Anthropologists have long told us that, as a species neither particularly strong nor fast, humans survived because of our unique ability to create and cooperate… What is new is the extent to which so many civic and corporate leaders – sometimes entire cultures – have lost sight of our most precious collective quality. – Aeon
Blog
Michelle Obama’s Editor Launches New Publishing House With Unorthodox Marketing Strategy
“Rather than relying chiefly on bookstores, retailers, advertising and other traditional channels to promote authors,” Molly Stern plans to have her new venture, Zando, “team up with high-profile individuals, companies and brands, who will act as publishing partners and promote books to their fans and customers.” – The New York Times
Jazz Pianist Assaulted In Subway – He May Never Play Again
“I thought that this was how I was going to die,” he recalled two weeks later, describing the attack in a written note because it was still painful to talk about it. He did not know how many in the group had hit him. They fractured his right collarbone, injured his arm and bruised him all over. After surgery for the broken bones, he was not sure whether he will ever be able to play the piano again. He has been unable to use his right hand at all, and said he is learning to do everything with his left hand. – The New York Times
In Rural Nepal, Traveling Theatre Group Helps Villagers Challenge Child Marriage And Domestic Violence
Visiting isolated villages where many people have never seen a play before, the Nepali troupe called Shilpee does forum theatre, where a script is performed twice; the second time, audience members can stop the action and suggest or act out a different solution to the situation onstage. Says director Ghimire Yubaraj, “It would be easy to be judgmental and disregard the audience members as poor or uneducated, but their ideas can be brilliant.” – The Guardian
What We Could Learn From A Theatre That Is Inclusive Of Everyone
“Inclusion is not a final destination – it is something that enables greater creativity and brings greater value. I think it allows us to have different conversations around what that value is and where you might find it.” – The Stage
The Composer Who Has Her Students Cook And Do Nature Hikes
Gabriela Lena Frank hosts the young composers in her apprentice program at her mountainside farmstead in northern California, where, she says, “we get rid of the shame of wrong notes. We make good food and I say, ‘You get to make mistakes here.'” As one alumna put it, “It shows you that music making is an earthly thing, so why not connect to the earth while we make it?” – The New York Times
Some NY Theatres Lobby To Reopen Given Their Unconventional Spaces
A coalition of theaters are lobbying New York State for special permission to present ticketed performances to reduced capacity, socially distanced audiences. Because of their open spaces and flexible designs, these theaters argue that they can safely return to business now or soon, before standard theaters do. At present, though, only rehearsals, gallery exhibitions and film shoots are allowed. – The New York Times
As Museums Sell Off Art, Will There Be Enough Buyers?
“The market generally loves deaccessioned works; museum provenance adds the lustre of validation, and consequently monetary value. But will there just be too many of these works on the block in the coming months? … And, with an inevitably smaller market due to the [COVID] crisis, can prices be sustained?” – The Art Newspaper
Study: Our Brains Prefer Happy Endings To Happiness Earlier On
Participants prefer experiences with happy endings to experiences that became slightly less enjoyable towards the end. Thanks to their work with fMRI imaging, Martin Vestergaard and Wolfram Schultz are also able to suggest some of the mechanical underpinnings of this preference by showing that different parts of the brain preserve and process different pieces of information from the same experience. – Wired
James Randi, Magician Who Debunked Magic And The Paranormal, Dead At 92
“An inveterate skeptic and bristly contrarian in his profession, Mr. Randi insisted that magic is based solely on earthly sleight of hand and visual trickery. He scorned fellow magicians who allowed or encouraged audiences to believe their work was rooted in extrasensory or paranormal powers. In contrast, [he] cheerfully described himself as a ‘liar’ and ‘cheat’.” He made something of a second career out of exposing (and fending off lawsuits from) psychics and faith healers; he spent much of his MacArthur “genius grant” on attorney fees. – The Washington Post