14 December 2020

In Memoriam: Meg Jones | Reporter | Raconteur | Friend to Many

 

Reporter Meg Jones with Skyriter typewriter
Meg Jones with Skyriter Typewriter
Photo by J.A. Jablonski (c) 2018

Two years ago Meg Jones, reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and I met up at a coffee shop on Milwaukee's East Side. I had something to give her: a typewriter. Not just any typewriter, a Skyriter. The Skyriter was popular with journalists and war correspondents due its small size, portability (only 9 lbs including its metal case), and reliable action. In the 1970s, the case was updated to a soft-sided thing so that reporters, writers, and travel writers could tuck it under their airplane seats.

Meg Jones was both journalist and war correspondent. I admired the heck out of her and regular read her stories in JSOnline. I wanted her to have her own "reporter's typewriter." Five years before she'd already typed on the very machine I gave her, though she might not have remembered it that day in January 2018.


Meg Jones typing on a Skyriter Typewriter in 2013
Photo by J.A. Jablonski (c) 2018


I used to collect typewriters. In 2013, Meg contacted me. Somehow she'd heard about me and these machines. I posted about that interview here. This is how I described how it came about:

"She googled typewriters AND Milwaukee, and my post about last year's Summer Solstice Type-In came up.  Like any reporter worth her salt, she tracked me down and asked if she could call.  And like a good librarian, I said, "Sure, I have lots of info you could use for a story." 

Meg called, we talked for about 30 minutes.  Then, offhandedly, she asked, "So how many typewriters do you have?"  "Well," I says, "about 25."  Then came that amusing nano-second pause and Meg asked, "Would you mind if I came over to your house to see them? Oh, and could I bring a photographer?"

It was a lovely afternoon's conversation. Meg was delightful and completely interested in everything. Talking to her was like talking to an old friend. She said she liked to make her own short report videos on her phone and might I please type something for background noise. (That's her typing at the end with me holding her phone over her shoulder.)

Her JS Online Video


From 2013 on we'd run into each other now and then, usually on the way in to a Brewers game at Miller Park. She was a serious fan. She'd stop for a friendly chat but then promptly motored off with great intent. She wanted to see everything game-related: batting practice, pregame, everything! One got the feeling that life itself was that to her: to be seen in total.

She was so excited to receive the Skyriter--wanting to know where it came from, if anyone had used it for writing before her. I had to admit that I'd gotten it via eBay and didn't know. We followed each other on Twitter then, and exchanged snail mail addresses to correspond, and for the couple years since she sent me her holiday letters. They were a blast to read! She SO enjoyed her work, her travel, and the people she met. They were travelogues in and of themselves.

Back in September Milwaukee's own Boswell Books hosted Iranian novelist Salar Abdoh for a conversation about his latest book Out of Mesopotamia, in which Abdoh discussed the "endless war" from a Middle Eastern perspective. Meg Jones was the host for the conversation, and oh my, was it fascinating. I've watched a lot of book launch interviews and this was anything but. Abdoh and Jones were of a kind and clearly respected each others' war reporting experiences.



Salar Abdoh Virtual Event for Boswell Book Company
Host: Meg Jones | Runtime: 59 min


Not too long ago I got another of her letters. She told me what she'd been doing and where she'd been of late. Then she thanked me again for the Skyriter. She had it on display in her guest bedroom, she said.

Meg Jones' obituary is here. You can hear her vibrancy, her joy, her professionalism throughout. And you can hear how much she will be missed by her colleagues and friends.

Rest in Peace, Meg. Rest in Power. Thank you for what you gave us all. How you will be missed.




09 December 2020

Sequestering Arts: The Yuletide Edition

 

 
"Winter Scene" | Jean Beaufort
(CC0 Public Domain | Source)


Very best wishes of the solstice season
and good health to you & yours!

Sequestering Arts | About this intermittent series


With the world in lockdown due to Covid-19 (<-- link to the CDC info site), many people are struggling, practically, emotionally, and creatively. As a long-time creative & librarian I thought I might be able to help by doing what I do best: finding/sharing information. My goal is to provide links to interesting, comforting, & creative online resources that you can explore & enjoy while home- or place-bound.

GOOD FOODSTUFFS

THEATER | THEATRE 
  • Sonnets in Solitude | Royal Shakespeare Company | Videos
    Playlist (62 videos to date):
    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSIxo_5qCKQjrXHGJvVQ7ppaBkH5D8P2b
    [From description] "RSC actors perform Shakespeare's sonnets. When Covid-19 closed our theatres and stopped all live performances, so we turned to Shakespeare's poetry."

  • Until the Flood | Milwaukee Repertory Theater | Written & Performed by Dael Orlandersmith | Directed by Neel Keller | Video | Runtime: 1:02:01
    https://www.milwaukeerep.com/shows-and-events/at-home/until-the-flood/
    [From About] " About the Flood: Pulitzer Prize finalist and celebrated performer Dael Orlandersmith (Forever) explores the social uprising in Ferguson, Missouri following the shooting of teenager Michael Brown. Pulling from her extensive interviews with Missouri residents, Orlandersmith crafts a stunning theatrical experience that must be seen. The Chicago Tribune called it “palpably compassionate” and raved that it “achieves a great beauty by bringing us together rather than driving us apart.”

