2019-09-16 Bloomberg Businessweek

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CREDITS CREDITS CREDITS

SECTION Bloomberg Pursuits Month 00, 2019

There are plenty of good books to curl up

with as the seasons change. In the nonfiction

category, those seeking creative inspiration

should turn to New Yorker writer Calvin

Tomkins’s forthcoming collection, THE

LIVES OF ARTISTS (Phaidon, Sept. 25). It’s

a massive boxed set of 82 profiles that he

wrote from 1962 to 2019. Equally personal,

but thankfully much shorter, is THE

UNDYING (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Sept. 17),

a quasi-memoir by the poet and essayist

Anne Boyer, which chronicles her battle with

breast cancer in often harrowing detail. It’s

less a story of quiet inspiration and more

a chronicle of rage, financial hardship, and

physical torment—not for the faint of heart

and yet eminently readable. For another

compilation by a dazzlingly good writer,

crack open the classicist-cum-contemporary

commentator Daniel Mendelsohn’s collection

of essays, ECSTASY AND TERROR: FROM

THE GREEKS TO GAME OF THRONES

(New York Review Books, Oct. 8).

Mendelsohn has mastered a crisp, easy pace,

and his criticism, while always pointed, reads

more like a snapshot of the zeitgeist than

a list of grievances. Patti Smith continues

to mine her rich past with YEAR OF THE

MONKEY (Knopf, Sept. 24), a slightly more

fictionalized chronicle than her two previous

books. Far more limited and invariably

more controversial will be former U.K.

Prime Minister David Cameron’s FOR THE

RECORD (Harper, Sept. 24), a memoir that’s

expected to be a justification for wreaking

Brexit on the Western world. He delayed the

release at least once before, but apparently,

like Britain’s uncoupling plans, the wait is

over. If a break from reality is needed, try

THE DUTCH HOUSE (Harper, Sept. 24), a

tale of sibling trauma and companionship

by the bestselling author Ann Patchett.

Alternately, there’s THE CHEFFE (Knopf,

Oct. 29), a triumphant chronicle of a star

female chef told from the point of view of

her former assistant, by the Booker Prize-

nominated writer Marie NDiaye. Think

Kitchen Confidential with more ambition

and drama. And for a bit of dreaminess,

try LAMPEDUSA (Farrar, Straus & Giroux,

Sept. 17) by Steven Price, a novel that follows

the real-life Italian prince Giuseppe Tomasi

as he tries to finish his first and last novel,

The Leopard. Aside from writer’s block, the

prince, stuck in a sunny, aristocratic Sicily, is

facing down his imminent death.

BLIXEN

Royal Danish Ballet, Copenhagen,

Sept. 11–April 16

Company soloist Gregory Dean has

choreographed a three-act dance about

the author Karen Blixen set to music

by Claude Debussy. Blixen, the Danish

baroness who wrote Out of Africa, was born

into a wealthy family, bounced around the

world in a series of unhappy relationships,

and became a literary superstar before

dying from medical treatments that

included mercury pills and arsenic

tablets prescribed, it’s suspected, for

imaginary ailments.

FALL FOR DANCE FESTIVAL

New York City Center, New York,

Oct. 1–13

There are five programs that

include everything from tap dance to

ballet in the 16th annual festival’s lineup.

Particularly anticipated is a new work

by choreographer Kyle Abraham, a 2013

MacArthur fellow who has his own New

York-based dance company. Abraham

has created a solo work for American

Ballet Theatre principal Misty Copeland,

which will appear along with works from

Mark Morris and Skanes Dansteater.

UNSTKAMER

Netherlands Dance Theater, The Hague,

Oct. 3–Nov. 16

Since their appointment in 2002 as the

company’s in-house choreographers, Sol

León and Paul Lightfoot have created more

than 50 works of fast, gestural dance that

channel classical ballet. This celebration of

the company’s 60th anniversary will travel to

Europe’s capitals.

RE-MARK

City Contemporary Dance Company, Hong

Kong, Nov. 16–24

Sang Jijia, the CCDC’s resident

choreographer and a onetime dancer in the

company, premiered this multimedia piece

last year in Florence. Now he’s bringing it to

Hong Kong, incorporating components of the

city’s culture and geography.

CONGO

Theatre de la Ville, Paris, Nov. 20–23

In a new work by the influential dancer/

choreographer Faustin Linyekula, Eric

Vuillard’s Prix Goncourt-winning novel

Congo will be brought to life onstage.

It’s a synthesis of dance and theater that

interrogates colonialism.

