An Oral History Of The Muppets

"The last season [of The Muppet Show] aired in 1981, and Jim Henson died suddenly in 1990. But the Muppets and many of their human performers are still with us. Still, while they've returned to movies and television with various degrees of success since Henson's death, no one's yet managed to crack the code and find the success the Muppets once had. ... For the latest installment in its Peabody-Award winning American Icons series, Studio 360 ... looks at the origins, appeal and future of the Muppets." (audio with transcript)

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The New Arts Journalism - A New Era Dawns?

While arts writing is going through one of its richest periods of innovation, with an explosion of forms in recent years, much of the experimentation is happening well outside of traditional media. The internet seems to have reminded at least some writers of the kind of artistry that’s possible in art criticism, says Charlotte Frost, author of a forthcoming book, “Art Criticism Online: A History.” This represents a return to the roots of the field, she adds. The 800-word art review is actually a fairly recent invention. But if you turn the clock back a bit, to the 18th-century Paris salons, for instance, there were all kinds of critical responses to art, Frost says.

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An Opera Written For The Space Under Brooklyn's Most Famous Graveyard

"[David Hertzberg's] The Rose Elf features a pair of star-crossed lovers who are figuratively torn apart when one of them is literally torn apart by a jealous rival. ... Opera-goers will follow a candle-lit pathway through [Green-Wood Cemetery] to the subterranean tombs, and take seats along one wall of the catacomb’s long, narrow hallway, with the performance taking place all along the crypt-lined corridor."

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A Fascinating Trove Of Studs Terkel Interviews Is Being Restored

Everybody talked to Studs. Tennessee Williams, Luciano Pavarotti, Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, Paul Robeson, Lotte Lehmann, Georg Solti, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Jon Vickers, and Buckminster Fuller come to mind among those gone now but were in their prime when they sat with him at WFMT. By the time Studs left the station in 1997, he had amassed more than 5,600 reel-to-reel interviews and mixdowns filled with insights he teased out of his guests from 45 years behind the mic.

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The Collection Of 300 Poems That Shaped Chinese Civilization

"In the same way that Homer's epics took hold within the West, The Book of Songs played a role in spheres far beyond literature, with a lasting influence on Chinese civilisation. The collection had an impact on education, politics and communal life: in antiquity, the Songs were quoted and recited as coded communication in diplomatic exchange; invoked as proof to cap a philosophical argument; read as commentary – satirical more often than not – on historical circumstances; and taught for the purposes of moral edification. It has continued to affect Chinese society since then, both through what the Songs say and the form they take."

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Are Viral Memes Losing Their Impact?

“People today are consuming more memes than ever. The expiration date for them has shortened more since even last year. Memes used to last for two to three weeks, but recently we’ve noticed they die after just a few days.”

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Expanding Autism-Friendly Children's Theatre

"As Lincoln Center's education director, Peg Schuler-Armstrong, put it, everyone has the right to experience the benefits of storytelling and the catharsis of the live performing arts. The result has been innovative, highly personalized performance pieces that can be enjoyed equally by children with disabilities and their neurotypical families, so that the joy can be shared."

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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Life As Family Woman And Celebrity

"In Lagos, she is as recognizable as the President. Her face is on billboards. People crowd around her at the airport. When she enters a restaurant, there is a ripple of recognition. Sometimes she will ask for the check and discover that someone else has paid for her meal. ... She is admired as a Nigerian who has become an international celebrity, bringing renown to her country and a sense that now, for a Nigerian, anything is possible. But, because she is so visible, everything she does or says is scrutinized."

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Why The Language Invented For 'Game Of Thrones' Is Credible And The One Invented For 'Star Wars' Is Bogus

"Huttese, Klingon, Dothraki — it's all Greek to me. Just a bunch of sounds. Right? Not if you listen closely. Some of these constructed languages, or 'conlangs,' pass as real languages much better than others. What separates a convincing conlang from a bad one? In this episode of Watch Smarter, we examine how movies and TV shows create custom languages, and how the best — or at least the most realistic — evolve like real human speech." (video)

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Audible Moves Into Off-Broadway Theater

"In March, Audible Inc. moved from the aural space into the physical New York theater world when it sponsored a run of Harry Clarke at the Minetta Lane Theater. Now, the audiobook company is formalizing its relationship with the theater: It struck a deal to produce plays, comedic shows, panel discussions and more there, starting with a solo show from Carey Mulligan in June."

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