  • A Christmas Carol | Milwaukee Repertory Theater | Free from Dec 1-24, 2020
    Mark Clements’ Classic Production of A Christmas Carol

    https://www.milwaukeerep.com/shows-and-events/two-carols/
    [From webpage] "Each year, nearly 40,000 people experience Milwaukee Rep Artistic Director Mark Clements’ epic adaptation at the beautiful historic Pabst Theater. We are opening our video vault to bring a never-before-seen recording of the 2016 production filmed and produced by HMS Media. This production will be available for FREE to view Dec 1 – 24 as our gift to theater lovers worldwide."
  • The Gauntlet | Sydney Opera House | Video | Runtime: 25:17
    https://youtu.be/JYAjl5Ru7-w
    [From description] "Performed as part of Antidote in 2018, The Gauntlet is a genre-bending performance work, which combines choirs and vocal ensembles, contemporary choreography and site-specific storytelling. In this newly commissioned film, composer Sxip Shirey and choreographer Coco Karol discuss what it takes to create an immersive piece of this nature."

    This is really an unusual piece and, for those of us missing human contact & interaction, emotionally satisfying.

DANCE | MOVEMENT

MUSIC
  • Rock the bagpipe! Scotland the Brave / We will rock you @ Switzerland | Video | Runtime: 4:39
    https://youtu.be/rIpNs3jrfc0
    Apologies to my father-in-law! But they really are kicking it here!

  • Live - As Quatro Estações e Valencianas: Alceu Valença e Orquestra Ouro Preto | Video | Runtime: 2:50:37
    Originally streamed on 12/6/2020 | https://youtu.be/D219aLq4e4A
    [Translation of the video description's first paragraph - via Google Translate] "The Ouro Preto Orchestra celebrates the 125th anniversary of SulAmérica with two lives in a row, Sunday, December 6, transmitted directly from the historic city of Minas Gerais. All under the baton of Maestro Rodrigo Toffolo, with the participation of Alceu Valença and the guitarist Carmelo de Los Santos."

  • 20 minutes of Celtic mandolin, cittern and mandola | Video | Runtime: 22:40
    https://youtu.be/fgkabydSIOI
    [Performers: Ian Stephenson &Tom Kimber]

  • Joe Utterback - Concert Fantasy on George Gershwin's Porgy & Bess; Sets for Piano solo Performed by pianist David Allen Wehr
    Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsneRuLOc8g1x_-vtiMR0T4Y8HyrAXF0v
    As many of you know I quite like this musician! This album is one of my favorites. If you are interested in acquiring his CDs, see the link provided in the description. FYI: Wehr is the Dean of the Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University. They have a nice YouTube channel of performances too: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGvll7oZ4lQOXpQ7fxdAUiw

  • Alicia Keys: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert | June 2020 | Video | Runtime: 27:46
    https://youtu.be/uwUt1fVLb3E

  • Florence + the Machine: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert | October 2018 | Video | Runtime: 14:01
    https://youtu.be/EkPrXL-H5Qc

  • Library of Congress Concerts | LOC website, YouTube, & Facebook
    NB: Not all videos will be available on all platforms, and some will be available only for a limited time; check each page for options as the event nears.
    https://loc.gov/concerts/
    [From webpage] "Our 2020-2021 season will be presented entirely virtually, through a freshly-conceived portal to our concerts, conversations, lectures and much more, available free of charge to everyone. In our 96th season, encountering unprecedented times and unpredictable challenges, we embark on an exciting venture: to share our concerts, and the Library’s magnificent music collections, with the greatest possible audience worldwide. New music and new media come together in a year that sees a mini-fest of Latinx composers and the world premieres of three new Library of Congress commissions. Two virtual residencies feature the JACK Quartet and violinist Jennifer Koh, visionary artists fired by a passion to reflect the rich diversity in our society and our music. '(Re)Hearing Beethoven' is a festive 250th birthday celebration you absolutely can’t miss: performances of revelatory transcriptions of the composer’s nine symphonies introduced by artists and scholars in programs."

  • Jazz at Lincoln Center | John Coltrane
    https://www.jazz.org/blog/for-the-love-of-trane-hear-our-john-coltrane-playlist-on-apple-music/
    I must confess Coltrane's work does a serious whack on my synesthesia (and not in a good way) but if you are into his stuff, here's a great playlist.

MAKING OF VARIOUS KINDS

  • How to fold a 3D Paper Star
    https://youtu.be/iszp_VfzBwU
    [From description] "This is an origami tutorial on how to fold a fancy 3D paper star. Nice ornament for Christmas as well as party decoration for all seasons. I also recommend it as a paper aroma diffuser to purify the room air. You can make it from a sheet of A-sized copy paper. Folding pattern is simple so that you can make both 8-pointed and 6-pointed stars."

  • Origami with Jo Nakashima | Tutorials | Videos
    Playlists: https://www.youtube.com/c/JoNakashimaBR/playlists

  • TheJasonOfAllTrades | Videos
    https://www.youtube.com/user/thejasonofalltrades/videos
    [From About] "I'm an itinerant DIY'er and liver of life. By "liver," I don't mean the organ. Maybe I need a better word for this."

