“India’s Jaipur Literature Festival can claim to be one of the biggest in the world – and certainly the most fun. Vijai Maheshwari reports on the big speakers, controversies, and hits from this year.”
Tag: 01.21.14
Has The MFA Been Killing Art?
“The fact that artists are now minted by universities (and degree-granting art schools modeled on the university) may have done wonders for their social standing, but it’s also been a source of worry to many critics and artists, who think something of great value might be lost by the professionalization of the artist.”
The World’s First Robot Theme Park
South Korea’s Masan Robot Land in Incheon – “whose English motto is ‘Fun & Fantasy with Robot! – will celebrate science fiction cyborgs and androids while also promoting popular interest in the robotics industry and robot culture.”
Legendary Clipper Ship Becomes Cabaret Theatre
The Cutty Sark, in drydock on the Thames in Greenwich, will continue being a historical exhibit by day, “but by night it will become an 85-seat theatre intended to showcase cabaret, music, lectures, small-scale drama and local performers.”
The Six Things That Make Stories Go Viral Will Amaze, and Maybe Infuriate, You
Or, alternatively, Aristotle Recommended These Three Elements for a Great Story, And Here’s How to Balance Them to Get a Hit.
Honoring Baghdad’s Devastated Bookselling District
Not so long ago it was said that Arabic books were written in Cairo, published in Beirut and read in Baghdad. Now hundreds of writers and artists are preparing tributes to the Iraqi capital’s traditional bookselling hub, Al-Mutanabbi Street, which was destroyed in 2007 by a car bomb.
Beckett’s ‘Happy Days’: What’s Underneath Winnie and All That Dirt?
How did the playwright come up with such an odd and memorable stage image? To fins out, Beckett biographer James Knowlson looks into the work’s background – and tracks down some of the first actresses to play Winnie.
Iran Shows Musical Instruments on TV for First Time in 30 Years
And nobody’s sure whether this marks the lifting of a longtime ban or was simply a mistake.
Italy Threatens Legal Action Over Stolen Artifacts In High-Profile London Gallery Case
The 700 disputed objects were excavated illegally and then sold “illicitly”, the lawyer claimed. The objects, including sculptures, jewellery and vases, were largely ancient Etruscan treasures from the Lazio and Tuscany regions.
Shakespeare, Shakespeare Everywhere (Is It Too Much?)
While the productions say this confluence offers a chance to build on one another’s success, they also acknowledge, in much more than a stage whisper, that they need to stand out from the pack.