 The Huffington Post 
Culture Shift is a weekly newsletter curated by the HuffPost Culture writers and editors.
This week we're talking about the history of diner mugs, why it's okay to read erotica in public, the power of free art museums, novels written in GIFs, and a 63-year-old artist who proves art can cure creative hunger at any age.
The Humble Victor Diner Mug, An Icon Of Americana
"One of the more prolific, and much more nostalgia-evoking diner mugs, is the Victor, a classic porcelain mug distributed for food service use in the mid-to-late 20th century, before its Victor, New York, factory shuttered in the early '90s due to overseas competition. (One reason why it's not found easily in an Amazon search.) Chances are if you have one, you know." (Read more here)
Yes, It's Okay To Read Erotica In Public
"The only potentially icky problem with getting lost in erotica in public is if your enjoyment of the story becomes, er, evident. Unless you're crossing the boundary between invisible personal fantasy and visible public engagement, there's nothing wrong with enjoying sexy fiction in the company of others. And, luckily for romance readers, that border is nearly unbreachable when your mode of transportation is a jumble of text." (Read more here)
A Free Museum In California Wants Los Angeles To Be The Art Capital Of The World
"'Collecting has become not only a passion but an addiction,' Eli Broad said before a crowd gathered for the Sept. 16 press preview. He and Edith have been collecting for over 70 years now, amassing an astounding number of all-star works from (mostly) American contemporary artists. And thankfully, Broad likes to share. 'I didn't want to prevent anyone from coming because of museum price,' he explained. And so, he made the museum free." (Read more here)
You Don't Have To Destroy A Book To Love It: A Plea To Readers
"My books are read. They're loved. And they're carefully preserved so that they can be read and loved again, by myself or by friends or future children -- or used bookstore shoppers. I don't show my love for people by abusing them (right, friends and family?), so why would I show love for my beloved books by manhandling them?" (Read more here)
On The Count Of Three, Let's All Stop Comparing Our Unread Email Count
"'I have at least 300 unread emails in my inbox right now,' an acquaintance of mine bemoaned over a glass of wine last week. I shuddered, imagining how bothered I'd be by that amount of unchecked surplus, and reached for the bottle. 'Really? Last time I checked I was in the thousands,' another friend countered, upping the ante pretty abruptly. 'I know someone with literally 50,000 plus,' somebody else cooed." (Read more here)
A 63-Year-Old Artist Explains How Art Can Cure Creative Hunger At Any Age
"[Camille] Holvoet, now 63 years old, is an artist at San Francisco-based studio Creativity Explored, a space for artists with developmental disabilities to cultivate and show their work. Those who've worked with Holvoet describe her as voracious, seductive, curious and a 'particularly picky, perfect goddess' -- the latter being title of her last solo show." (Read more here)
If You Write A Novel In GIFs, Is It Still A Novel?
"Could any two forms seem more distinctly unlike than a novel and a GIF? But in the eyes of Dennis Cooper, the prolific artist and writer behind Zac's Haunted House, they're not so distantly related. Zac's Haunted House, recently published by Kiddiepunk, is presented as a novel -- it's five chapters, plus a preface and afterward, and it's subtitled "A Novel" -- but if you're looking for prose, you'll have to keep looking. The piece is entirely constructed of curated GIFs, presented in a simple vertical column, aside from the headings denoting 'Chapter One,' 'Chapter Two,' and so on." (Read more here)
How 'Beasts Of No Nation' Perpetuates Hollywood's Skewed View Of Africa
"As a piece of filmmaking standing on its own, 'Beasts of No Nation' is an exciting example of how streaming services like Netflix have an opportunity to develop content no one has ever seen before. And yet, does the skill and passion that clearly went into the film erase its place in a media landscape that consistently shines a spotlight on stories of African misery? Yes, it is a gorgeous film -- but so what? Is it really doing or saying anything we haven't seen before?" (Read more here) Follow HuffPost Arts and Books on Facebook and Twitter 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 | | |
