Yearly Archives: 2021
Netflix Fires One Of The Organizers Of The Trans Walkout
The fallout from Dave Chapelle's special continues. The employee is Black and pregnant; Netflix says they were "terminated on suspicion of leaking metrics to...
Why We Can’t Speak Second Or Third Languages Without An Accent
"As with chemistry, the important thing is not just how the elements behave in isolation, but how they come together. Each language has rules...
Gilbert And George And London’s East End
When the artists go out, they find more than their favorite cafés: "Walking is their research. They photograph graffiti, look out for curious new...
This Choreographer Who Won A ‘Genius’ Grant At 70, And Has Some Big Plans
Jawole Willa Jo Zollar's groundbreaking contributions have become both mainstream and topical. "An experimental dance company in Brooklyn? Nothing unusual about that now —...
Dali’s ‘Lips’ Sofa Started Life As A Back-Of-The-Envelope Sketch
Of course it did. - The Observer (UK)
The Musician Solange Launches A New Free Library Of Out-Of-Print And Rare Books By...
Solange's creative studio, Saint Heron, hired a community bookstore founder to "curate" the first 50 items in the library, which will be mailed to...
Paddy Moloney, Who Died Last Week, Put Irish Music On The Map
The Chieftains became bigger stars than the Rolling Stones in 1975, when Stanley Kubrick used their music in the movie Barry Lyndon - and...
Turns Out Amelia Earhart Was Also A Poet
"Earhart was one of the earliest aviators, a record-setter, a college professor and well ahead of her time as a champion for women’s rights....
Alan Hawkshaw, Composer Who Was Surprisingly Popular With Hip Hop Artists, 84
Hawkshaw, who composed the theme music for several popular British TV shows, was also a pianist and Hammond organist who "ended up working at...
A Russian Actress And Director Shot Film Scenes On The International Space Station
"The 12-day journey, backed by Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, was the latest act in a race among spacefaring countries to generate public excitement about...
A Woman Wins A Writing Prize, And She Turns Out To Be Three Men
"Carmen Mola" was always pseudonym, but the fact that "she" was three scriptwriter men in tuxedos shocked the crowd (and the crime-thriller-reading world) at...
The World Is So, So Ready To Dance Again
"Maybe it’s because of the advent of COVID-19 vaccines. Maybe it is because feet can be repressed for just so long. But it seems...
Is The Line Between Inspiration And Appropriation Clear, Or Sometimes A Bit Fuzzy?
"People in power have always had a way of working nuance to their advantage. If consent is also nuanced, are we ready to admit...
The Fight Over What Kids Can Read Isn’t New
But it is particularly virulent right now, especially in states where white parents and legislators feel threatened by - well, what? Not actual Critical...
It’s Development Versus The Arts In Dublin
"Protesters have for several years argued that a proliferation of new hotel projects in Dublin crowds out other vital development, such as housing and...
Rebecca Solnit On The Legacy Of George Orwell’s Garden
"Nearly everyone who knew him is gone, but the roses are a sort of saeculum that includes Orwell. I was suddenly in his presence...
Remember A Few Months Ago When Kind Comedy Was All The Rage?
Well, things have changed: The Ted Lasso freakout has faded, while Squid Game's popularity has spurred producers to search for more "international drama." -...
Musicians Aim To Revitalize The Maori Language
In 1999, when musician Dame Hinewehi Mohi sang the national anthem in Maori at the men's Rugby World Cup, she got quite a backlash....
The New Maria Callas Statue In Athens Is Attracting A Lot Of Attention
But not for its skill or beauty. One complaint: "Nothing could be less representative of Maria Callas, as no opera singer, not even a second-grade...
Inside The Battle For Britain’s National Trust
Many National Trust properties rest on profits from the labor of enslaved people. "The charity seems to have become a lightning rod for the...
Omnipresent Memes Might, Or Might Not, Help Sell Movie Tickets
But they definitely help define the internet: "Years later, after the movie itself has been largely forgotten, you will still find images from it...
Was Mexico City’s Pyramid Light Show A Victory For Decolonization – Or For Revisionist...
During a light show on a replica of the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan, "vendors walked among the crowds selling Aztec-style souvenir headdresses with colored...
Tentative Agreement Reached Between IATSE And Hollywood
The membership hasn't ratified the contract, so a strike could still be called. The details go to the membership for a vote. - The...
Reinventing The Nude
Mickalene Thomas keeps a "loving, lusty, multifaceted gaze on the Black female form." - The New York Times
Everything American Fans Are Probably Missing In Squid Game
Fans of K-drama probably know much of this already, but "peppered throughout the series are blink-and-you'll-miss-them references to historical events and political jargon." -...
