In the late 19th century, few believed that anyone, literate or not, could have memorized something as long as the Iliad or Odyssey. (The main argument at the time was whether “Homer” was one person or many; the two sides were the Unitarians and the Analysts.) Who established that Homer’s verse was recited by heart? A clever Harvard professor, helped by some Bosnian bards. – JSTOR Daily
‘If You Give A Mouse A Cookie’ — Beloved Children’s Book Or Cautionary Tale About Welfare Dependency?
If you think that’s a ridiculous question, the woman who wrote this article agrees with you. But it became a question nonetheless, thanks in part to (no surprise here) the American Enterprise Institute. Rebecca Christie explains how this happened and (for those who haven’t read the book) just why it’s ridiculous. – Slate
What We Learned From The Madison Square Garden Performance Of “Mockingbird” And 18,000 Kids
Artistic Directors like me have been wringing our hands over the same question for decades. How do we get younger audiences to come to our theatre? How do we engage young people today in our ancient art form? How do we not only hold their attention but excite them enough to want to come back to our theatre? This week, one answer came. And it showed me that maybe we’ve been asking ourselves the wrong question. Sometimes we must bring the mountain to Muhammed. – Intimate Excellent
The West End’s 180-Year-Old Costume Shop, Angels, Is Closing Because Of London’s Rent Increases
Its company director said that although the direct reason was a redevelopment scheme by the landlord, the store couldn’t find another place in the West End. She said, “At present, an independent store owner can be paying well over half-a-million pounds per year in rates and rents to take over an empty unit without stairs or fitted toilets. … That’s before you’ve done the flooring, fitted it out, hired staff and taken a single sale.” – The Stage (UK)
Maybe Binge-Watching Isn’t As Bad For The Planet As We Originally Thought
Just keep clicking “Play next” (or don’t click the auto-play off, maybe) because the original figures about streaming were overestimated by a factor of, scientists now say, 30-60 times. However: “Demand for streaming video might shoot up this year if millions of people are forced to spend more time at home because of the coronavirus outbreak. But if they are doing this instead of driving or flying places, overall carbon emissions will be much lower.” – New Scientist
Salt Lake City’s Leonardo Museum Turns Sprinklers On A Homeless Encampment
When the mayor saw the sprinklers turned on in a place where people had been camping all winter, the city got involved. “After people from the mayor’s office tried to contact officials at The Leonardo, a city crew was sent over to shut off the water. The water had been running about 20 minutes.” The museum’s chief engagement officer responded, “We believe we have been more than understanding” about the homeless encampment. – The Salt Lake Tribune
This Feature Film Could Be 700 Hours Long
Well, probably not, but that’s about how much footage the Russian director shot of the DAU project, “a multiyear experiment in which hundreds of nonprofessional actors lived and worked in a replica of a Soviet research institute, what may be the most ambitiously immersive film set ever made, in Ukraine. People played versions of themselves, transposed to lifestyles and careers of the Soviet Union. Artists, scientists and religious leaders visited the set, becoming part of the production and even holding lectures and workshops.” Two of the planned 13 resulting feature films premiered at the Berlinale this week. – The New York Times
A List Of All The Books Referenced In The Brilliant British Comedy ‘Sex Education’
Perhaps you haven’t yet watched the Gillian Anderson-fueled comedy (it’s streaming in the US on Netflix), but you should know that there’s a high school girl who is a love interest for Anderson’s character’s son. But more than that: “What we learn about Maeve over the course of the show is that she is, secretly, a real Lit Girl. While her classmates are drinking cheap beer at house parties, she’s home reading the classics.” – LitHub
Gerald Krone, Co-Founder Of The Negro Ensemble Company, Has Died At 86
Krone was a theatre producer and manager who joined with Douglas Turner Ward, an actor and playwright, and Robert Hooks, an actor and producer, to found the company in 1967. The company won a special Tony after two years of existence, and sent three plays to Broadway. “In 1981 it staged, Off Broadway, the premiere of Charles Fuller’s A Soldier’s Play, with a cast that included Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson; the play won the Pulitzer Prize.” – The New York Times
