RIP Odetta
I just learned via American Digest that the folksinger Odetta has died at the age of seventy-seven. In my youth, I saw her perform at The Bitter End in Greenwich Village. Since that was quite some time ago, I suppose … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Arts
The lost art of browsing; the power of the book inscription
Theodore Dalyrmple mourns the decline of the practice of browsing in secondhand bookstores. Now that the internet allows us to zero in on exactly and precisely the used book we might be looking for, it is no longer necessary—nor do … Continue reading →
Defending Richard Thompson
Okay, I tolerate a lot of dissent here. But some statements are simply unconscionable. Case in point, “Tom” on Richard Thompson: Why is it so many skilled musicians are considered “songwriters” when their lyrics are simply so stupid? I’d prefer … Continue reading →
Can’t get enough Richard Thompson?
So here’s some more, for your viewing and listening pleasure. For those of you who play guitar, you might want to study how it is that he makes the difficult seem so easy. Nice closeups of Thompson’s hands and face. … Continue reading →
It’s Neo Day at Google
This must be my day. Not only has Obama turned into a neo-neocon, but Google has decided to honor me. And it’s about time. Here’s the graphic you get when you do a Google search today: You say that perhaps … Continue reading →
By Obama’s appointments shall ye know him
I have said that Obama will show us soon enough how he intends to govern: from the Left or towards the middle. His first acts will reveal more than all the campaign “promises” in the world. Right now he’s engaged … Continue reading →
Alonso: how to defy age in one difficult lesson
Alicia Alonso is a Cuban ballerina who has defied time. Her early career took place in this country, but she returned to Cuba after Castro came to power and he rewarded her by treating Alonso and her company very well. … Continue reading →
The Obama campaign takes a cue from Orwell: history as palimpsest
Orwell knew full well how important this sort of erasure of history by the Obama campaign is, although he didn’t envision the help of the internet’s wayback machine in reconstructing the vanished past. Do Obama’s scrubbers realize that such a … Continue reading →
Kipling bears repeating: the Gods of the Copybook Headings
Rudyard Kipling is one of those poets known by people who don’t ordinarily read poetry. But what he’s known for differs from person to person. Some are only familiar with his tribute to cool heads under fire, “If.” Others see … Continue reading →
A moment in history leads to a moment in ballet history
I was sent the following photo with a request that I offer an explanation of this riveting ballet tableau: I would be only too happy to oblige.
Continue reading →Dancers: and the short shall be tall
There’s a new star on the New York City Ballet horizon: Daniel Ulbricht. The fact that I’d never even heard of him (or most of the current dancers in the company) until I read this article reminds me how long … Continue reading →
“This little trick”—hovering in the air
I’m currently reading I, Maya Plisetskaya, the autobiography of the wonderful Russian dancer about whom I wrote this tribute. She was known for vivacity, smoldering sensuality, and her powerful yet graceful jump, the latter of which she describes as follows: … Continue reading →