Or at least what we know about our history, and how we look at it. Check out two recent concerts that work as art, of course, and “as historical corrective, guided by a commitment to scrambling, reordering, and recontextualizing the history of bodies ‘in motion.'” – The Atlantic
Blog
Tayari Jones On The Clear Before And After Dividing Line Of Reading Toni Morrison
The author of An American Marriage says she was 19 when she read Beloved, and it changed her life. “I hate to use such a chilly word to describe an experience that was spiritual, emotional and intellectual, but Beloved made me feel contextualised. That is the only way I can explain it.” – The Guardian (UK)
When Management Canceled Summer Concerts And Told Baltimore Musicians They Wouldn’t Be Paid, They Played On
The chair of the players’ committee strode to the front of the stage and said, “We are stunned and grieve for our beloved B.S.O. … We will be making music with even more passion and purpose tonight and for as long as our management keeps the lights on and the doors unlocked.” Then they played, unscheduled, Edward Elgar’s “Nimrod.” – The New York Times
Turkish Novelist Elif Shafak Calls For Support For Writers As The Country’s Prosecutors Examine Her Novels
The Erdogan government has become a nastily anti-art authoritarian regime, Shafak says. “‘Turkey today is the world’s leading jailer of journalists,’ she told the Hay Festival. ‘It’s also very tough for academics. Thousands of people have lost their jobs just for signing a peace petition.'” – The Observer (UK)
It’s June. Bust Out.
Who needs another cover – a jazz cover! – of “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over”? (We do.) – Doug Ramsey
In St. Louis, A Group Of Rising Theatre Leaders Of Color Find Mutual Support
As theatre makers confront a rapidly shifting landscape – one of them, a professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, saw her entire department eliminated, all student productions ended, and her position moved to communications – they find inspiration and ideas with each other. “Getting to be in a room and talking with other artists who know the same kind of stress and extra weight that you’re feeling as a person of color, that was probably the most special part of the experience,” one said of her time with the Rising Leaders of Color cohort. – American Theatre
The Museum Of Tibetan Art Is Every Small Museum In A Battle For Audience, Space – And Money
The museum, which opened on Staten Island in 1947 after the collector Jacques Marchais and a local Italian stone mason worked to find the right stone for a “traditional mountain feel,” is in need of all kinds of things – staff, time, and money, mostly, though the executive director is pleased that grants are coming in. She notes, “Every project takes time and money.” – The New York Times
The Star Of The Elton John Biopic Isn’t OK With Russia’s Censorship Of The Gay Scenes
Taron Egerton wrote on Instagram, “‘I, in no way, condone this decision and feel disappointed I wasn’t made aware and given the chance to fight this move. Love is love. No compromises.’ He also added a rainbow emoji.” Elton John and others have also condemned Russian film censors for removing what one Russian film critic called, “a principled five minutes, very important for artistic purpose.” – The Guardian (UK)
Virginia Zabriskie, Art Dealer Who Promoted The Formerly Overlooked, Has Died At 91
Zabriskie’s New York gallery started in 1954 and closed in 2010; her Paris gallery was so beloved that when she closed it after a 21-year run in 1998, the city awarded her a Medal of Honor. – The New York Times
The Two Writers Taking Over From Hilton Als At The New Yorker
Vinson Cunningham and Alexandra Schwartz have been staff writers at The New Yorker since 2016, and they “filled in on the stage beat while longtime chief critic Hilton Als was on leave. Cunningham and Schwartz officially begin as alternating co-theatre critics next week. (Als is reportedly not leaving theatre criticism entirely but stepping back from regular reviewing.)” – American Theatre