    As some of you know, I come from a family of artist/makers/creatives. I learned to sew on my grandmother's treadle machine! Pretty sure all of my siblings sew. I recall one of my brothers sewing a camping tent because at the time they didn't sell 'em for us tall folks. This gent would fit right to my family, especially for his sheer joyful interest in the machinery of the makery.

FUN-CURIOUS
  • Fable the Raven | Did you know Ravens can talk?! | Video | Runtime: 6:25
    https://youtu.be/2d3dOam9Hg4
    I have a small "unkindness" of ravens featured in my mystery novel (in process) so I like to track this sort of thing.

  • Around the world in 1896! footage from 1800's with added sound | Britannia Panopticon | Video | Runtime: 42:03
    https://youtu.be/dj95Q-7qIyk

  • STRANDBEEST EVOLUTION 2017 | Theo Jansen | Video | Runtime: 4:19
    https://youtu.be/LewVEF2B_pM
    [From Wikipedia] "Theodorus Gerardus Jozef "Theo" Jansen is a Dutch artist. In 1990, he began building large mechanisms out of PVC that are able to move on their own and, collectively, are entitled, Strandbeest. The kinetic sculptures appear to walk. His animated works are intended to be a fusion of art and engineering."

  • The Last Knit | Directed by Laura Neuvonen | Video | Runtime: 6:44
    https://youtu.be/M6ZjMWLqJvM
    A wonderfully quirky animated film from Finland.

  • London Kensington Side Streets & Mews - 4K Walk | Video | Runtime: 37:23
    https://youtu.be/njvyD9C6sdY

QUIETING | RELAXATION | MEDITATION

I've found it especially helpful to have these longer videos playing on an older laptop which I have set to the side of my writing desk.
  • Ambience/ASMR: Writer's Library from the 1930s, 4 Hours | Ambience of Yesteryear | Video | Runtime: 4:00:07
    https://youtu.be/183IwSzCgV4
    [From description: "List of Sounds: - wild songbirds - wood crackling as it burns in the fireplace - footsteps; doors opening & closing - clothing & upholstery softly rustling with movement - handling & flipping through antique hardback books; stroking the covers & spines - perusing & sorting papers - turning pages - jotting notes with a pencil - sketching in charcoal; drawing with pastels - writing cursive by hand with a fountain pen - pouring & stirring tea in fine bone china - the gentle clinking of teaware"]

    Their entire playlist is rather nice. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx70KF3RlS36RnGOtN8VKfQ

  • Fireplace 10 hours full HD | Video | Runtime: 10:01:25
    https://youtu.be/L_LUpnjgPso

  • Afternoon JAZZ - Relaxing Cafe Jazz Music - Lounge Music For Study, Work, Relax | Relax Music | Video | Runtime: 10:11:15
    https://youtu.be/YTAm9nbm_fQ

  • Pottery Throwing ASMR (no voice or music) | Kai Ceramics | Video | Runtime: 11:35
    https://youtu.be/iquCfbCS9Iw

 

05 November 2020

Cool Book: Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles

 

KJ Charles Slippery Creatures Book Cover


My review of KJ Charles' Will Darling Adventures has been updated and moved to my author website: J.A. Jablonski. You can link to it here:



27 September 2020

Sequestering Arts | A Little Music, A Little Theater


Illustration from
J. J. Grandville's Un autre monde (1844)
Source.
 
Sequestering Arts | About this intermittent series

With the world in lockdown due to Covid-19 (<-- link to the CDC info site), many people are struggling, practically, emotionally, and creatively. As a long-time creative & librarian I thought I might be able to help by doing what I do best: finding/sharing information. My goal is to provide links to interesting, comforting, & creative online resources that you can explore & enjoy while home- or place-bound.
 
MUSIC
  • Mary Pappert School of Music | Duquesne University
    Music on the Bluff - Virtual Series

    Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyejVSw0ivQBeIiC7wa2lN1nsBljMSIiB

    [From website] "Beginning in September, we will release a new Bluff Series video on the Mary Pappert School of Music YouTube channel that will feature the talents of Artistic Director and pianist, David Allen Wehr, along with our all-star faculty, members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and internationally-renowned guest artists."
    • Sonata for Cello and Piano (Debussy)
      Fri Sep 18th - Thu Oct 15th 
    • Première Rhapsody for Clarinet and Piano (Debussy)
      Fri Oct 16th - Fri Nov 20th

  • Ralph Zurmühle | Composer & Pianist
    Live Recording Session at Little Big Beat Studios
    https://youtu.be/vl8pRIrzr5s

    [Video description] "
    Video of the full program performed in the live recording session on the 19th of August 2020 at Little Big Beat Studios in cooperation with Tangente, Eschen/FL. There is a unique silence in such a recording session, a silence that is challenging, intense and at the same time extremely inspiring - one can literally hear the drop of a needle. The connection between performer and audience is intimate through the use of earphones and both journey together, moment by moment… with every key touched, every note played and every melody transmitted.

    [From website] "The Swiss composer and pianist was born in Zürich and grew up mainly in Liechtenstein. He graduated from the University of Zürich and lives in Spain. Ralph discovered his natural ability for the piano at the age of five. He fostered his talent over decades with jazz and classical music training in Zürich and Liechtenstein. Imbued with subtle changes of tempo and nuance, crossing various musical genres, Zurmühle’s compositions maintain the intuitive feeling of improvised music. With great sensitivity to touch, he combines fluidity and freedom with refinement and development, resulting in graceful melodies, sublime sound textures and introspective ambiences."

