“I didn’t realize it at first, but the fight over the library was rolled up into a bigger one about the library building, and an even bigger fight than that, about the county government, what it should pay for, and how and whether people should be taxed at all. The library fight was, itself, a fight over the future of rural America, what it meant to choose to live in a county like mine, what my neighbors were willing to do for one another, what they were willing to sacrifice to foster a sense of community here. The answer was, for the most part, not very much.” – The New York Times
Tag: 10.04.19
London’s Old Vic Theatre Promised It Would Double The Number Of Women’s Toilets. It Made All Toilets Gender-Neutral Instead, And Some Women Are Furious
“The push for inclusivity has angered some women who say their comfort and safety is being put at risk – and argue men are still being left with a better deal. Here’s why toilets have become a battleground.” – Reuters
Theatre Ontario To Close After 48 Years
The organization works with theatre companies and professionals at all levels, including amateur, professional, and educational, with advocacy, education, and training, and has run many programs to that end, including the Talent Bank, and Summer Theatre Intensive. – Ludwig Van
Major Public Art Project Honors Black Lives In One Of America’s Most Important Black Neighborhoods
“Njaimeh Njie, a Pittsburgh-based artist who works primarily with print and photography, set out on a journey in 2016 to document black lives in her city, focusing on the Hill District, the historic black neighborhood that serves as the home base for some of the world’s most pioneering musicians and August Wilson’s 10-play theatrical universe.” – CityLab
Are You An Absolutist On Free Speech? Maybe It’s Time To Rethink?
Even if you see social media platforms as something more akin to a public utility, not all speech is protected under the First Amendment anyway. Libel, incitement of violence and child pornography are all forms of speech. Yet we censor all of them, and no one calls it the death knell of the Enlightenment. – The New York Times
Looking Deeper Into The Lawsuit Against James Franco
What is a comfort zone, anyway? And how are the claims about Franco and his acting school exemplary of a certain kind of boundary-ignoring harassment that, yes, Harvey Weinstein also engaged in? – The Atlantic
The Secret To Successfully Shopping In Used Bookstores
There’s only one big rule: Stop expecting specific books; surrender to the stacks, and enjoy. – Literary Hub
A Court Denies Audible’s Request For A Settlement Conference In The Captions Case
Audible may be trying to get away from this case – but publishers are ready to wade right in. “Captions is a feature that scrolls a few words of an AI-generated transcription along with a digital audiobook as it plays in the Audible app. Publishers say the program is infringing, and have moved for a preliminary injunction that would bar Audible from using the publishers’ works in the program until their copyright claim is resolved.” – Publishers Weekly
Natalie Portman, Just Before She Becomes Thor
Portman’s acting life, of course, has been marked not just by Marvel movies but by that other huge franchise, Star Wars. She likes meatier roles as well, but she says, “I love getting to be part of something that is such a major part of entertainment for young people. It sets your mind-set to recognize injustice. I recently saw a sign at the climate march where this kid was like: ‘I grew up on Marvel movies. Of course I’m going to fight against wrong.'” – The New York Times
The Vision Of James Baldwin’s Last Two Works
Though they were shadowed by AIDS, the two works might feel contemporary in 2019. “Baldwin’s primary theme is described by the author thusly: ‘Forays, frontiers, and flags are useless. Nobody can go home anymore.'” – Literary Hub