Comedy Duo Dedicates A Tiny Confederate Statue To Iowa Politician Steve King
King is generally regarded as a white nationalist; he has a decades-long history of xenophobic and racist comments which earned him censure from other Republicans. One of the comedians said the four-inch statue should definitely be seen as a metaphor. “Racists are trying to bring down others so they can make themselves feel better. That’s the mark of somebody who is very small.” – The Guardian (UK)
The Soothing, Anti-Prestige, Counter-Programming Of Network TV
Stressed by prestige TV on streaming networks? Hey, here’s the solution: Just go with the networks. “It’s a soft parade of uniformly telegenic people in clothes that always fit perfectly, bantering like aliens who grew up watching only Friends and ER. Nothing bad can happen to me while these sitcoms and dramas are on, twirling through the latest iteration of an ancient dance. Everything is alright, and if it’s not, it’s surely headed for a quick resolution.” – Fast Company
Lee Phillip Bell, Journalist Who Co-Created ‘The Young And The Restless,’ Has Died At 91
Hall and her husband created two mainstays of daytime TV – the soap operas The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful. Yes, many people laugh at them, “the dramas have attracted millions of viewers while tackling difficult topics like incest, alcoholism and teen pregnancy.” – The New York Times
Indian Artists Drops Lawsuit Against MeToo Instagram Account
The whistleblower account Scene and Herd took down its 2018 posts accusing artist Subodh Gupta of sexual harassment, and the courts in Delhi allowed the creators to remain anonymous. – Hyperallergic
This Land Is Only Made For Woody Guthrie’s Descendants, Apparently
Though it might seem like common sense that, like “Happy Birthday,” the iconic Woody Guthrie song “This Land Is Your Land” should come out of copyright anytime now, that’s not what a recent court case decided – and not what his daughter wants. Nora Guthrie says this is about more than money; keeping it in copyright “allowed the song’s message of inclusion to be protected from abuse and political jingoism.” – The New York Times
A New Opera In LA Shows The Area’s Rich And Tragic History
MacArthur winner Yuval Sharon says it’s time for opera to reckon with the past. “Sweet Land has been described by its creators as ‘an opera that erases itself.’ It achieves an effect not unlike that of traveling back in time to witness the first Thanksgiving, then returning to the present to hear its story warped through the traditional, wholesome retelling.” – The New York Times
Musicians Talk Horror-Airline Stories
“You can have a bad experience whether flying with it in your hand or freighting. I’ve seen a forklift go right through a guitar case before. Airlines should be as explicit as possible on their websites about their policies. But if you’re not a platinum member, don’t expect any special treatment.” – Los Angeles Times
How Coronavirus Is Affecting The Entertainment Industry
Theaters in China, the world’s second largest box office market behind the U.S. and Canada, have almost entirely shut down. So have theme parks and film shoots. Travel bans meant to curb the global spread of the virus have affected business conferences and live events, such as concerts. – Los Angeles Times
She’s Been Dead For 45 Years And She’s Still The Arab World’s Favorite Star
“There is no western counterpart to Umm Kulthum, no artist as respected and beloved as she is in the Arab world.” She sang everything from the most complex classical Arabic music to nationalist hymns; her sold-out performances ran for five hours or more; her monthly live concert broadcasts had entire nations glued to their radios. (It was said that Umm Kulthum was the only thing that unified the Arab world.) You still hear her voice in cafes and taxis throughout the Middle East and the Arab diaspora. And she lived an extremely unusual life for a woman of her time and place. – The Guardian
Brooklyn Public Library And Brooklyn Historical Society Merge
Under the plan, which was approved this week by the boards of both organizations, the library — the nation’s fifth largest — will become the parent institute of the historical society. The society will remain in its landmark 1881 building in Brooklyn Heights, which houses nearly 100,000 books, manuscripts, photographs, maps and other rare items dating to the 17th century. – The New York Times