  • Beall & Finch
    Playlists: https://www.youtube.com/c/BeallandFinch/playlists
    [From website] "Jesse Finch and Rosalind Beall are two guitarists who enjoy playing classical music and also writing their own music (with classical, folk and singer-songwriter influences)."

* * * * *


 Procession of Characters from Shakespeare's Plays | Link/Info below

"I don't think people should bother to read Shakespeare.
They should see him in the theatre. Reading just reduces him to an examination subject."  

~ Sir Ian McKellen (Source info below)


THEATER/THEATRE
  • Shakespeare's Globe Theatre | Romeo & Juliet |
    Available: 9/28/2020 - Feb Half-Term 2021
    https://youtu.be/wFBWXRqa7Gs

  • Sadler Wells Theatre
    Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England. Noted on 9/10/2020 (What's On Stage). They are set to reopen for public performances and will be releasing archived shows online. See their website for show info.
    https://www.sadlerswells.com/

  • Cirque du Soleil | 60-MINUTE SPECIALS
    See their playlist of 1-hour specials here:
    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9RDgPtBc9ansNqgSHpKCvUV21t3ek0aY
     
  • The Curve Theatre (Leicester, England) | My Beautiful Launderette
    Available until the Curve reopens
    https://www.curveonline.co.uk/news/watch-our-archive-recording-of-hanif-kureishis-my-beautiful-laundrette/
    Hanif Kureishi's play based on his Oscar-nominated screenplay, featuring original music from Tennant/Lowe of the Pet Shops Boys. Omar Malik and Jonny Fines star in the production, filmed at Leicester's Curve theatre in 2019.

  • Clock Productions (Chicago, IL, US) | Black Joy
    https://clockproductionschicago.com/blackjoy/
    [From website] "BLACK JOY is a World Premiere featuring a variety of original scenes, songs, and spoken word pieces, all written and performed by Black artists. The festival will have a Facebook premiere on October 9th and also be available to stream here on the website from October 9th thru 23rd. Tickets are a Pay-What-You-Can donation.Adapted and Directed by Clock alumna Kayla V. White, BLACK JOY takes a physical and emotional journey through the seasons, sharing stories about being Black in America."

  • St. Ann's Warehouse (Brooklyn, NY)
    https://stannswarehouse.org/show/donmar-trilogy/
    • Julius Caesar | October 9–15
      [From website] "Harriet Walter, Jackie Clune, and Jade Anouka star in Phyllida Lloyd's all-female production of the Shakespeare play, filmed in December 2016 at the Donmar Warehouse King's Cross in London."
    • Henry IV | October 16–22
      [From website] "Harriet Walter plays the title role in Phyllida Lloyd's all-female production of the Shakespeare play, filmed in December 2016 at the Donmar Warehouse King's Cross in London."

Other posts in this series can be found via this link.

____________________________________

Source/Image Credit
  1. The Telegraph. "Sir Ian McKellen: Don't bother reading Shakespeare." By Patrick Foster,  27 Oct 2015.
  2. Procession of Characters from Shakespeare’s plays, c 1840  | William Shakespeare | Signature from Last Will  
 

02 September 2020

Cool Book: The Four Profound Weaves: A Birdverse Book by R.B. Lemberg

 

The Four Profound Weaves Book Cover

My review of R.B. Lemberg's The Four Profound Weaves: A Birdverse Book  has been updated and moved to my author website: J.A. Jablonski. You can link to it here:



28 June 2020

Sequestrian Arts | June 28, 2020




What is/are Sequestrian Arts?

With the world in lockdown due to Covid-19 (link to the CDC info site), many people are stuggling, practically, emotionally, and creatively. As a long-time creative & librarian I thought I might be able to help by doing what I do best: finding/sharing information. Below is part a series I am developing on the Sequestering Arts. The notion is to provide links to interesting, comforting, & creative online resources that you can explore & enjoy while home- or place-bound.

The series can be accessed via the image link at left or this link.


THEATRE | THEATER | DANCE | MOVEMENT


  • Richard II | Free Shakespeare on the Radio | WNYC In Collaboration with The Public
    https://publictheater.org/productions/season/1920/richard-ii/

    [From website] "RICHARD II will be broadcast in four parts nightly from Monday, July 13 through Thursday, July 16 at 8:00 p.m. EST on WNYC 93.9 FM and AM 820 for listeners in the New York tri-state area and will stream nationwide at WNYC.org."

  • Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester (UK) | THE ALMIGHTY SOMETIMES by Kendall Feaver, directed by Katy Rudd | YouTube | Runtime: 2:07:51
    https://youtu.be/BJlpxSouCOk | Audio described: https://youtu.be/l6ucmPkFJe0
    [Play description] "Anna is coming of age. Possibilities are unfurling in front of her and she’s ready to take control. But her mother’s been standing guard all these years, taking care, editing the choices. When Anna makes a decision that could affect the rest of her life, can Renee stand by and watch? From writer Kendall Feaver comes a family story full of heart and humour, of a young woman trying to take control and a mother compelled to protect her. Winner of a Judges Award at the 2015 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting. (CONTENT WARNING The show contains frank discussion of mental illness throughout. There is a scene containing an attempted overdose at the end of Act One and Act Two contains graphic scenes depicting a woman suffering from extreme mental distress.)"


