BilÂly Collins, forÂmer US Poet LauÂreÂate and one of AmerÂiÂca’s best-sellÂing poets, reads his poem “The Dead” with aniÂmaÂtion by Juan DelÂcan of SponÂtaÂneous. Take it away:
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
AniÂmatÂed VerÂsion of Howard Zinn’s HisÂtoÂry of the AmerÂiÂcan Empire
An AniÂmatÂed HisÂtoÂry of Evil
The StoÂry of Stuff in 20 AniÂmatÂed MinÂutes
AniÂmatÂed New YorkÂer CarÂtoons: A FunÂny Twist on Einstein’s RelÂaÂtivÂiÂty
One of our British readÂers turned us on to this post by the Guardian, notÂing that they took a page from our genÂerÂal playÂbook. The post feaÂtures 50 of the best YouTube clips from across the arts, some of which we’ve feaÂtured here in the past. Among the videos, you’ll find vinÂtage perÂforÂmances by John Coltrane and BilÂlie HolÂiÂday, readÂings by Jack KerÂouac, an interÂview with Eugène Ionesco, clips of NirÂvana rehearsÂing in a garage, Vladimir Nabokov talkÂing about LoliÂta, JackÂson PolÂlock dripÂping paint outÂside his home, and MarÂlon BranÂdo doing a screen test for Rebel WithÂout a Cause. We have postÂed the BranÂdo clip below. There are some defÂiÂnite gems here. Now dive in. And don’t forÂget to work through our YouTube playlist and our piece 70 Signs of IntelÂliÂgent Life at YouTube, where you’ll find enrichÂing video colÂlecÂtions.
Thanks Stephen for the tip. And readÂers, keep the good recÂomÂmenÂdaÂtions comÂing!
The BBC reports: “An archaeÂoÂlogÂiÂcal dig has recovÂered what is thought to be the remains of the theÂatre where ShakeÂspeare’s plays were first perÂformed.” Get the rest of the big stoÂry here.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Ten DisÂcovÂerÂies That Rewrote HisÂtoÂry
Here we have John GielÂgud’s first recordÂing of a scene from HamÂlet, “recordÂed shortÂly after he became the youngest actor to take the lead in the play, in the 1929/30 Old Vic seaÂson.” It’s the audio that you will want to focus on here, not the video, even though there’s someÂthing a litÂtle amusÂing about the whole idea of watchÂing an old record turn on YouTube. How quaint.
AlekÂsanÂdr SolzhenÂitÂsyn, who chronÂiÂcled the abusÂes of the SoviÂet regime and gained worldÂwide fame with A Day in the Life of Ivan DenisoÂvich, has died at 89. (Get the New York Times obit here.) Once asked what SolzhenÂitÂsyn means to litÂerÂaÂture and the hisÂtoÂry of RusÂsia, David RemÂnick, the ediÂtor of The New YorkÂer, had this to stay: “It’s imposÂsiÂble to imagÂine a writer whose affect on a sociÂety has been greater than AlekÂsanÂdr SolzhenÂitÂsyn’s affect on the fate of RusÂsia …” In the video postÂed below, RemÂnick elabÂoÂrates on SolzhenÂitÂsyn’s conÂtriÂbuÂtions, and it’s worth rememÂberÂing that RemÂnick won a Pulitzer durÂing the 90s for his bestÂseller, Lenin’s Tomb.
(Note: you can read the lecÂture SolzhenÂitÂsyn gave upon receivÂing the Nobel Prize in 1970 here, and lisÂten to his 1978 HarÂvard gradÂuÂaÂtion speech here.)
Every June 16 is BloomsÂday, which comÂmemÂoÂrates Jame’s Joyce’s Ulysses (get free audio here). In Dublin and around the world, celÂeÂbraÂtions usuÂalÂly include a readÂing of Joyce’s clasÂsic. This year, in New York City, one high-proÂfile event feaÂtured Stephen ColÂbert readÂing the part of Leopold Bloom, the charÂacÂter around which the sprawlÂing novÂel turns. You can lisÂten to ColÂbert read here and here. Enjoy, and I will catch you back here after the holÂiÂday weekÂend.
Here’s 1984, Moby Dick, ParÂadise Lost, The Great GatsÂby and othÂer clasÂsics boiled down to three lines, courÂtesy of McSweeny’s.
SegueÂing from our last post, I wantÂed to feaÂture a readÂing givÂen by Tobias Wolff, a masÂter of the short stoÂry, who also hapÂpens to teach creÂative writÂing at StanÂford.
In March, he released a new book, Our StoÂry Begins: New and SelectÂed StoÂries. And below we have postÂed a clip of him readÂing from a piece called “The BenÂeÂfit of the Doubt.” As you’ll see, Wolff knows how to give his stoÂries a very good read. Enjoy.
(PS If you like litÂerÂaÂture in audio forÂmat, then feel free to peruse our Free Audio Book ColÂlecÂtion. Also note that if you sign up for AudiÂble, you can downÂload two bestÂselling audio books for free. Get more info on the deal here.)
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