The Way To Comfort A Depressed Friend (‘Cheer Up!’ Ain’t It)

IDEAS Posted: July 2, 2014 12:26 am

The power of negative validation.

Confronting the MoMA Monster: How Its Rehang Lynches the Collection
How do I not love the Museum of Modern Art’s reinstallation of its permanent collection in it expanded, renovated galleries? Let me count the ways. ... read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrlPublished 2019-10-18
Propwatch: the pig’s head in Mephisto [A Rhapsody]
When historians of the future chronicle the last days of Britain, a pig’s head may enjoy its own footnote. Assuming that there are still historians, ... read more
AJBlog: Performance MonkeyPublished 2019-10-18
Andrew O’Hagan on Nelson Algren
In a rave review of what he calls a “vastly insightful” biography of Nelson Algren, Andrew O’Hagan sums up his admiration for Algren this way: ... read more
AJBlog: Straight|UpPublished 2019-10-18
Recent Listening: Singers
Who is your favorite singer from the Canadian province of Newfoundland? Don’t have one? If you listen to Heather Bambrick, that could change. Ms. ... read more
AJBlog: RiffTidesPublished 2019-10-18
The twenty-five record albums that changed my life (4)
Various forms of the records-that-changed-my-life meme have been making the rounds lately, so I came up with my own version, which I call “The Twenty-Five ... read more
AJBlog: About Last NightPublished 2019-10-18
Replay: José Iturbi plays Liszt
José Iturbi plays Liszt’s Eleventh Hungarian Rhapsody in a 1940 film: (This is the latest in a series of arts- and history-related videos that ... read more
AJBlog: About Last NightPublished 2019-10-18
Almanac: Arturo Toscanini on the tragedy of the great performer
“No true musician can be satisfied with his performance, even through an audience is driven to a frenzy.” Arturo Toscanini (quoted by Halina Rodzinski in Our ... read more
AJBlog: About Last NightPublished 2019-10-18
Expensive laughter
In today’s Wall Street Journal I review the Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams’ The Rose Tattoo. Here’s an excerpt. * * * Were a visitor from ... read more
AJBlog: About Last NightPublished 2019-10-17
The twenty-five record albums that changed my life (3)
Various forms of the records-that-changed-my-life meme have been making the rounds lately, so I came up with my own version, which I call “The Twenty-Five ... read more
AJBlog: About Last NightPublished 2019-10-17
So you want to see a show?
Here’s my list of recommended Broadway, off-Broadway, and out-of-town shows, updated weekly. In all cases, I gave these shows favorable reviews (if sometimes qualifiedly ... read more
AJBlog: About Last NightPublished 2019-10-17
Almanac: Jon Hassler on the taste for poetry
“Sexton I still read, but Plath I gave up on. For some years I was very enthusiastic about her, but I don’t feel the attraction ... read more
AJBlog: About Last NightPublished 2019-10-17
The twenty-five record albums that changed my life (2)
Various forms of the records-that-changed-my-life meme have been making the rounds lately, so I came up with my own version, which I call “The Twenty-Five ... read more
AJBlog: About Last NightPublished 2019-10-16
Snapshot: Yeats reads “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”
W.B. Yeats reads “The Lake Isle of Innisfree.” This reading was originally recorded by the BBC on October 28, 1936: (This is the latest ... read more
AJBlog: About Last NightPublished 2019-10-16
Almanac: Yeats on old age
There’s not a woman turns her face Upon a broken tree, And yet the beauties that I loved Are in my memory; I spit into ... read more
AJBlog: About Last NightPublished 2019-10-16
Mission Creep??!!
A colleague recently shared that when they advocate for community engagement in their organization they get pushback about “mission creep.” Mission creep??!! If connecting ... read more
AJBlog: Engaging MattersPublished 2019-10-15
Is Porgy a “Stereotype”? — Take Three
Kevin Deas Kevin Deas, the exceptional bass-baritone who is the anonymous “Porgy” of my previous blog, has written to me at greater length about singing ... read more
AJBlog: Unanswered QuestionPublished 2019-10-13