  • Brave Spirits Theatre | Online Play Readings
    https://www.bravespiritstheatre.com/shakespeares-histories/online-reading-festival/

    [Info] "Brave Spirits Theatre spent the month of May exploring the history play genre in a series of live online readings of plays by Shakespeare and his contemporaries. Now, you can watch recordings of seven readings, featuring the works of Shakespeare, Marlowe, Peele, and the ever-popular “Unknown” on their YouTube page. Keep an eye out for a new upcoming date for their live reading of John Ford’s Perkin Warbeck."

    [About BST] "Brave Spirits Theatre is dedicated to plays from the era of verse and violence, staging visceral and intimate productions of Shakespeare and his contemporaries with a focus on female artists and feminist perspectives."

  • American Players Theater | Out of the Woods - Live Play Reading Series
    https://americanplayers.org/out-of-the-woods-a-play-reading-series

    [From website] "We are excited to announce a new play reading series: Out of the Woods, play readings performed and recorded live. APT’s Core Acting Company, alongside some other great APT actors, will be reading a selection of plays using Zoom virtual meeting software. The readings are streamed live and recorded by PBS Wisconsin. Play readings will be posted on Fridays at 7:00 PM CT on their website: pbswisconsin.org, and free to view, with all six plays available July 17 through July 26."

  • Scottish Ballet | The Rite of Spring | YouTube | Runtime: 37:20
    https://youtu.be/0HL-fus2WH8

    [From description] "Stay Home with Stravinsky Experience the bold and electrifying rhythms of The Rite of Spring from the comfort of your own home. Following a critically acclaimed UK tour, Christopher Hampson's The Rite of Spring is now being broadcast in full for free to audiences worldwide. The performance was filmed at The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh in October and is available to stream online from 7pm BST Wednesday 27 May until 30 June 2020. Age guidance: 12+ (Contains some scenes of violence)."

  • Earth Virtual Milonga! | Next milonga - June 28th
    https://www.sotango.world/

    [From website] "The Earth Virtual Milonga (EVM) is a FREE virtual party where people from all over world meet up via the Zoom platform to do what they love to do most: to listen, watch, and dance TANGO!" (New milonga every 2 weeks.)


MUSIC


  • The King's Singers | "You are the New Day" (John David, arr. Peter Knight) | YouTube
    https://youtu.be/DgEGsqgP21w

    NOTE: When vinyl record albums were still a thing I bought one of The King's Singers' solely to hear their rendition of "You Are the New Day." So it was a delight to see the latest group of the King's gents with a new version.

  • Brandon Acker | Introducing Gut Strings | YouTube | Runtime: 7:33
    https://youtu.be/xoDTJl6kTPc

    [From Acker's About info]: "Brandon J. Acker is a sought out classical guitarist and specialist in early plucked instruments. Recent achievements include two debut CDs released by Jester Recordings and a highly praised collaboration with the creators of Les Misérables in the English language premiere of their musical La Revolution Française. He received 1st prize in the 2010 Society of American Musicians competition. He has toured extensively in the UK and Canada with Chamber Opera Chicago and performed with notable groups such as The Leipzig Baroque Orchestra, The Joffrey Ballet, The Chicago Philharmonic, The Newberry Consort, Music of the Baroque, Opera Lafayette, Haymarket Opera, Third Coast Baroque, Bella Voce and more. He's been praised for his "Salient licks on the theorbo and baroque guitar" by the Milwaukee Sentinel."

  • Stage@Seven: Beethoven: Violin Concerto | Christian Tetzlaff / Andrés Orozco-Estrada|May 2020 | YouTube | Runtime: 44:12
    https://youtu.be/gfCgoCMu-ec

    [From description] "Frankfurt Radio Symphony and Frankfurt Radio Big Band live! hr-Sinfonieorchester – Frankfurt Radio Symphony Christian Tetzlaff, Violin Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Conductor Ludwig van Beethoven: Violin Concerto D major op. 61 I. Allegro ma non troppo II. Larghetto III. Rondo Beethoven cadenza arranged by Christian Tetzlaff.
    Note: In accordance with the current restrictions imposed by the Corona pandemic in Germany, this livestream series currently only features ensembles up to chamber orchestral size. The required minimum distances are respected. Streaming is also carried out in a reduced setting."

  • Compare & Contrast time! | LA CUMPARSITA (Composed in 1916)

    "La Cumparsita" is a famous tune typically played at the end of a tango milonga/dance event. It signals the closing of the time the dancers have spent in close communion. Here's a translation of part of the lyrics.

I always remember you
with the divine affection
I had for you.
And you are everywhere,
part of my life,
and those eyes that were my joy
I look for them everywhere
and I can’t find them.


Here are several versions of them for you to enjoy, compare, and, perhaps, dance to!

