Blog

The One Bookstore In Venice That Figured Out How To Handle Floods Couldn’t Handle This One

“Keeping a large collection of books in a canal city prone to flooding was always a dangerous idea, which is why Venice’s Libreria Acqua Alta (High Water Bookshop) had decided to store its books inside bathtubs, waterproof bins, and even a full-sized gondola. But … this measure wasn’t enough to save the countless books, magazines and other items crammed inside the famous bookstore when the worst floods in half a century hit Venice this week.” – The Local (Italy)

Turns Out Barack Obama, On Top Of Everything Else, Is An Excellent Editor

Adam Frankel, a former member of Obama’s speechwriting team: “‘Something about this draft just doesn’t feel right.’ That, or something like it, is probably the most frequent feedback a speechwriter ever receives, and it is typically accompanied by precisely zero suggestions on what to do about it. I never heard Obama utter those words. In fact, I was always struck by the precision of his edits. If a certain sentence or structure had problems, he’d tell us exactly how to fix them.” – Literary Hub

I Like Books. But I Really Like Reading On My Phone Better

“Reading on my phone is not a perfect cure for my drowsiness, which seems to be a condition of aging, and stress, or both. I’ll never again be 14 years old with an insatiable appetite for one more chapter, and that’s sad. But I can approximate that feeling, reading on my phone, in bed, with the lights out, long after I should have gone to sleep.” – The Cut

Melina Matsoukas’s Unflinching Eye

“Provocative subject matter isn’t foreign to [the director of Queen & Slim], who was raised in the Bronx by a Cuban mother and a Jewish Greek father, whom she describes as ‘freedom fighters.’ She’s the visionary behind a number of cultural touchstones from the past decade … [and in] an industry that lacks opportunities for female directors, Matsoukas is one of the few with a major-studio release this year. Perhaps most notable is her talent for capturing the inextricable beauty and brutality of life for black Americans, and the necessity of exuberance in the face of hardship.” – The Atlantic

World’s First Vagina Museum Is Now Open

“The [London] museum exists thanks to a public fundraising drive, with more than 1,000 people collectively donating almost £50,000. The director, Florence Schechter, says her motivation behind setting up the space was simple. ‘I discovered there was a penis museum in Iceland but no vagina equivalent anywhere else so I decided to make one,’ she says. When asked more about her motivation, she adds with a smile: ‘I just love the vag. I am a bisexual woman.'” – The Guardian

Opera San Antonio Names New General Director And Its First-Ever Music Director

“E. Loren Meeker was announced Friday as the company’s general and artistic director, and Francesco Milioto will become music director. Meeker replaces both Adam Diegel, who departed as artistic director in 2018, and executive director Liz Tullis, who also relinquished her role in 2018. Milioto will be the company’s first music director.” – The Rivard Report (San Antonio)

George Soros Funds Program To Return African Art And Artifacts To Africa

“Last November, French President Emmanuel Macron commissioned a report recommending the repatriation of looted African cultural objects from France’s public collections, spurring a national debate. But one year later, no objects have been returned to the areas from which they were taken. Now, an organization is stepping in to facilitate the process. The Open Society Foundations, an international grant-making organization founded by billionaire George Soros, has launched a four year, $15 million initiative to aid in restitution efforts.” – artnet