“There are lessons to be learned for today’s technologists and futurists in Marinetti’s [Futurist Manifesto], and it would be foolish to ignore them. Let’s first take a look at the words often used to describe the Italian Futurist movement: invention, modernity, speed, industry, disruption, brash, energetic. … Does any of this sound familiar?” – Wired
Blog
When Actors Smash The Scenery, These Are The Folks Who Clean It Up
Take, for instance, the recent Broadway production of Sam Shepard’s True West and the wreckage Ethan Hawke left behind every show. “How would anyone, save for a skilled team of crime scene cleaners, be able to return this stage to a state of order, especially given the narrow time frame on two-show days? It turns out, as is the case with many things in the theater, the task is more than doable — you just have to rehearse it. A lot.” – The Concourse
Turns Out Walt Whitman Was Pretty Racist — Should He Be #Cancelled? (No, Here’s A Better Idea)
“Like many white intellectuals, Whitman seems to have been seduced by the proliferation of racist pseudo-science in the post-Civil War era, … [and his] racism was not limited to black people, but also extended to Native Americans, Hispanics, and Asians.” So should we put Whitman’s writing back on the shelf? Lavelle Porter argues that “there is no better place to look for nuanced critical engagement with Whitman’s complicated legacy than in the work of black intellectuals who have talked back to Whitman.” – JSTOR Daily
Using Ballet Classes To Help Break Through Peru’s Class Barriers
“The class led by Maria del Carmen Silva, a former professional dancer, is bringing classical ballet dancing to children from impoverished communities where leotards and shiny pink pointe shoes are seldom, if ever, seen. The 52-year-old teacher says her mission isn’t just to teach girls how to plié, but to prepare them for a future outside the boundaries of their poor neighborhood.” – Yahoo! (AP)
Police Identify Suspected Cause Of Notre-Dame Fire
“Paris police investigators think an electrical short-circuit most likely caused the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral, … [though they] don’t have a green light to search Notre Dame’s charred interior because of ongoing safety hazards.” – Yahoo! (AP)
Penguin Random House Starts Airline-Style Frequent Reader Program
The PRH Reader Rewards Loyalty Program will let members enter proof-of-purchase info online; when you reach 120 points (roughly ten books, the company says), you get up to $30 credit toward ordering Penguin Random House titles. – Publishers Weekly
Guggenheim’s Hilma Af Klint Show Is Most Popular In Museum’s History
“The solo show for the Swedish artist, which has been widely praised by critics, has drawn in over 600,000 visitors. That influx of foot traffic has been accompanied by a 34 percent increase in membership to the museum.” – ARTnews
Baltimore Symphony Gets $3.2 Million From Maryland Legislature
“[The move is] a potentially crucial step toward resolving a contentious labor dispute” — the musicians have been playing without a contract since January — “and allowing the organization to remain a year-round ensemble.” – The Baltimore Sun
Former Volunteer Docent Leaves Surprise $8 Million To Philadelphia Museum
Estelle Rubens, who died in January of 2018, was a popular guide at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts for about 15 years, and she had told officials there that she’d leave the museum and school “a little something.” – The Philadelphia Inquirer
For First Time In UK, Deaf Actor Goes On As Understudy For Hearing Actor In Hearing Role
Charlotte Arrowsmith, who joined the Royal Shakespeare Company last year to play Cassandra in Troilus and Cressida, stepped in for a colleague last week and played Vincentia in the RSC production of The Taming of the Shrew. (She normally takes the role of Curtis in the staging.) – The Stage