FOOD | CULINARY







READING | LITERARY



  • Nnedi Okorafor, PhD (3-time Hugo award winner) | “Africanfuturism: Disrupting Science Fiction”| Her talk from the 2020 Igbo Conference | Runtime: 1:15:15
    https://youtu.be/zTOSalzZQ9Y

    [From description] "Nnedi Okorafor is a Nigerian-American author of Africanfuturism and Africanjujuism for children and adults. Her works include WHO FEARS DEATH (in development at HBO into a TV series), the BINTI novella trilogy, THE BOOK OF PHOENIX, the AKATA books and LAGOON. She is the winner of Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Locus and Lodestar Awards and her debut novel ZAHRAH THE WINDSEEKER won the prestigious Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature. Her next novel, IKENGA, will be in stores August 2020. Nnedi has also written comics for Marvel, including BLACK PANTHER: LONG LIVE THE KING and WAKANDA FOREVER (featuring the Dora Milaje) and the SHURI series, an Africanfuturist comic series LAGUARDIA (from Dark Horse) and her short memoir BROKEN PLACES AND OUTER SPACES. Nnedi is also cowriter the adaptation of Octavia Butler’s WILD SEED with Viola Davis and Kenyan film director Wanuri Kahiu. Nnedi holds a PhD (literature) and two MAs (journalism and literature). She lives with her daughter Anyaugo and family in Illinois."

  • A collection of free [text] books from Springer
    https://hnarayanan.github.io/springer-books/

    [From website] "To help support everyone during Covid-19, Springer has released a ton of free textbooks. This is great, but their web page for this is not super friendly, and expects you to download some Excel sheet to figure out what they have on offer.This web page hopes to make it easier to access all this knowledge."

PODCASTS



  • Chicago Shakespeare Theater | Asides podcast series
    https://www.chicagoshakes.com/about_us/resources/asidespodcast

    [From website] "Inspired by Shakespeare’s “asides”—moments when characters speak directly to the audience and pull them into the story—this podcast shares the world of theater making from our home on Chicago’s Navy Pier. ASIDES shares valuable insights from our team of scholars, conversations with artists, and questions from our listeners to dive deeper into work happening at Chicago Shakespeare."

ARTS | NATURE | CULTURE | TRAVEL | MAKING








  • Alexander McQueen, Designer | Research Library | PDF download link included
    https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/mcqueens-research-library

    [From website] "Alexander McQueen’s personal collection of reference books was intrinsic to his development as a designer. The National Art Library at the V&A holds some of the books that were key to his creativity."

    NOTE: The actual library is not what's posted here. The PDF is a detailed, annotated list of the collection.


    BONUS ITEM: See Ami Waring from the McQueen design team demonstrate how the panther from the tailor’s quilt patchwork is created. | Runtime: 4:10 | https://youtu.be/dz6WaWlbTnA


  • 175 Years of ScotWays | YouTube | Runtime: 21:19
    https://youtu.be/wQwjSei7Dbg

    [From description] "A recorded talk on the story of ScotWays — the body with a mission to uphold public access in Scotland. The organisation was established in Edinburgh in 1845 to tackle the problem of paths being blocked in the city. Richard Barron, Chief Operations Officer at ScotWays, gives a whistle-stop tour of the UK's oldest outdoor recreation organisation. Learn about the events and characters involved in ScotWays development and the battles to protect the public's right of access."

  • A Thames Mudlarking Find from the Workhouse - Mudlarking the River Thames with Nicola White | YouTube | Runtime: 25:09
    https://youtu.be/pQWOOqtTeHU


FUN | SILLY | KIDS



SOCIAL JUSTICE | SOCIAL CULTURE | SOCIAL/HEALTH AWARENESS | SOCIAL OPPORTUNITY



  • How to Use Masks during the Coronavirus Pandemic
    https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-use-masks-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/

    [From web page] "As lockdown restrictions ease in the US, many cities and states still require wearing a mask to help stop the spread of COVID19. Our illustrated guide explains what you should know about face coverings, and offers best practices for personal protection. A series of simple steps outlines the answers."



13 June 2020

Sequestrian Arts | June 13, 2020


Peonies


What is/are Sequestrian Arts?
With the world in lockdown due to Covid-19 (link to the CDC info site), many people are stuggling, practically, emotionally, and creatively. As a long-time creative & librarian I thought I might be able to help by doing what I do best: finding/sharing information. Below is part a series I am developing on the Sequestering Arts. The notion is to provide links to interesting, comforting, & creative online resources that you can explore & enjoy while home- or place-bound.

The series can be accessed via the image link at left or this link. 

COMMUNICATION

THEATER | THEATRE | DANCE | MOVEMENT

Theater | Theatre
  • Stratford Festival on Film | Love's Labour's Lost | Runtime: 2:42:40
    https://youtu.be/tq1YvubSKdc
  • National Black Theatre | NBT @ Home | Videos
    Playlist: https://youtu.be/PiohTzKjq6o
    [From description] " About the series: NBT @ Home is a weekly series of artists in the NBT family engaging in one-on-one discussions with other creatives on topics including theater and the arts, community, health, and more." ⁣⁣
  • Miracle Theatre | The Importance of Being Earnest | By Oscar Wilde | Video | Runtime: 1:53:06
    https://youtu.be/Cf79vaYdi2s

    [From description] "Miracle Theatre presents ‘the funniest play ever written’. Set in 1912 with the Titanic sinking, mass production just beginning on the Morris Oxford and the Turkey Trot causing outrage across the dance floors of polite society, this tale of the strange contents of a handbag found at Victoria station cries out for the sort of surreal treatment that has become Miracle Theatre's hallmark."
    "Cornwall's award winning Miracle Theatre produces a rich mix of touring theatre, always with a unique comic style, joyful use of language, immediate visual appeal and suitable for anyone & everyone - and we'd like to share the love with viewers around the world!"
  • Compass Collective | Imagine
    https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/watch/imagine-by-compass-collective/

