“Proust composed by an immensely complex process of writing and rewriting, weaving together passages sometimes composed years apart, filling his margins with additions and, when the margins ran out, continuing on strips of paper glued to the pages.” Carol Clark writes about the challenges of editing and translating The Prisoner, one of three volumes the author didn’t live to see through publication himself. — Literary Hub
Blog
Intentional Forgetting May Be A Good Strategy For Remembering
“Traditionally, forgetting has been regarded as a passive decay over time of the information recorded and stored in the brain. But while some memories may simply fade away like ink on paper exposed to sunlight, recent research suggests that forgetting is often more intentional, with erasure orchestrated by elaborate cellular and molecular mechanisms.” – The Atlantic
Stratford CT’s American Shakesepeare Theatre Burns To The Ground
The mayor called the structure an “iconic and historic theater that holds a special place in the hearts of Stratford residents.” The fire was just devastating, she said. – Hartford Courant
When Broadway Captured The Popular Imagination
When exactly did Broadway theatre become a popular phenomenon? When it embraced other media that spilled into the public consciousness. – Commentary
Diversity? Fine. But How Are We Defining It?
Historically, diversity is something America fights, or accepts begrudgingly with remorse and reservations, or fights anew when it challenges economic dominance. In a country born of the original sin of slavery — to keep labor cheap; to ensure high profits for the richest one percent (sound familiar?) — this shouldn’t be surprising. What is surprising is how we keep being surprised. – Clyde Fitch Report
Is It Really A Good Idea To Demand That Only Gay Actors Play Gay Roles?
Ryan Gilbey points out some of the unintended consequences beyond the usual “it’s called acting for a reason” argument. As one out gay actor put it, “In the current cultural climate I am invited to participate only on the basis of my supposed oppression.” — The Guardian
Actors Union Threatens Broadway Strike. Is This An Overreach?
The union says actors wages for staged readings in developing projects haven’t increased since 2007. But it believes that actors in this early stage ought to get a cut of future profits. An interesting idea, but it immediately raises questions about who owns what and how they should be rewarded. – Clyde Fitch Report
In L.A. County, Using The Arts To Help Keep Kids Out Of Jail
“A one-year, $750,000 grant from the Ford Foundation’s Art for Justice Fund will help launch the Arts and Youth Development Project, intended to serve youth and families at risk of involvement or already involved with the juvenile justice system.” — Inside Philanthropy
Priest Decides Painting In His Church Might Be By Michelangelo. Then It Disappears
“After confiding in just 20 trusted people of his suspicion that a painting in his church was a lost masterpiece, a priest in the small Flemish town of Zele, 45 miles north of Brussels, has had to call in the local police over its sudden disappearance. …The work, depicting Mary, Joseph and a sleeping baby Jesus, was due to be assessed within days by a respected Michelangelo expert.” — The Guardian
Kanye West Gives $10 Million Toward James Turrell’s Great Land Art Piece
The rapper decided to donate the money after making what he called an “art pilgrimage” last month to see Turrell’s Roden Crater in Arizona’s Painted Desert. Turrell has been working on the project since 1977. — The Art Newspaper