Why not? It’s National Poetry Month, after all, and poems can refocus the mind, bringing it gently back to focus. You might even try memorizing a poem or two. – The Atlantic
Blog
Actor Turned Biographer Patricia Bosworth Has Died At 86
Bosworth, who was part of the Actors Studio with Marlon Brando and Marilyn Monroes, gave up acting to write instead – and write she did, about Diane Arbus, Jane Fonda, Montgomery Clift, Marlon Brando, and herself. – The New York Times
Novelists Tell Us What To Read To Inspire Us
Sebastian Barry goes for the real classics: “It seems uncanny that there is a radiant book for these times, although it was written 2,000 years ago.” – The Guardian (UK)
Yes, The Bible Museum Had Some Issues
And now it wants to win over its critics by being honest about how many of its artifacts had tainted histories – or were entirely fake. – The New York Times
The Woman Who Wrote A Fantastic Pandemic Novel A Few Years Ago Returns To Take On A Different Issue
Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven was much recommended in the coronavirus’ early days – but even she thought people shouldn’t be reading it right now. Her new novel is about the 2008 crash and a Bernie Madoff-like character. Why? “It’s a period in recent history that I remember so vividly. It was such an unsettling, chaotic time.” – The Guardian (UK)
Will Cinemagoers Flock Back After This Ends?
Whenever that is, of course. Some movie theatre owners expect that they will: “We strongly believe there will be a rush to cinemas to see all kinds of movies because people will just want to connect with their family and friends once it’s safe to do so.” – Yahoo
Wilhelm Burmann, Teacher Of Ballet’s Best And Brightest, Has Died At 80
Burmann, who died of renal failure after testing positive for COVID-19, was “a revered ballet master and teacher who trained generations of dancers, including Alessandra Ferri, Julio Bocca, Maria Kowroski and Wendy Whelan.” His advanced class drew students from all over the dance world, and he “was a part of ‘so many of our histories — across the world and across disciplines,’ recalled Ms. Whelan, the former New York City Ballet principal who is now the company’s associate artistic director.” – The New York Times
How Dancers In The U.K. Are Pulling Together In The Face Of Uncertainty And Fear
The dancers, especially the freelancers, are facing terrible losses of income and camaraderie, not to mention fitness opportunities. “Self-training isn’t anything new to dancers, but in the absence of daily classes or a trip to the gym, that chance to continue to train alongside others, even virtually, has offered a vital form of connection during a time of sudden change; a reminder that we’re not in this alone.” – The Stage (UK)
The End Of The Art World (As We Know It)
Via this year’s deeply reimagined Sydney Biennale, now called NIRIN: “The impact of COVID-19 is both a significant challenge and a threshold for new beginnings. An international art world that has called persistently for radical socioeconomic change is now faced with just that in large measure, albeit in ways that it is not in a position to readily absorb.” – Hyperallergic
Listening To The Sirens’ Call
What a music critic who lives close to a major hospital hears in, and beyond, the now-constant sirens. “Most American ambulances contain an ‘electronic box in each vehicle, which comes preloaded with seven different sounds with names such as ‘Wail,’ ‘Yelp,’ and ‘Piercer.’'” – The New York Times