Yes, argues scholar Jonathan Rose. “The intelligentsia was driven to create literary modernism by a profound loathing of ordinary common readers. The intellectuals feared the masses not because they were illiterate but because, by the early twentieth century, they were becoming more literate, thanks to public education, adult education, scholarships, and cheap editions of the great books.” — JSTOR Daily
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When J Edgar Hoover’s FBI Declared Writers Enemies Of The State
Reading through dossier after dossier on 16 American writers contained in Writers Under Surveillance: The FBI Files, what strikes you immediately is the terrifying absurdity of Hoover’s obsession with anyone who didn’t follow his patriotic party line and dared to express critical concern about the national psyche in well-written words. – New Statesman
This TV Movie About Brexit Has Been Just About As Contentious As Brexit Itself
“If James Graham has learned one thing from writing his latest political drama, it is this: ‘Brexit sends reasonable people mad,’ he said. ‘You are stepping into an arena where normal rules don’t apply.'” — The New York Times
Staff At NY’s The New Museum Want To Unionize. The Museum Isn’t Happy
In recent days, staff say, the New Museum has procured the services of Kentucky-based Adams Nash Haskell & Sheridan, a firm that specializes in defeating unions, boasting on its website, “When We Take Action, You Take Control” and promising employers a “union-free future.”
Oscars Will Go On Without A Host This Year: Report
“As it stands, no new offers are out, nor are any expected to be made to a single potential host to fill the void left by [the] Kevin Hart [debacle]. … [Instead,] producers will select a crop of A-listers to introduce various segments instead of relying on one marquee name to kick things off in a monologue filled with Trump zingers, said the insiders.” — Variety
It’s Increasingly Difficult To Make A Living As A Writer. Why?
There was a time when writers – of books, of magazine articles – could make a decent middle class living. That’s increasingly rare. And yet, if anything, we’re reading more. So what has happened? – The New York Times
Edo De Waart Named San Diego Symphony’s First-Ever Principal Guest Conductor
The Dutch conductor, who is currently music director of the New Zealand Symphony and has held the same post with the symphony orchestras of Antwerp, San Francisco, Milwaukee, and Netherlands Radio, will conduct three to four weekly programs each season, beginning in 2019-2020. — Times of San Diego
That 17th-Century Viol That Alitalia Smashed Up Last Year Is Restored And Back In Action
The destruction wrought on Myrna Herzog’s 1661 Edward Lewis bass viola da gamba by the Italian airline during Herzog’s trip from Rio de Janeiro to Tel Aviv last January made headlines internationally. Fortunately, Alitalia readily agreed to pay for restoration, and after a year’s worth of work by luthier Shlomo Moyal, the instrument is repaired and ready for performance. — Classic FM (UK)
Arms Manufacturer Shamed Out Of Sponsoring Museum Shows Changes Its Name To Leonardo
Jeez, talk about artwashing. A string of PR disasters, including demonstrations against Britain’s National Gallery of Art for accepting sponsorships, led the Italian defense company Finmeccanica to rename itself after the Renaissance genius (who did, after all, design weapons and war machines). But the tactic hasn’t entirely worked: just last summer, the Design Museum in London came under fire (ahem) for hosting a reception for the company, despite the new name. — Artnet
Alastair Macaulay Takes Issue With Dance Magazine Over 180-Degree Leg Lifts Story
The newly-retired dance critic of The New York Times wrote an actual letter to the editor saying that, while he quite liked Emma Sandall’s article this week about the history of high leg lifts in ballet, there were a few historical assertions in it that he takes issue with. — Dance Magazine