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Not bad: “Four previously unknown drawings by John Constable have been discovered hidden among a jumble of letters, poems, jokes and even dried leaves accumulated in a family scrapbook made over the course of the late 18th and 19th centuries.” – The Guardian (UK)
Blog
Black Theatre Needs More Than Just Different Playwrights
The form must also meet the content, say critics and scholars. They discuss “an under-theorized element of the discussion on Black theatre: its form. Oftentimes, Black theatre is relegated to conversations that focus solely on its content, obscuring the ways that Black artists have revolutionized the way theatre is written, devised and performed.” Artists like Adrienne Kennedy, Suzan-Lori Parks, and Tarell Alvin McCraney show the possibilities and the joy. – HowlRound
Artists Are Turning London’s Residences Into Street Galleries
The newly developed (for Britain’s second lockdown) Artists’ Walk has more than 115 artists signed up so far – meant for London, yes, but including artists as far away as Wales. One artist: “It’s a great idea and affords people a different experience during their daily walks. … It does mean that those who would be reluctant to set foot in a gallery can still view contemporary art, and others can get their fix.” – The Guardian (UK)
Nelly Kaplan, Director Of Films Including ‘A Very Curious Girl,’ Has Died At 89
The Argentine turned French director, whose death was caused by COVID-19, made “witty, satire-tinged French films about female empowerment and revenge.” – The New York Times
The Differences Between US And European Literary Culture
Critic Lauren Oyler: “To a certain extent in Europe, you’re more likely to be around people who have been encouraged to read a lot more serious literature and philosophy, and they aren’t just wealthy or upper-class people. Meanwhile, in the United States you can go through an entire private school–to–Ivy League education and still be stupid. There are many very smart Americans, but they aren’t being served by our publishing industry or media or our ‘literary culture.'” – The End of the World Review
After Poets House Suddenly Closes And Lays Off Staff, Accusations Of Retaliation Arise
What’s going on at the nonprofit foundation “co-founded by Stanley Kunitz, the nation’s 10th Poet Laureate, and Elizabeth Kray, a devoted supporter of poets in New York City”? The ex-staffers, all of whom were laid off in a Zoom call, have some ideas. “The move followed months of staff-led organizing to hold management and the board accountable for ‘frequent complaints of workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, and exploitative labor practices,’ says a statement authored by ex-staff in response to Poets House’s announcement.” – Hyperallergic
Bringing A Social Sculpture To Life During The Pandemic
And at a retirement home, at that. “With the 31-acre community as her canvas and its 500 residents and staff members as her medium, [Elizabeth] Turk envisioned ‘a wild garden on steroids” for a moving-art installation.” – The New York Times
Finally Making A Hallmark Holiday Merry And Gay
The Hallmark Channel has delivered tens, nay, hundreds of Christmas movies over the years. They’re mostly romances, and all of those romances were heterosexual. Heck, the Hallmark Channel even removed an advertisement that had LGBT content last year. But things have changed, at least a little bit, in 2020. – Los Angeles Times
Artist Esther Mahlangu Wants African Artists To Stay The Course
Limited public funding is harming African artists, says Ndebele superstar painter Esther Mahlangu. She sees how many young people want to learn at the school she’s set up, but she adds, “there should be more support for artists from governments. They need to promote African art and culture around the world. That would be a very good thing. That way it won’t vanish.” – The Guardian (UK)
The London Home Of Verlaine And Rimbaud Was Slated To Be An Arts Center, But Now It’s Up For Sale
The owner pledged the house to a charity, but a decade after that promise, he’s put it up for sale on the open market. “The campaign for a poetry house had attracted widespread support from leading figures such as the novelists Julian Barnes and Tracy Chevalier, the poet Sir Andrew Motion and the actor Simon Callow.” The charity is now seeking legal advice. – The Observer (UK)