Good thing breakthroughs in the human condition happen outside of politics. History is the record of political failure. Progress is the march of science and technology. Just think of the past 100 years: mass communication, penicillin, refrigerators, computing, commercial air travel, cheap birth control, PCs, the internet, smartphones, gene sequencing, fracking—altogether producing more human freedom and wealth than wars or laws.
Blog
The Rehabilitation Of Mel Gibson
“The Hollywood redemption machine is always ripe for satire, since its formula is so depressingly simple. Take one once-beloved artist, add a bottled statement of apology, give them just long enough for their worst misdeeds to fade somewhat from public memory, and combine with the industry’s never-ending desire to use great artistry as an antidote to past sins.”
All The Rage: Rebecca Solnit On A Wave Of Books That Embrace Female Anger
“Much of the anger discussed in all these books comes from being thwarted — from the inability to command respect, equality, control over one’s body and destiny, or from witnessing the oppression of other women. One of the pitfalls in trying to establish equality is to confuse gaining power with unleashing rage. For all of us this is the conundrum: How, without idealizing and entrenching anger, can we grant nonwhite people and nonmale people an equal right to feeling and expressing it?”
When I Danced With Arthur Mitchell In Moscow At The Height Of The Cold War: Allegra Kent
“Arthur and I were dancing in Balanchine’s Agon, with music by Igor Stravinsky, the last ballet on the program. Balanchine was nervous. The cast was nervous. But not Arthur. (Arthur was never nervous.) In the wings before our pas de deux, he could see I was jumping out of my skin. He said, ‘This is just a small town, Allegra’” What he said was so ludicrous that it calmed me down.”
Getty Institute Launches New African American Art History Initiative
“The initiative, which launched with a $5-million endowment, aims to establish the Getty as a primary center of scholarship, research and education for African American art and as a model for like-minded endeavors in the field.”
‘Lion King’ Puppet Specialist Arrested For 3D-Printing Gun At Broadway Theater
Ilya Vett, who has worked fabricating and maintaining the masks and puppets for the hit show for at least a decade, was found by New York police in the Minskoff Theatre prop room, producing a gun using the company’s 3D printer and plans he had downloaded from the internet.
Pittsburgh Symphony Hangs On To Manfred Honeck For Two More Seasons
“Mr. Honeck’s contract [as music director] was to expire in 2020. He has been with the orchestra since 2008 and has led the PSO to its first Grammy win since 1992. The contract extension” — through the 2021-22 season — covers the orchestra’s 125th anniversary season (the PSO was founded in 1896) and the 50th anniversary of its tenure in Heinz Hall.”
Video Game Maker That Laid Off Staff En Masse Hit With Class-Action Lawsuit
Last week, after a series of unfortunate events, Telltale Games — the studio behind the Walking Dead series and Minecraft: Story Mode — abruptly laid off 90% of its employees. Now a lawsuit alleges that Telltale “failed to pay its laid off workers their respective wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, accrued holiday pay, and accrued vacation for 60 working days following their terminations,” as required by California law.
Sculptor Isa Genzken Wins $100,000 Nasher Prize
“For four decades, Ms. Genzken has drawn praise for her exploration of many aesthetics and mediums, including video, photography and collages. Her perceptive architectural installations and their historical themes, including reconstruction in Germany and the War on Terror, have made her one of the leading artists of the postwar era.”
Why Did The Australian Broadcasting Corp. Abruptly Fire Its Managing Director?
The board’s announcement that Michelle Guthrie was out said only “The decision follows discussions over several months that concluded when directors resolved that it was not in the best interests of the ABC for Ms Guthrie to continue to lead the organisation.” Media journalist David Tiley “make[s] an op-ed stab at the issues behind this.”