Charlotte Higgins, The Guardian’s chief arts writer and a classicist herself, recounts how the poems were found, explains how we know they’re Sappho’s, and provides plenty of background – plus a translation of one of the poems.
Tag: 01.29.14
Painter Bernard Perlin, 95
“[He] displayed a mastery of light and line across seven decades and a wide range of work, including wartime propaganda posters, street scenes of New York and effervescent views of Italy.”
‘We’re Not a Bunch of Dopes Who Scream’: Jennifer Rivera Explains Opera to the Super Bowl Crowd
In advance of Renée Fleming’s appearance at the Super Bowl, the always-witty mezzo lays it out in plain language for regular folks: “Opera singers have to train for years.” “Opera was into color-blind casting way before it was a thing.” “Opera is not just for the rich. Period.” (Especially compared to the cost of Super Bowl tickets.)
Yet Another Russian Literary Dispute Turns Deadly
Last fall it was over Immanuel Kant. This time it was the superiority (or not) of poetry over prose. (Was vodka involved? Need you ask?)
How The Mayor Of London’s City Planning Is Ruining The Character Of London
“They have presided over a wealth of misconceived, mean-minded schemes that are destroying the social and physical fabric of London, lubricating the path for private enclaves of oversized, poorly designed mega-blocks, to be sold to overseas investors with little care for creating decent places to live.”
Toronto’s Largest Performing Arts Theatre Is Looking For A New CEO (But There Are Complications)
There could be many candidates capable of running the Sony Centre on its own. But how many are available with the know-how to integrate two or three arts operations, and the track record to prove it?
Detroit Institute of Arts to Buy Itself Back From City for $100 Million
“The Detroit Institute of Arts has pledged to raise $100 million for the federally mediated rescue fund to shore up municipal pensions, prevent the forced sale of any of the museum’s irreplaceable masterpieces and spin off the city-owned museum to an independent nonprofit.”
Academy Revokes Nomination for Best Song Oscar
“‘Alone Yet Not Alone,’ a little-heard tune from a little-seen film of the same name, will not appear on Oscar ballots when the final round of voting begins on Feb. 14. And the Academy will not announce a replacement nominee.” The issues seem to be conflict-of-interest and campaign violations. Maybe Hollywood is Washington, D.C. for beautiful people.
Architect Meets Critics Face-to-Face Over MoMA’s Plan to Tear Down Folk Art Museum
“An architect typically doesn’t go before the public to defend a private project. But on Tuesday night Liz Diller of Diller Scofidio & Renfro stood before a crowd of 650 people, many of them her peers, to explain in detail the six-month process by which her firm tried to save the former home of the American Folk Art Museum before deciding it was impossible.”
Robert Lepage Spills the Beans (Well, a Few of Them) on Guy Laliberté and Cirque du Soleil
“I get along with Guy but others find it tougher. … Some can feel a bit bullied by him. There are points where we didn’t agree. He can come in a week before and say this or that doesn’t work. So you have to be prepared for that.”