, she wishes she were more perfect, and that feels like it was an attack on feminism itself.” (The writer says she does, sometimes, share her character’s views.) – BBC
The People Who Decide What Books Are Allowed In Prisons Censor Thousands
Of course, the officials say, books and article about how to strangle someone or how to escape handcuffs must be censored. But what about Angie Thomas’ young adult book The Hate U Give? What about The Bluest Eye or The Color Purple? (All have been banned in some prisons – some while Mein Kampf was allowed.) – NPR
Holocaust Educators Want Amazon To Stop Selling Nazi Propaganda
Yes, in recent months, Amazon has removed sellers who are peddling Nazi imagery on ornaments and a beer opener. But these are books, and “Amazon takes a different approach with books than it does with home goods. ‘Amazon’s Offensive Products policies apply to all products except books, music, video and DVD,’ the retailer’s guidelines state.” – The New York Times
How Autumn De Wilde Came To Direct A New ‘Emma’
Take one cane, add whiskey, then gather a “mood” pitch for movie financiers, decades of photography, years of moving pitching, and presto! A new Emma. Miranda July on the director: “If there were more female directors, Autumn’s story wouldn’t be such a rare and precious thing to us. … Basically a single mom who worked so hard and at this age is coming into her own. I think we all feel really tender because it’s a very powerful example.” – Los Angeles Times
Sure, Years Elapsed Between Book Two And Book Three, But Hilary Mantel Did *Not* Have Writer’s Block
Mantel says there are so many stories in the Cromwell trilogy that the books are like a pamphlet. But of course: “At a combined total of more than 2,000 pages – with [forthcoming book three] The Mirror & the Light accounting for nearly half of them – you couldn’t get much further from a pamphlet. ‘I’ve got quite amused at people suggesting I have writer’s block, you know. I’ve been like a factory!’ She also chafes at the suggestion that her latest book was delayed because she was reluctant to kill off Cromwell. ‘It’s not something I’ve ever said; it’s what people think I should have said. It’s this version in which the woman writer is sentimentally attached to her creation.'” – The Guardian (UK)
Technology Recreates The Sound Of 500-Year-Old Singing In The Hagia Sophia
This is a rather unbelievable story. “When [the two researchers] met, Pentcheva started telling Abel about the Hagia Sophia – how we couldn’t really understand the experience of worshipers there unless we could hear the music the way they did. And as she talked, Abel started to feel a prickling of excitement. They could recreate what that music would sound like. If only they could get in the Hagia Sophia and pop a balloon.” (Note: They did.) – NPR