With short, focused plays like “God of Carnage” and “Red” all the rage across the country, are playwrights (not including Tracy Letts) writing for a Twitter and texting-happy audience?
Author: ArtsJournal2
Take A Young Steve Jobs, Add Calligraphy: Get Apple
How did Steve Jobs go from genius dropout of Reed College to impresario of the personal computer, music player and tablet revolutions? Ask his fellow calligraphers.
Closing Libraries: Killing Stories, Or Starting New Ones?
“The first excitement was the boarding up of the library. ‘Closed until further notice’ read the sign on the doors padlocked by Thursday afternoon. A 21st-century service means libraries few and far between.”
We’re Special And Unique! Sell Us Food And/Or Sex, Please
“Here we all are, seeking uniqueness, looking for those things that neatly express the idiosyncrasy of our peculiar personalities. And yet, our uniqueness (at least as consumers) is mostly a sham. Somehow, we all end up in the same place, chasing the same trends while drinking the same drink while staring at the same app on the same phone.”
Taking Over A Cultural (Experimental) Treasure, And Figuring Out How To Change It
As Mia Yoo takes over the famous experimental theatre company La MaMa from founder Ellen Stewart, she has the asset of history and downtown real estate. But “at the same time, she inherits a theater that often inspires more nostalgia than buzz.” What’s the next step?
A Conductor Slows Down, Just A Bit, But Keeps On Knitting
As the London Symphony Orchestra’s Colin Davis arrives at Carnegie Hall, he ponders what it means to lead an orchestra when he’s 84. “Conductors are paid to think, and that’s what the job should be about: sitting at home thinking, what is this piece? How can I set it up to sound its best and live on, because there’s nothing to replace it with just yet? This is what absorbs the mind. Especially in old age.”
No, It’s Not Hoarding. It’s Collecting. Why Do We Do It?
“Collecting always seems to start with rocks.” But, asks Bookslut founder Jessica Crispin, do driven collectors pursue their goals for the thrill – or for a quick profit?
Cyber-Geeks Help Arab Spring Against Repressive Regimes
European cyber-activists toil late into the night in support of the Arab Revolution. But can they help Syrians the way they helped in Egypt and Tunisia?
It’s National. What Does That Even Mean For A Book Award?
In the U.K., critics fret over the readability of the Booker Prize shortlist. In the U.S., critics fret that the National Book Award shortlist is not popular enough. So what should the NBA actually stand for, and why?
Painting Naked Ladies In Times Square? Only OK When The Sun’s Down
An artist arrested for painting nude models is freed on one condition: “Under the agreement, ‘he is permitted to paint bare breasts any time, anywhere, but the G-strings have to stay on until daylight goes out.'”