ArtsJournal2
The Oscars And Grammys Thrive On Many Lies About Meritocracy
"If words like 'nuanced,' 'subtle,' 'circumspect' or 'introspective' garner leading men Oscar attention (how else do we explain Colin Farrell’s nod?), female protagonists...
In Nairobi, A Kenyan Nonprofit Is Making Libraries Truly Public, And Beautiful
The "public" libraries used to be segregated, for whites only, and then they fell into disrepair. Now, Kenyans "are here to reclaim history, to...
The Crowds Blasting Bollywood Well Out Of Its Pandemic-Era Doldrums
The avid cinema-goers line up around the block and pack movie theatres for hours, until well after midnight - all for a new action...
The Long Friendship, And Many Lunches, Of Yiyun Li And A.M. Homes
Li: "The reason I’m so curious about the concept of the quintessential American writer is because I am not one, although my coming of...
What Should Richmond Do With Its Graveyard Of Racist Statues?
"Should they be returned to the streets, or destroyed? Should they be contextualized and put on display? Or perhaps the bronze should be melted...
Carol Sloane, Jazz Singer With Early Success Who Waited Decades For A Comeback, Has...
The singer was 85. She nearly gained stardom in the early 1960s, and then jazz lost its popularity. She found fame again in Japan,...
Social Media Creates A New Era For Virtual Architecture
"If it is not yet clear how blocks of flats or schools or shopping centres near you might be changed by this revolution, the...
The Reason Behind The Bold Narration Strategy That Drives One Of 2023’s Best Novels
V.V. Ganeshananthan, whose book Brotherless Night was on the cover of the New York Times Book Review a few weeks ago: "Another writer said,...
Remember When Netflix Said Love Is Sharing A Password?
Turns out they don't believe in love anymore. "The approach misunderstands what modern households — which often include long-distance couples or families with children...
Philadelphia Extends Yannick Nezet-Seguin’s Contract Through 2030
Nézet-Séguin "has led the Philadelphia Orchestra to accolades and worked to broaden its repertory, including by promoting the music of overlooked composers." He'll now be...
Classical Grammys For The Met, Renee Fleming, And Attacca Quartet
The Met win was for "Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones, a work based on the memoir of the same name by the journalist...
The Brit Awards Change To Saturday To Create Excitement, But Is That The Problem?
Few viral stars, and ... whew, what, is this 2023? "This year’s best artist category – which replaced the gendered best male/female categories ...
How Sound, Light, And Lenses Turn Emotional Moments Into Tear-Jerkers
If you want your movie audience to cry, you've got to get it all right. - The New York Times
Add Viola Davis To The EGOT Club
It was her year - for a Grammy, at least. - Los Angeles Times
Winners At The Grammys Might Be Making Money, But Most Musicians Aren’t
Nor are the songwriters, for the most part. Thanks, Spotify. - Washington Post
Meanwhile, In London, The British Library Plans A Huge New Extension
The plan is for another 100,000 square feet of space, including the Alan Turning Institute for data science; green walkways; a garden; and many...
Who’s Winning The Grammys?
The winners in real time - or after the fact. - Los Angeles Times
Legendary Costume Designer Says Budget Cuts Are Killing Theatre In The UK
Sandy Powell, a multiple Oscar and BAFTA winner, says, "It terrifies me this has happened. ... What I would say to government is that...
Label BMG Secretly Signed A French Rapper Condemned For Antisemitic Lyrics
Freeze Corleone was big on Spotify, and the label wanted him. "The memo, sent in September 2021 by two executives in the company’s French...
What U.S. Television Says About Muslim Lives In The Americas
Uh ... "Muslim male characters outnumber female characters 174 to 1, and when women do appear, they are portrayed as 'fearful and submissive' or...
More Great British Bake-Off, But Make It Pianos
And also, make it so that the contestants don't know they're on a reality TV show - "This isn’t a documentary – it’s a...
Can Lula Deliver More Books, More Literacy, And More Opportunities To Brazil?
The newly re-elected president "has reinstated the Ministry of Culture, created a new secretariat dedicated to books and literacy and unblocked nearly $200 million in funds...
The Bawdy, Self-Aware Wife Of Bath As First Modern Character Of English Literature
"Unlike the queens and witches who preceded her in English literature, Alison is not a flat allegorical figure. Her ordinariness makes her radical." -...
What Minnie Driver Had To Do To Get Her Start In Entertainment
The Oscar-nominated actress says, "In the early 90s, I had to fake an orgasm in a room full of male ad execs at an...
Linda Pastan, Whose Poetry Illuminated Everyday Life, 90
"The range of her poetry was vast. A 1978 collection was called The Five Stages of Grief. On the other end of the spectrum...
