Posting this here for future reference because it’s just such a great example of using playfulness to facilitate understanding.
Links
Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre by Keith Johnstone — Readmill
Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre by Keith Johnstone — Readmill
So I finished reading Impro this weekend. In addition to the things I mentioned in my tiny review two things are worth mentioning:
Status play. This was an eye-opener to me, that in all human interactions one can observe status signals. Johnstone goes on to suggest you can play with status signals in all manner of situations. I’ve started doing just that and it can be quite liberating.
Mask work. Reading this section I was mostly just super eager to try mask work myself. Johnstone talks about masks having an inherent personality that is channeled through the actor, similar to being possessed by a spirit… I’m wondering if a larp based on the ideas about masks presented here would work. It’d be interesting to try out.
An Occult History of the Television Set
An Occult History of the Television Set
This article on the weird origins of the television set reminded me of the very enjoyable novel Carter Beats the Devil. In which the the tv and its inventor Philo Farnsworth are a significant plot point and major character.
It’s a good reminder of how rationality will only get you so far when inventing new things.
A critical reflection on Big Data: Considering APIs, researchers and tools as data makers | Vis | First Monday
This is a great read on big data, arguing any data is not just found “out there”, but made, not just by people but also by tools and researchers. It’s kind of a Latourian take on big data. Also goes into James C Scott territory. Worth your time.
Meindert Fennema: ‘Vindt u het afschieten van herten zielig? U bent zeker Amsterdammer’ — Meindert Fennema — VK
Dutch but worth saving. Column criticizing the ban on shooting fallow deer in the Amsterdam area.
New Fashion Aesthetic
I’m reading De Botton’s The Architecture of Happiness at the moment. Its discussion of the things that determine taste has lead me to wonder what it is people find appealing about the New Aesthetic. A lot of the discussion about it is very cerebral. “What is it?” etc. What I’m interested in is: why do we find it interesting / beautiful / etc. Because after all, “There are as many styles of beauty as there are visions of happiness.”