Then it became a “productivity tool” for work, and “regular folks don’t want to organize their private lives as if they were office jobs.” But it’s not too late to save the technology, if we start now and proceed with deep reinvention. – The Atlantic
Blog
The Forbidden City Isn’t So Forbidden Anymore
After decades in peril – “Mao’s Communist government debated tearing down the complex, or creating a vast Soviet-style wedding cake palace opposite it.” – the Forbidden City complex has become a tourist attraction with restaurants, exhibits, gift shops, and more as President Xi Jinping makes “a broader push in China to protect and project the country’s cultural heritage.” – The New York Times
The Trouble With Writing About Sex
The author of the viral hit short story “Cat Person” says that it’s not easy. to deal with constant questions about sex. “Write a book about the way young women use words to fight back against those who want to reduce them to sexual objects, and you may struggle to prevent yourself from becoming similarly reduced.” – The Guardian (UK)
Producers Pushed Producer Lulu Wang To Make ‘The Farewell’ In English With Some White Leads
But she said no, every time, and the film seems to have turned out OK. “It broke the box office record set by Avengers: Endgame for per-screen average, taking in $351,330 in four theaters when it opened in limited release.” – Variety
A Gothic Bridge Is Destroyed In Belgium So Bigger Boats Can Go Down The River
The federal government is not happy with the town of Tournal, where, after years of argument and discussion, a crane pulled apart the bridge over the Scheldt, in sections. “A crowd on the river’s banks audibly reacted when some of the brickwork was seen falling into the water on Friday. Many watching a live stream on the website of the regional television station, Notele, wrote of their sadness at saying ‘goodbye’.” – The Guardian (UK)
The Reasons For Reader’s Block Vary, But They All Lead To One Thing
That is, reader’s block means you’re not reading a book. Why? – The New York Times
What Is Community Theatre For?
Jocelyn Allgood, who participates in several community theatres near her in Texas, says that “it’s our small contribution to humanity — to ease the burden of life, to make you laugh, to stir that emotion burning inside of you — be it jeers for the villains, tears or cheers for the heroes and (we hope) applause for the cast.” – Dallas Morning News
London’s Smallest Stages Are Hosting Wagner
The artistic director of the Fulham Opera (which is doing Die Meistersinger this summer) says there’s good reason for smaller opera halls: “The immediacy, the storytelling, the quality of the voices up close and personal … the joy that radiates off the stage. I don’t think people fall asleep in our shows.” – The Stage (UK)
The Short Story Author Inspired By 19th Century Abolitionists – And The Current U.S. President
Nafissa Thompson-Spires’ first book, the short story collection The Heads of Colored People, is short-listed for the Gordon Burn Prize (a prize for a book that follows Burn’s “bold footsteps” and “enters history and dares to interrogate the past”). But why write about painful topics? The author: “I think the goal of a writer should be to tell the truth in some way, even if it’s to tell it slant – or to imagine a better version of the truth. We have to find ways to confront difficult subjects.” – The Guardian (UK)
Phil Hynes, Backstage Lighting Force For ‘Saturday Night Live,’ Has Died At 96
Lorne Michaels: “He was a force to be reckoned with, and his presence and strength were something I came to rely on. … He will be missed, but if God has him now, despite all the arguing, heaven will be much better lit.” – The New York Times