Levy didn’t start writing until she was in her 30s, but her fourth novel, 2004’s Small Island, won the Orange Prize and made her a household name in Britain and the U.S. – The Washington Post
Author: ArtsJournal2
The Dancing Soldier From South Wales
One night, a young man in dance school worried about his future walked by an Army recruitment center in Manchester – and joined up. Alex Smith “says that, despite appearances, dancers and soldiers have quite a lot in common. Self-discipline is important in both cases, and a determination to succeed.” – BBC
Why Do Audiences Love Comedy, But Not Comedies?
That’s a bit of an exaggeration – audiences still enjoy seeing comedies at the theatre. But stand-up specials are eating theatre’s lunch. “TV was long seen as the enemy of theatre. … But TV was always fundamentally different than theatre. Comedy, on the other hand, shares a lot. It is a live art form, and the same romantic defenses you often hear of theatre you can also hear from comics—the beauty of its ephemerality, the present-tense nature of the form in a time when everyone is on screens.” – American Theatre
This Map Of The Bezos Story Looks Like It Came From An Amazon Original Police Story
Seriously, connecting the dots is a little bit intense. Bezos’ affair and associated selfies, and his post to Medium last week, “has revealed more than just a series of leaked texts and naked selfies. It has also laid bare a tangled web of overlapping relationships and interests across Hollywood, politics, national security and the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” (And if you were wondering why Amazon has Jack Ryan as an original series, well, read on.) – Los Angeles Times
A San Francisco Theatre Has To Cancel A Show Because A Government Agency Decides It’s Not Unique Enough
Not unique enough for a visa for the Canadian artists, that is. EXIT Theatre’s founder had consulted a lawyer and submitted reams of information about why the play Crippled, by playwright Paul David Power, was indeed “culturally unique.” But a week before it was set to open, the visa was denied. – KQED
Bruno Ganz, The Swiss Actor Who Played An Angel And Hitler, Has Died At 77
Yes, his angry Hitler from 2004’s Downfall was memed millions of times, but many of us remember him best as the angel Damiel from Wim Wenders’ 1987 masterpiece about divided Berlin, Wings of Desire. The actor “made his film debut as a hotel employee in The Man in the Black Derby (1961), a Swiss comedy, and was still busily making films in his late 70s.” In 2018 alone, he starred in five movies. – The New York Times
As A Ring Is Busted, Counting The Ruinous Damage Of Years Of Fake ‘Authentic’ Native Art
Several businesses were involved in purchasing jewelry from the Philippines and selling it as “genuine” Native American art – scams worth $12 million, with 300 shipments from 2010-2015. “During the court hearing, Native American artist Liz Wallace said, ‘I don’t think calling this cultural appropriation is adequate. It’s economic colonization.'” – Hyperallergic
The Expert Pianist Mentioned At The Grammys
When Alicia Keys sat between two pianos and started to play, she gave a brief shout-out to Hazel Scott. But who was Hazel Scott? “An expert pianist who made a career out of the maneuver, an entertainer and movie star whose accomplishments made her a household name during her prime.” – Los Angeles Times
Let’s Just Sum Up The Publishing Scandals Of February
Holy hell. Quick recap: “We got a Talented Mr. Grifter story about a best-selling novelist, a plagiarism scandal involving the former editor of the biggest and most reputable paper in the country, and a blackmail saga involving dick pics.” – Vulture
Women Have A Few Things To Say About Disgraced Dudes Rejoining Hollywood
Some things have changed, says actor Alyssa Milano. “I used to joke that whenever there was an animal on set there would be someone from the Humane Society [there] … but women are made to get totally naked with not one protection mechanism anywhere. I think all of that is going to totally change.” – Variety