Writing Worth Reading
Writing Worth Reading
On the Gatsby renaissance. Why now? "The novel, with its clear sense that money comes and goes, and that detachment from opulence is as empty a gesture as indulgence in it, seems to come to mind whenever we aren't doing so well"
The play, Clybourne Park, has become a cultural fixture during the Obama presidency. It suggests that, when it comes to race in America, not much has changed over the past half-century. "It is the audacity of rage, not hope"
How Pantone, a "quietly ubiquitous American company that maintains color standards for publishers, designers, and the fashion world", networks with designers and producers to set trends. Orange is passé. Brown is "approaching"
"Homicidal drivers, ten quid coffees, and areas in which I could not afford to buy anything more than a lock-up garage with a missing roof." And still she wants to move there. Scottish writer considers the draw of London
Harvard biologist tackles evolution of culture in a monumental essay. Captivating throughout. "Rich and seemingly boundless as the creative arts seem to be, each is filtered through the narrow biological channels of human cognition"
Wonderful consideration of "the expression, common to both the arts and science, of the somewhat grand, somewhat ignoble, all too human pursuit of originality in the face of total dependence on the achievements of others"
On timely revival of Death of a Salesman. "Willy is defined by the spirit of competition and by its corollary, invidious comparison. Envy is the gasoline on which US capitalism runs; it also runs Willy, driving him crazy"
From a scientist-in-residence at the prestigious Rambert ballet company to the Collide@Cern artists' residency programme, the new "sciart" movement is bringing together the contrasting cultures of science and art
Mike Nichols revives Death of a Salesman. "With the singular exception of Mike, no director since Kazan has come close to demonstrating the capacity to deconstruct, rebuild, question, and even love the basic ideas of America"
On cultural life in Egypt. Buffeted by Mubarak's repression and Islamist resurgence. Is it possible to regain the spirit of openness that once made Alexandria a cosmopolitan city? Writer hopes Egypt's second city can lead a revival
"Havel's plays are a critique of all of us, those in charge and those under charge, who created all the absurd and meaningless structures of modern society we lament on a daily basis, feel so oppressed by, and yet refuse to change"
Under threat from digital technologies, the play is having an identity crisis. Average age of a Broadway audience now 48. And the economics work for only a few big hits. How will stage performances adapt to ensure their survival?
Image by petervittrup on Flickr