The Mark Morris

Dance Group will

perform at the Fall

for Dance Festival

Moving Geography

Life, Death,

and Cooking

DANCE

BOOKS

BW

PICK

58

Thereareplentyofgoodbookstocurlup

withastheseasonschange.Inthenonfiction

category,thoseseekingcreativeinspiration

shouldturntoNewYorkerwriterCalvin

Tomkins’sforthcomingcollection,THE

LIVESOFARTISTS(Phaidon,Sept.25). It’s

a massiveboxedsetof 82 profilesthathe

wrotefrom 1962 to2019.Equallypersonal,

butthankfullymuchshorter,isTHE

UNDYING(Farrar,Straus& Giroux,Sept.17),

a quasi-memoirbythepoetandessayist

AnneBoyer,whichchroniclesherbattlewith

breastcancerinoftenharrowingdetail.It’s

lessa storyofquietinspirationandmore

a chronicleofrage,financialhardship,and

physicaltorment—notforthefaintofheart

andyeteminentlyreadable.Foranother

compilationbya dazzlinglygoodwriter,

crackopentheclassicist-cum-contemporary

commentatorDanielMendelsohn’scollection

ofessays,ECSTASYANDTERROR:FROM

THEGREEKSTOGAMEOFTHRONES

(NewYorkReviewBooks,Oct.8).

Mendelsohnhasmastereda crisp,easypace,

andhiscriticism,whilealwayspointed,reads

morelikea snapshotofthezeitgeistthan

a listofgrievances.PattiSmithcontinues

tomineherrichpastwithYEAROFTHE

MONKEY(Knopf,Sept.24), a slightlymore

fictionalizedchroniclethanhertwoprevious

books.Farmorelimitedandinvariably

morecontroversialwillbeformerU.K.

PrimeMinisterDavidCameron’sFORTHE

RECORD(Harper,Sept.24), a memoirthat’s

expectedtobea justificationforwreaking

BrexitontheWesternworld.Hedelayedthe

releaseatleastoncebefore,butapparently,

likeBritain’suncouplingplans,thewaitis

over.If a breakfromrealityis needed,try

THEDUTCHHOUSE(Harper,Sept.24), a

taleofsiblingtraumaandcompanionship

bythebestsellingauthorAnnPatchett.

Alternately,there’sTHECHEFFE(Knopf,

Oct.29), a triumphantchronicleofa star

femalecheftoldfromthepointofviewof

herformerassistant,bytheBookerPrize-

nominatedwriterMarieNDiaye.Think

KitchenConfidentialwithmoreambition

anddrama.Andfora bitofdreaminess,

tryLAMPEDUSA(Farrar,Straus& Giroux,

Sept.17)byStevenPrice,a novelthatfollows

thereal-lifeItalianprinceGiuseppeTomasi

ashetriestofinishhisfirstandlastnovel,

TheLeopard. Asidefromwriter’sblock,the

prince,stuckina sunny,aristocraticSicily,is

facingdownhisimminentdeath.

BLIXEN

RoyalDanishBallet,Copenhagen,

Sept.11–April 16

CompanysoloistGregoryDeanhas

choreographeda three-actdanceabout

theauthorKarenBlixensettomusic

byClaudeDebussy.Blixen,theDanish

baronesswhowroteOutofAfrica, wasborn

intoa wealthyfamily,bouncedaroundthe

worldina seriesofunhappyrelationships,

andbecamea literarysuperstarbefore

dyingfrommedicaltreatmentsthat

includedmercurypillsandarsenic

tabletsprescribed,it’ssuspected,for

imaginaryailments.

FALLFORDANCEFESTIVAL

NewYorkCityCenter,NewYork,

Oct.1–13

Therearefiveprogramsthat

includeeverythingfromtapdanceto

balletinthe16thannualfestival’slineup.

Particularlyanticipatedis a newwork

bychoreographerKyleAbraham,a 2013

MacArthurfellowwhohashisownNew

York-baseddancecompany.Abraham

hascreateda soloworkforAmerican

BalletTheatreprincipalMistyCopeland,

whichwillappearalongwithworksfrom

MarkMorrisandSkanesDansteater.

UNSTKAMER

NetherlandsDanceTheater,TheHague,

Oct.3–Nov. 16

Sincetheirappointmentin 2002 asthe

company’sin-housechoreographers,Sol

LeónandPaulLightfoothavecreatedmore

than 50 worksoffast,gesturaldancethat

channelclassicalballet.Thiscelebrationof

thecompany’s60thanniversarywilltravelto

Europe’scapitals.

RE-MARK

CityContemporaryDanceCompany,Hong

Kong,Nov.16–24

SangJijia,theCCDC’sresident

choreographeranda onetimedancerinthe

company,premieredthismultimediapiece

lastyearinFlorence.Nowhe’sbringingit to

HongKong,incorporatingcomponentsofthe

city’scultureandgeography.

CONGO

Theatredela Ville,Paris,Nov.20–23

In a new work by the influential dancer/

choreographer Faustin Linyekula, Eric

Vuillard’s Prix Goncourt-winning novel

Congo will be brought to life onstage.

It’s a synthesis of dance and theater that

interrogates colonialism.

The Mark Morris

Dance Group will

perform at the Fall

for Dance Festival

Moving Geography

Life, Death,

and Cooking

DANCE

BOOKS

BW

PICK