    [From website] "Created in isolation by young people from across the UK, the film combines spoken word, animations, lockdown stories and songs, and invites everyone to celebrate the creativity and contribution of those seeking sanctuary in tumultuous circumstances.The film will be released for free across the Globe’s social media channels on Saturday 20 June, Refugee Day. Migration Matters Festival will host a live Q&A with members of Compass Collective that evening. Further details can be found on their website and social media channels."
  • National Theatre (UK) | The Madness of King George | June 11-18, 2020 | Mark Gatiss as George III
    https://youtu.be/fofiKCV9wGc

Dance | Movement
  • New York City Ballet: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1986) | Runtime: 1:45:53
    https://youtu.be/tYz5GKkH_4s
  • HALLELUJAH - A Circus/Queer Film | By Matthew Richardson | Runtime: 5:33
    https://youtu.be/KDgA2sxQIn8

    [From description - see full notes] "Hallelujah” is a queer/circus concept about religion and the importance of choosing kindness regardless of our differences or beliefs. Religion is a tough subject for many in the LGBTQ community, and this piece is a reflection of the struggle and rejection we often feel. It tells the story of an individual troubled by the hate in the world and his partner who is fighting to lift him up, to remind him he is beautiful exactly how he is. My message is that religion should inspire more kindness and open arms, even towards those you may not understand."

  • Symposium | Theresa Ruth Howard “Dark Muse: Balanchine and Blackness” | The Museum at FIT  | Runtime: 24:35
    https://youtu.be/JKPQzNAJfoM
    [From description] "Ballerina: Fashion’s Modern Muse was The Museum at FIT’s 23rd academic symposium. The one-day event explored the ways in which twentieth-century ballerinas and their glamorous, romantic costumes profoundly inspired modern fashion. Theresa Ruth Howard danced with Dance Theatre of Harlem and was a founding member of Armitage Gone! Dance. Founder and curator of Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet, a website documenting nearly 500 dancers of color, Howard has become an internationally recognized teacher, lecturer, and consultant."
  • Dance-Tryptich (1/3): Songhay Toldon | Interview (text) & Video | Runtime: 6:36
    https://neu.schauspielhaus.ch/de/journal/18816/dance-tryptich-1-3-songhay-toldon

    JJ Note: Toldon's choreography is eloquent and powerful, his dancing poignant, aggressive, and allusive.

MUSEUMS | VIRTUAL TRAVEL
  • Pompeii Live from the British Museum | Video | Runtime: 1:27:27
    https://youtu.be/0Cinu9yIbp0

    [From description] "In 2013 we broadcast live from our blockbuster exhibition Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum. This 90 minute broadcast presented by Bettany Hughes and Peter Snow includes interviews with Rachel De Thame, Giorgio Locatelli and Mary Beard. Please be advised this recording is BBFC rated as 12A and contains some sexual imagery and swearing, viewer discretion is advised."
  • Vikings: Live from the British Museum | Video | Runtime: 1:28:52
    https://youtu.be/NuL0Q0tsid4
    [From description] "The Vikings are coming... again! In 2014 we followed on from the success of Pompeii Live with another live broadcast- this time from the exhibition Vikings: life and legend. Here is that broadcast, presented by Bettany Hughes and Michael Wood, featuring the largest Viking warship ever found, Roskilde 6 along with interviews with Viking scholars from across the world. Michael and Bettany explore the viking world from the homelands to its farthest reaches, Viking ship craft, trading, warfare and religion are brought to life through the spectacular objects that were brought together for this blockbuster exhibition. This video has a BBFC rating of 12A and contains descriptions of graphic violence that some viewers may find distressing, viewer discretion is advised."
  • Cincinnati Zoo | Daily "Home Safaris"
    https://www.facebook.com/cincinnatizoo/live_videos/
  • [9:56 Hours] Train Journey to the Norwegian Arctic Circle, WINTER [1080HD] SlowTV
    https://youtu.be/3rDjPLvOShM


READING | LITERATURE | NOVELS, GRAPHIC & TEXT
  • Public Domain Review | Old English Customs Extant at the Present Time (1896)
    https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/old-english-customs

    [From website] "Some of the old English customs that Peter Hempson Ditchfield describes in this fascinating late Victorian book are still familiar today. Carols and plum pudding for Christmas, hot cross buns on Good Friday, the maypole on May Day remain familiar features, if not of common English experience, at least of nostalgic imagination. But many other customs will be completely unfamiliar to twenty-first-century readers."
  • QueerReader.com
    http://queerreader.com/  (Has an RSS feed link)
    [From About page] "Dean Van de Motter is the editor and publisher of QueerReader.com.  The purpose of QueerReader.com is to provide information for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender readers seeking quality literature"
  • U.S. Copyright Office YouTube Channel
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFBtCMrH0sf3CvA-K3s6r5g

    JJ: Their new instructionals are quite good.

