Blog

Fans Still Waiting For Ticket Refunds From TicketMaster Venue

Ticketmaster’s exposure to refund claims is uncertain. The company tells its customers that it pays refunds for all canceled shows in about 30 days. But the coronavirus shutdown has dealt a severe economic blow to Ticketmaster and its corporate parent, Live Nation Entertainment; the company reported that its revenue for the second quarter this year dropped 98 percent from the same period in 2019. – The New York Times

Health Insurance For Performing Artists In U.S. Is Rickety Even In Good Times. Now It’s Near Collapse.

“The health care and retirement systems by which performing artists sustain themselves have fallen apart in the pandemic with potentially catastrophic results on both personal and systemic levels. There has to be a better way to do this.” Chris Jones explains how the crisis has come about, why a turf war between unions is making it worse, and why the public should care. – Chicago Tribune

Bernard Herrmann’s “Whitman” — A Subversive Yet Inspirational Entertainment for Today

In 1944, Bernard Herrmann collaborated with the producer Norman Corwin on Whitman, a half-hour dramatic presentation invoking America’s iconic poet to rally the home front during World War II. It was heard by millions of listeners. It’s a classic exemplar of a forgotten creative genre: the radio drama. – Joseph Horowitz

What Will Become Of The Restaurant Review Post-COVID?

As the priorities of culinary discourse shift, one of its most persistent debates has new wrinkles, too. The tradition of critic-bestowed ratings — stars, letter grades, numeric scales — has inspired close to a century of epicurean hand-wringing. We’ve never reached a consensus on the practice, pre-pandemic; will it serve any purpose at all in a post-COVID world? – Inside Hook

Please Take These Artifacts Back, They’re Under A Curse! Says Canadian Who Stole Them From Pompeii

“The 36-year-old woman, who gave only her first name of Nicole, sent a hand-written confession and apology along with the stolen objects — which include parts of an amphora vase, mosaic tiles, and shards of ceramics — to a travel agent in southern Italy, who then passed them along to officials. … She goes on to explain that she associates her youthful indiscretion with a long run of bad luck, including two bouts of breast cancer, a double mastectomy, and ongoing financial issues.” – Artnet

The Lobotomizing Of Eva Perón (This Is Not A Metaphor)

Argentina’s most famous First Lady died of cervical cancer in July 1952, slightly less than a year after she was diagnosed. A researcher has found that, several weeks before her death, she was given a lobotomy, almost certainly without her consent. The ostensible reason was to alleviate her severe pain; just as likely, it was to stop the increasingly dangerous political activity she conducted from her sickbed. – Mental Floss

The Art Of Distraction In Learning Things

Remote learning renders presence theoretical, distraction all but inevitable, and eagerness an uphill climb. On Zoom, absolute receptivity is very difficult to achieve. Remote learning asks us, as Mary Cappello does, to reimagine the humanities lecture as a teaching tool that works even, or especially, for the distractible listener. To Cappello, in fact, distraction is the heart of the form. She argues that lectures are a tool for sparking thought, not for imparting information. – The Atlantic