She’s almost always writing about such horror that it’s incomprehensible. But “Morrison has constructed a language adapted to the needs of a people who of necessity live at once in the present and the past. The animating spirit of her novels — that forked lightning present all at once across time — lights from within the areas of black experience she explores.” – Los Angeles Review of Books
Blog
Silicon Valley’s Terms Of Service Are Impossible To Consent To, Or Understand
But they rule our lives. Can Amazon’s ToS, which would take more than nine hours to read aloud, be changed? Can any company’s? – The New York Times
If The Directors Had Their Way, ‘Roma’ Would Be Best Picture
Or actually, that’s what was chosen by the Directors’ Guild of America – and the film’s director, Alfonso Cuarón, also won best director, probably cementing his status as frontrunner for the Academy Award. (See a list of all winners at the link.) – Los Angeles Times
A Museum Celebrating Black Culture Is Long Overdue In Britain, Says David Adjaye
“The museum that Sir David is proposing would aim to make generations of black children feel like they have a place in the nation’s future. He said: ‘It is really amazingly important for the representation of people in the sort of cultural tropes of the nation.'” – BBC
The Pleasures And Perils Of Reviving A Contemporary Opera
One of the main issues for performers is that they can’t escape the recordings – both audio and video – of the original performers. “The most satisfying thing is when you finally get it, and you can do it, it feels wonderful.” – The New York Times
Hollywood Goes Full Out On Pop Star Glamor
Well, as long as moviemakers can secure the rights to music, of course. And usually they can: “Artists have realised that backing biopics and celebratory movies is a way of reaffirming their cultural relevance and opening new revenue streams as traditional incomes from record sales are on the wane.” – The Guardian (UK)
A Choreographer Pushing Community Against A World That ‘Is So Screwed Up’
Vicky Shick creates and edits at the same time, her dancers say, so they have to pay careful attention during rehearsals. “Shick’s works have become more exacting as they reveal the complexity of who she is: a 67-year-old choreographer who was born in Hungary and had dreams of becoming a ballerina, but instead carved out a career in postmodern dance. … With precision and strangeness, her dances celebrate the very thing she finds herself racked with: vulnerability.” – The New York Times
It’s A Little Late, But The Recording Industry Finally Steps Up
Last year’s awful pullquote about women in the recording industry needing to “step up” has turned into this year’s inclusion initiative. But it took a while, and the music industry is far, very far, from gender equity. – Los Angeles Times
The Book Whose Author Dramatically Reinvented Artist Journeys
The book is – as any artist, or perhaps businessperson at a retreat, could tell you – The Artist’s Way. The first printing was a 9000 copies, and the publisher worried it wouldn’t sell. “We didn’t know where to put it on the shelves — did it go in religion or self-help? Eventually there was a category called ‘creativity,’ and The Artist’s Way launched it.” – The New York Times
Will Spotify Become A One-Stop Music And Podcast Service?
The music streaming giant wants to change its image and expand into other markets – including the (currently) hot podcast market. “Spotify’s 200 million users are already used to consuming audio from the service — and, crucially, while the music business is controlled by three big companies who have real leverage when it comes to licensing their stuff, podcasting is in its early days, and no one has a chokehold on podcast content.” – Recode