Merwin “was one of the most highly decorated poets in the nation, and very likely the world. He was the United States poet laureate from 2010 to 2011; won two Pulitzer Prizes, a National Book Award and a spate of other honors; and was lauded for his volumes of prose and translations of poetry from a Babel of languages.” – The New York Times
Russia Bans A Teen Theatre Production; Police Question Director
The show, called The Pinks and the Blues, “developed by the activist troupe Merak, triggered intense scrutiny from local authorities who saw it as a dangerous and subversive activity promoting ‘hatred against men and non-traditional family relations.'” The teens in the theatre troupe were also questioned by police. – Global Voices
Watch The Winner Of This Year’s ‘Dance Your PhD’ Contest
Oh yes, there is such a thing: it’s run by Science magazine and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. And this year’s winner, Superconductivity: The Musical! by (and starring) University of Victoria physics researcher Pramodh Senarath Yapa, is about the formation of electron pairs in metals. (You can watch all four of this year’s category winners here.) – Forbes
‘A Cross Between Birgit Nilsson And Tina Fey’: How A Perfectly Good Mozart Soprano Became The World’s Leading Wagnerian Hero-Diva
Says Alexander Neef, general director of Canadian Opera Company, about Christine Goerke, “People can’t get over the sheer power of the voice — and I don’t mean only the volume. … It’s not only that she hits all the notes and she hits them powerfully. It’s that there’s always an element of storytelling that really allows her to connect with the audience.” – The New York Times
Afghanistan’s First All-Women Orchestra Is Now Touring Abroad
The ensemble Zohra, named for the ancient Persian goddess of music, was created five years ago for the female students at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, itself founded only in 2008. “The music performed is a combination of traditional Afghan music and western classical. For instance, their new arrangement of ‘Greensleeves'” — made for its tour of England — “contains attractive new instrumentation probably not envisaged by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1934.” – BBC
Netflix Agrees To Remove Footage Of Real Train Derailment From “Bird Box”
People in a Quebec town and across the province were shocked after learning in January that footage from a derailment and explosion that killed 47 people was used in the drama starring Sandra Bullock. – Toronto Star