Saturday, November 02, 2019

Caves: Prehistoric Paintings


Propwatch: the only types of prop in the world in ‘The Antipodes’

Dave says there are seven types of stories in the world (starting with ‘rags to riches’). Josh says there are ten types of stories in the world (starting with ‘a threshold crossing’). One of the Dannies says there are 36 types of stories in the world (starting with ‘supplication’). But what is quite clear, by the end of The Antipodes by Annie Baker at the National Theatre, is that there are just seven types of props in the world. – David Jays


Malchkeon and Memories of Pech Merle

Book of forgotten dreams



For eighteen years I have wanted the English translation of Georges Bataille's book La Peinture Préhistorique: Lascaux ou la naissance de l'art, ever since Maurice Blanchot's review essay appeared in the collection Friendship published in 1997. A strange yearning because Blanchot had summarised the content, so there was apparently nothing to gain and, what's more, I have never been a big Bataille reader, much preferring at university Blanchot's unparalleled prose to the jargon-scarred theory beloved of my fellow students who thought "transgression" meant wearing rubber.

Still, there was something withheld by this book, the actual thing, the physical object, in its absence. Unfortunately, the edition from Albert Skira's Great Centuries of Painting series, described by one scholar as a "highbrow coffee table book", has been out of print since 1955 and secondhand copies have always been too expensive, often approaching three figures. Until late one night last November when desultory book searching revealed one in good condition for under £50. In a moment of madness, I clicked Buy Now and sat back to dwell on the extravagance.



Man Kept Getting Drunk Without Drinking. Docs Found Brewer’s Yeast In His Guts ars technica





The unlikely a-peel of Scotch whisky

Eight of us were brought together by a mutual friend who had bid on a group trip to learn the secrets of Scotch whisky.

16 Ways Book Lovers Can Satisfy Their Reading Addiction - Review Geek: “There are more books than you could possibly read in your entire lifetime, so finding titles you’re likely to enjoy isn’t always easy. Fortunately, there are lots of resources available that can help you discover your new favorite author…” Includes information about and links to: Libraries, Thrift Shops, and Book Clubs; E-readers; Online; Audiobooks; Online Communities and Blogs.
 

Hollywood mantra



Every screenwriter needs a mantra, says Joe Eszterhas – an inspirational slogan pinned to the wall to keep him typing away. His is not some uplifting line of poetry, but a simple statement of Hollywood fact: "The first thing a writer must do is protect his own ass."

New York Times op-ed:  What if the Real Act of Holiness Is Rest? After All, That Is The Sabbath’s Chief Requirement., by Margaret Renkl:
SabbathSunday has never been a day of rest for me. I’ve always used at least part of the day to catch up with work, with email, with the myriad responsibilities that fall to people in the sandwich generation. I don’t know anyone who takes Sunday off anymore. If we aren’t doing professional work, we’re doing the housework that won’t get done once we leave for work on Monday morning