Asking where this is all going to end is a very effective means of whipping up panic. But slippery slope arguments are themselves slippery and need to be treated with caution. They force us to take one of two extreme, polarized positions and do not allow anything more nuanced. – Times Literary Supplement
Tag: 06.07.20
Sure, Online Opera’s Nice, But There’s Real Magic Inside An Opera House
“The limitations of relaying opera from stage to online are subtle. It’s the difference between an experience that’s mesmerizing and one that’s merely impressive.” David Patrick Stearns considers just what it is we’re missing as houses like the Met remain dark for the rest of the year — things like grandeur, panoramic views of the stage, intermission debates with other opera fans, and the sheer energy of air molecules being moved around. – The Philadelphia Inquirer
One Thing: Recording Labels Could Help Black Artists By Fixing Inequitable Contracts
“If the music industry wants to support black lives, labels and platforms can start with amending contracts, distributing royalties, diversifying boardrooms, and retroactively paying back all the black artists, and their families, they have built their empires on.” – Rolling Stone
Jane Goodall: COVID Is A Warning From The Natural World
“We have brought this on ourselves because of our absolute disrespect for animals and the environment,” she said. “Our disrespect for wild animals and our disrespect for farmed animals has created this situation where disease can spill over to infect human beings.” – The Guardian
Serious Questions For Arts Organizations Entering The Political Arena
Here’s the issue with the issues, at least around race: “Such efforts to meaningfully contribute to the conversation are especially sensitive because many of the institutions are led by white executives who answer to boards largely made up of wealthy white trustees. That composition has long fueled suspicion that arts organizations are inherently resistant to — or incapable of — real change.” – The New York Times
The Sistine Chapel Reopens, To Much Smaller Crowds
If you’re not worried about Covid-19, now may be the time to visit Rome and the Vatican, where the museums have a limited number of people allowed per hour and many other coronavirus precautions. One Italian reporter in the Vatican Museums: “I decided to come because there are no Americans or other tourists. I hope the pandemic never happens again, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.” – NPR
Shut Down Thanks To The Virus, A History-Changing Exhibition Reopens In Spain
Who are the great writers of Spain’s Golden Age? Well, they’re men, of course … or, wait a second, we’ve been missing a whole bunch of information. “Recognition of these women and the ‘almost subversive’ fact of their writing is long overdue. Without them … we have an incomplete canon that tells only half the story of Spain’s Golden Age.” – The Observer (UK)
Broadway Wonders When Tourists Will Feel Comfortable Returning
There’s no clarity about it. One responder from Los Angeles: “Without a vaccine or a cure, to attend a performance would not be a rational choice. The issue is not the statistical probability of getting the virus. Rather, it is the anxiety of being infected that prevents devout thespians, like yours truly, from going back.” – The New York Times
Publishing Hashtag Reveals Serious Disparities
Not that authors didn’t know; or rather, not that authors of color, especially Black authors, didn’t know – but the numbers are stark. The hashtag #PublishingPaidMe, started by author L.L. McKinney, took off on Saturday, with authors talking about their advances, the differences stark. – Vulture
New Job For Furloughed And Laid-Off Theatre Workers: Rebuilding Minneapolis
Theatre workers who design and build productions are perfect for this moment, some of them say. “‘For anyone who has arts training, they are taught early on how to collaborate with people. And that collaboration comes with the ability to quickly organize and problem-solve,’ said University Rebuild organizer Daisuke Kawachi, who pointed out the valuable stagecraft skills volunteers are now applying to their community.” – CNN