My colleague Pilar’s 86-year-old father has been hospitalized with covid-19 in Spain.
His last wish is to find a friend of his from Folkstone, Kent, England. I’m posting an article about his search here just in case anyone can help.
A stunning New York Times photo-essay on how coronavirus has devastated Bergamo, Italy.
In high school, my family hosted an Italian exchange student. His hometown? Bergamo. I never imagined it would return to my mind, or enter the global consciousness, in such a tragic way. 🔗
How Texas supermarket chain H-E-B has prepared better than just about anyone for the pandemic. 🔗
Probably also been reading some Taleb. 📚
I sense a lucrative consulting career in the near future for Justen Noakes, H-E-B’s “director of emergency preparedness.” 💰💰💰
A profound, honest reflection on COVID-19 and our mortality. Written for Leonard J. DeLorenzo’s students at Notre Dame, but applicable to all:
The call in this season is to throw off the illusion of invulnerability and live together in truth.
The World's Best Virtual Art Galleries
A follow-up to last week’s post: for those who don’t want to sift through 2,000+ options, here are the Financial Times’ picks of the world’s best virtual galleries (the article’s behind a paywall, but here are the links):
- Sistine Chapel
- British Museum
- V&A – Indian Textiles
- Rembrandt & Amsterdam Portraiture
- Met – Timeline of Art History
- Uffizi – On Being Present
- Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room
Current listening: Pat Metheny, *From This Place* 🎶
I’ve been listening to Pat Metheny’s outstanding new album From This Place.
From the compositions, through the arrangements (Metheny called in Alan Broadbent to help), to the musicianship of drummer Antonio Sanchez, bassist Linda May Han Oh, & pianist Gwilym Simcock.
Highly recommended—& also available on Bandcamp.
Sunday Morning Biscuit-Making
Singers, among many others, have had their livelihoods cancelled or postponed indefinitely due to COVID-19.
But it turns out you can still make beautiful music together virtually. Here’s my sister-in-law singing Mauricio Duruflé’s Ubi Cartas, as part of a virtual octet. 🎶
In my extra reading time these days, I’ve been taking @ayjay‘s suggestion to read essays and short stories to heart by reading Chekhov & Montaigne. Also revisiting an old favorite, The Imitation of Christ. 📚
🔗 2,500 museums you can visit virtually
I’m planning on visiting many museums in this way with my kids in the days & weeks to come. 🎨 🖼
My selections from our trip the Shoreview Public Library today. Looking forward to some reading time over the next few days off… but I may have overestimated just how much time I’ll have. 📚
DL: 270x3 OHP: 102.5x5 🏆
Sq: 225x6 BP: 180x3 🏆
Learning to play the piano without a piano 🔗🎶
This is a remarkable story, though disappointingly brief.
OHP: 110x3 🏆
“Chelsea are back in fashion – but Roman Abramovich is out in the cold” 🔗 ⚽️
Speaking of Chelsea FC, here’s a fascinating essay by David Conn on owner Roman Abramovich’s rise to oligarch status, purchase of the club, & influence on the EPL:
It is a stretch now to remember how alien it was to England’s traditional football culture when Chelsea began to splurge on mostly overseas stars, funded by an owner with no previous connection to the club, to capture the game’s highest prizes. In his second season, after hiring José Mourinho and signing for him Didier Drogba, Arjen Robben, Petr Cech – and Ricardo Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira and Tiago Mendes, three Portuguese players represented by Jorge Mendes – plus several more stars and the wages to attract them, Chelsea were on their way to acquiring titles and recorded a financial loss of £141m.
Martin Filler on the MOMA’s expansion 🔗 🖼
The mindset that bigger and more are preferable to less but better has incrementally eroded the average person’s ability to experience the world’s greatest collection of modern art under pleasant conditions that previous generations took for granted.
A truth that applies to many areas of our lives in contemporary America.
You could summarize Filler’s comprehensive review in a single word: arrogance.
The Poverty of Economics & The Wealth of Religions: an essay on the limits of the economic analysis of religion. Unsurprisingly, when you struggle to define the object of your analysis, the analysis isn’t particularly illuminating. 🔗
I’ve never like Chelsea FC—I’ve actively disliked them, in fact. But now, with Pulisic playing—playing well—and with the funny, sharp Frank Lampard managing, I’m happier to see them succeeding. And I’m certainly glad to cheer for them when they’re playing Manchester City. ⚽️
“Miguel Ibarra’s My Friend” ⚽️ 🔗
He played his heart out on the pitch and quite fittingly wore his heart on his sleeve. He would often tweet inspirational quotes when it was obvious that he was struggling with not getting playing time or not playing as well as he wanted. He was a player that every fan wanted to succeed, because he made you feel like your support mattered.
A truly moving tribute to Batman, written by my friend Wes Burdine.