For musicians who have lived long with their instruments, it’s hard to let go, even when they can’t play any longer – and even for $10 million.
Tag: 01.13.12
Locking Up Shakespeare: Arizona Lawmakers Ban The Tempest For Public Schools
Imagine government officials sweeping through schools, demanding teachers and students hand over all their copies of Sherman Alexie, Howard Zinn, Leslie Marmon Silko … and Shakespeare. That’s reality in Arizona, where the legislature has banned any teaching unit that might include race, ethnicity or oppression as “central themes.”
The Dreamy, Better-Than-The-Oscars World Of The Golden Globes
Imagine a world where Crash didn’t beat Brokeback Mountain and where Dances With Wolves never got the best picture award. Fantasy? No, just the Golden Globes, where comedy isn’t a dirty word and campaigning doesn’t dominate voting.
Cooperation: It’s Not Just For The Playground (It’s For Species Survival)
“As challenging and demanding as cooperation is, it has been our species’ secret weapon, and those of us alive today are the descendants of people who had what it takes to make it work.”
Constant Surveillance Could Make The Planet Greener – Really
“If everything is traceable, that means that we’ll be more aware of the entire life cycle of our stuff — even once we’ve given it up willingly.”
What Makes A Film Satisfying? It’s All In The Relationships
Lindsey Doran, producer of “The Firm” and “Sense and Sensibility,” and former president of United Artists Pictures, knows what audiences want. That’s because she measures it. (Least shocking discovery: “Male and female viewers differ in how they define a character’s accomplishments.”)
Status Update: “Watching A Play From Berlin On Facebook. WIN!!”
This week, a Berlin theatre company performed a play live, with real-time feedback, on Facebook. “Viewers were encouraged to vote on their favorite wedding dress, contribute to a crowd-sourced love letter between characters and three small parts were cast with audience members.”
The Novel May Be Dying (And Not Because Of E-books, Either)
“The central question driving literary aesthetics in the age of the iPad is no longer ‘How should novels be?’ but ‘Why write novels at all?'”
Don’t Call Him Britain’s Greatest Living Artist – David Hockney Can’t Hear You
Hockney, who moved to Yorkshire after years of living in California, won’t take the title seriously. He’s too busy painting on his iPad.
Patron X, Of The Infamous Cell Phone Ring, Seriously Regrets The Error
“Patron X said he had no idea he was the culprit. He said his company replaced his BlackBerry with an iPhone the day before the concert. He said he made sure to turn it off before the concert, not realizing that the alarm clock had accidentally been set and would sound even if the phone was in silent mode. ‘I didn’t even know phones came with alarms,’ the man said.”