MUSIC
  • Jean-Marie Leclair:  Sonata III "Un poco Andante"
    Performed by: Saskia Birchler - Violin, second half 18th Century & Miguel Rincón -  14c Archluth by Andreas V. Holst
    https://youtu.be/lwa-QN6YGco
  • African Music | African Conga Drums | Traditional African Drum Music | Video | Runtime" 3:02:35
    https://youtu.be/4hPCuMfMv50
  • NPRs "Tiny Desk Concerts now has a Tiny Desk (Home) Concerts channel on YouTube
    Playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLy2PCKGkKRVYPm1tBwoX45ocAzuhVyvJX
    [From description] "The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music's Tiny Desk (Home) Concerts, bringing you performance sessions from across the country."
  • Elementary, My Dear Soundtrack | Tedium.co | By Andrew Egan
    https://tedium.co/2020/05/29/sherlock-holmes-music/

    [From website] "Tedium takes you from foggy London to the Australian Outback and even into the 22nd century as we look at some of the amazing theme songs produced by the various versions of Sherlock Holmes."
  • 10 Contemporary Black Classical Composers | Alternative Classical
    https://www.alternativeclassical.co.uk/features/living-black-composers
  • Library of Congress | The Boccaccio Project | See site for daily weekday concerts 15-26 June 2020
    https://www.loc.gov/concerts/boccaccio-project/?loclr=twloc

    [From website] "In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we draw on Boccaccio’s example to offer some musical responses. We have asked 10 pairs of composers and performers to write and perform brief solo works to be premiered online over the course of 10 weekdays in June."

QUIETING | MEDITATIONS
  • The Irish Blessing - over 300 churches from our island sing a blessing over Ireland and beyond | Video | Runtime: 6:50
    https://youtu.be/TascsWZPj8U

    [From description] "Individuals from 300 Christian churches and organisations located in every county on the island submitted self-recordings of vocals and instruments which have been compiled by our creative team to produce this music video - we hope you receive a blessing as you watch it." Click ""CC" for closed captioning.
  • The Silent Watcher  | YouTube Channel
    https://www.youtube.com/user/TheSilentWatcherCom/featured
    [from About] "Here you will find a unique and original collection of highest quality relaxing videos. ALL of the footage and ambient sounds on this channel are personally recorded, edited and produced by me and are not available anywhere else. The purpose of these videos is to help in healing and re-balancing the mind, body and spirit, by helping people experience moments of peace, clarity and relaxation. Produced with attention to detail, the videos are available in 4K UltraHD or FullHD resolutions and high definition audio for full immersion and a realistic experience."

ART | CULTURE | MAKINGS | SELF CARE
  • Alphonso Dunn | Pen & Ink Drawing Tutorials | Ballpoint pen portrait demo
    https://youtu.be/leuxyrQ48Jk


    JJ: I'm gearing up to take some online drawing courses. I have Dunn's books and am hauling together my drawing tools. Here's the link to Dunn's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/LighterNoteProd

    Also noteworthy in this video is that the subject of the portrait is Black author/activist James Baldwin. See this 1962 essay of his from The New Yorker, "Letters From a Region of My Mind" https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1962/11/17/letter-from-a-region-in-my-mind

  • Easiest Self-haircut 2020 | How to Cut Your Own Hair (best for white men/women with short styles;)
    https://youtu.be/ZrTC5D-zYBs

    JJ Note: I've been Bob's barber for years now. I've let him trim my hair . . . once . . . two weeks ago, and only in back. This video tempts me to try a self-trim, not quite as short--but it shows me how to use the tools we have.
  • Warp Earth Catalog
    https://mailchi.mp/warprecords/warp-earth-catalog-01
    [From website] "Warp Earth Catalog is a weekly mixtape of ideas to inspire, inform, enable and energize creativity and positivity in a time of global disruption and uncertainty. Based on the classic countercultural guide the Whole Earth Catalog and its credo of ‘access to tools’, these are tools for strength, awareness and thoughtful entertainment. From wherever in the world we are, let’s support each other, make things and help maintain the ecosystem of independent creativity."
  • Can We Escape From Information Overload? | 1843 Magazine | By Tom Lamont
    https://www.1843magazine.com/features/can-we-escape-from-information-overload

    An artist tries to live in total darkness for 30 days.
  • This Mural in Queens Highlights COVID-19’s Impact on People of Color | An image of a brave doctor, large enough to be seen from space.
    https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/queens-coronavirus-doctor-mural?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=atlas-page

    [From website] "In the parking lot of the Queens Museum, at the heart of one of the American neighborhoods most impacted by the coronavirus, a masked face now looks up at the sky, large enough to be seen from space. This is the face of the late medical doctor Ydelfonso Decoo, who was thinking about retirement before the pandemic struck. Rather than retire, he treated coronavirus patients from his community, and subsequently died of COVID-19."

    JJ: This is an astounding work of public art. Included is a description of its inception and video about its making.
  • Architecture Hub | Belgian Guy Creates An Archive Of Ugly Belgian Houses | Via The Mind Circle
    https://themindcircle.com/ugly-belgian-houses/
  • Mind Circle | Artist Paints Beautiful Flowers on All Over The Walls During Quarantine https://themindcircle.com/paints-walls/

    JJ Note: see the website of the artist too: Nathalie Lété

FOOD | CULINARY

SILLY | FUN | KIDS | GAMES

SOCIAL JUSTICE | SOCIAL AWARENESS | SOCIAL CULTURES
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...