“Television’s scale and range testify to a remarkable level of public engagement with the past. And this makes it an excellent medium for history. The formats, so different from a textbook or monograph, often leave academic historians uneasy. A lecture-style delivery transferred to the screen is more palatable to many than anything that risks sensationalising or romanticising. … [But] drama and comedy are safety nets for catching those who hated history at school.” — History Today
Some Of The Coolest Movie Theatres In The World – A Gallery
For 16 years, Paris-based photographer Stephan Zaubitzer has been seeking out old movie palaces and photographing them. – The Guardian
The Story Of The Suffering Artist Is A Dangerous One
“On the face of it, the story of how I wrote my fourth novel – which I was lucky enough to sell for my first comfortable yearly salary – could resemble a heartwarming success story. It could readily be used to justify the trope of the suffering artist; the idea that we produce our best work when experiencing hardship. The truth is, we don’t. It’s a dangerous myth used to systematically devalue artistic labour.” – Irish Times
The Wonder That Was Aretha
“Aretha stands at the pulpit, her eyes closed, her chin raised. She hums her way into and around the first note. Then breathes deeply, exhales the music. She sings the first word’s first syllable once on its own, turns a simple “Ah” into a ladder: “Ahhhh-ahh-ahhhh.” She repeats, joins it to the next syllable, holds that sound—“Ah-maayyyyy”—as long as she can, angling upward as she goes. The choir, even before she hits “-zing,” raises their hands in praise.” – New York Review of Books
Problems Of The .01 Percent: Taking Care Of Your Art On Super-Yachts
The crew “just thought it was some painting, they had no idea it was worth many millions,” Mather-Lees told the Observer at a superyacht conference in London last week. “They are expected to know how to serve the owners at sea, not to know about paintings and art. But, now that the rich are increasingly bringing their art collections on board their yachts it’s vital that captains and crew know how to care for these pieces.” – The Guardian
Egypt Discovers 40 Mummies South Of Cairo
Officials told reporters on Saturday at the site that the chambers, which were cut out of rock, belonged to a middle-class family who probably lived during the Ptolemaic, early Roman or Byzantine period. – Times of Israel
Silicon Valley’s Terms Of Service Are Impossible To Consent To, Or Understand
But they rule our lives. Can Amazon’s ToS, which would take more than nine hours to read aloud, be changed? Can any company’s? – The New York Times
A Museum Celebrating Black Culture Is Long Overdue In Britain, Says David Adjaye
“The museum that Sir David is proposing would aim to make generations of black children feel like they have a place in the nation’s future. He said: ‘It is really amazingly important for the representation of people in the sort of cultural tropes of the nation.'” – BBC
The Book Whose Author Dramatically Reinvented Artist Journeys
The book is – as any artist, or perhaps businessperson at a retreat, could tell you – The Artist’s Way. The first printing was a 9000 copies, and the publisher worried it wouldn’t sell. “We didn’t know where to put it on the shelves — did it go in religion or self-help? Eventually there was a category called ‘creativity,’ and The Artist’s Way launched it.” – The New York Times
Magazines Are Dying, So Now, Says The NYT, ‘Events Are The New Magazines’
What? Well, why not? Former editors need to make money somehow. “Special Projects’ offices (one in New York, where Ms. Vecchiarelli lives; one in Los Angeles, where Ms. Oliveri does) are now an essential stop on the press tours of young and rising celebrities. There, the women meet and chat with the young artists, to get a sense of their personal stories, charm, intelligence and ambitions.” – The New York Times
For Newly Nominated Actors, Awards Season Is An Extra Full-Time Job
We all know people win Oscars based on campaigns, right? Well, that takes a toll on those who have to do the campaigning. Just ask Regina King, nominated for her wondrous performance in the sadly under-nominated If Beale Street Could Talk. (On the other hand, she says, “It can be hard. … But to be honest, those are champagne problems.”) – The Observer (UK)
Boredom Is One Of The Great Roots Of Creativity
And we’re sure blocking that off in any way we can, not just for adults, but for children, too. They need boredom (and so do we). – The New York Times
Why Are ‘Green Book’ And ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Even In Oscars Discussions?
Ridiculous and, quite frankly, disgusting. (And whatever happened to Roma?) – BuzzFeed
Is The Guy In That Supposed 1450 Portrait Actually Sporting A Beatles Bowl Cut
That’s a new one: Art historian Christopher Wright says a painting attributed to the mid-15th century artist Rogier van der Weyden’s workshop “is a 20th-century fake, of an unknown man sporting a Beatles-style haircut and reading a paper containing nothing more than nonsense.” – The Observer (UK)
One Of The Sundance Winners Had These Bon Mots For Hollywood
Alma Har’el said women directors, who directed 44 percent of the movies at Sundance this year, said, “We’re here; we’re ready; stop sending us to shadow the fucking white men.” (Plus, hey, a list of all the winners.) – Vulture