Rob Weinert-Kendt
@robkendt.bsky.social
Editor of American Theatre magazine, musical omnivore. trainmyear.blogspot.com
Reposted by Rob Weinert-Kendt
this was a good and thoughtful and substantive thread. you should read it
but i’m going to be a bit of a skeptic or pessimist here
i am not convinced that things that are treated as democracy’s bugs aren’t load-bearing features
iow, i don’t buy that democracy is to blame for its victimization
but i’m going to be a bit of a skeptic or pessimist here
i am not convinced that things that are treated as democracy’s bugs aren’t load-bearing features
iow, i don’t buy that democracy is to blame for its victimization
These stacks outcompete democracy because they exploit what in the current information are three institutional failures: latency, opacity, and exclusion. Institutions are too slow, too closed, and too distant from public participation.
January 25, 2026 at 1:02 PM
this was a good and thoughtful and substantive thread. you should read it
but i’m going to be a bit of a skeptic or pessimist here
i am not convinced that things that are treated as democracy’s bugs aren’t load-bearing features
iow, i don’t buy that democracy is to blame for its victimization
but i’m going to be a bit of a skeptic or pessimist here
i am not convinced that things that are treated as democracy’s bugs aren’t load-bearing features
iow, i don’t buy that democracy is to blame for its victimization
Reposted by Rob Weinert-Kendt
Fun ways of saying “be quiet” that I’ve heard in five different countries:
1. Shut your Camembert box (France)
2. Shut your pie hole (US)
3. Hold your slipper (Austria)
4. Save your breath to cool your porridge (Scotland)
5. If you don’t shut up, I’ll climb into your mouth and shit myself (Hungary)
1. Shut your Camembert box (France)
2. Shut your pie hole (US)
3. Hold your slipper (Austria)
4. Save your breath to cool your porridge (Scotland)
5. If you don’t shut up, I’ll climb into your mouth and shit myself (Hungary)
January 23, 2026 at 12:52 PM
Fun ways of saying “be quiet” that I’ve heard in five different countries:
1. Shut your Camembert box (France)
2. Shut your pie hole (US)
3. Hold your slipper (Austria)
4. Save your breath to cool your porridge (Scotland)
5. If you don’t shut up, I’ll climb into your mouth and shit myself (Hungary)
1. Shut your Camembert box (France)
2. Shut your pie hole (US)
3. Hold your slipper (Austria)
4. Save your breath to cool your porridge (Scotland)
5. If you don’t shut up, I’ll climb into your mouth and shit myself (Hungary)
Reposted by Rob Weinert-Kendt
The best way of describing someone who’s all talk and no action that I’ve ever heard in the UK, by far, is “they’re all wardrobe and no Narnia.”
* read on for fun ways of saying “all talk and no action” in other languages (a thread)
* read on for fun ways of saying “all talk and no action” in other languages (a thread)
January 22, 2026 at 12:44 PM
The best way of describing someone who’s all talk and no action that I’ve ever heard in the UK, by far, is “they’re all wardrobe and no Narnia.”
* read on for fun ways of saying “all talk and no action” in other languages (a thread)
* read on for fun ways of saying “all talk and no action” in other languages (a thread)
Reposted by Rob Weinert-Kendt
As long as I'm sharing Tony's non-writing work, these are two of my favorites--a birthday present he made for me in 2018. Needless to say, I treasure these.
January 15, 2026 at 12:15 AM
As long as I'm sharing Tony's non-writing work, these are two of my favorites--a birthday present he made for me in 2018. Needless to say, I treasure these.
Last year a friend of mine asked me to write about Bowie's long-tail impact and influence a decade after he died. The piece didn't run, so I've posted it on my blog. Go ahead, touch the flaming dove.
Bowie, Bowie Everywhere
trainmyear.blogspot.com
January 22, 2026 at 8:47 PM
Last year a friend of mine asked me to write about Bowie's long-tail impact and influence a decade after he died. The piece didn't run, so I've posted it on my blog. Go ahead, touch the flaming dove.
Reposted by Rob Weinert-Kendt
I keep seeing leftists from outside of Minneapolis say they’ve seen all this before, and no, you haven’t. I’ve been at this for 30+ years and I haven’t either. It’s not what you’re picturing. This is something else
I know people keep saying this but it’s hard to communicate the depth of active resistance here. Like, I’m on random cafes and people are checking in for observation shifts. Signs everywhere. Folks in visibility vests on the corners. It’s wild. Absolutely wild.
January 22, 2026 at 6:18 PM
I keep seeing leftists from outside of Minneapolis say they’ve seen all this before, and no, you haven’t. I’ve been at this for 30+ years and I haven’t either. It’s not what you’re picturing. This is something else
I must credit the 1001 Album Complaints podcast for turning me onto John Martyn's exquisite 1973 album, a surehanded mix of folk, jazz, and rock that sounds both of its time and out of (definitely ahead of its) time. If you're a Nick Drake or Joni fan, it's a must. open.spotify.com/album/0QD0LE...
January 22, 2026 at 5:14 PM
I must credit the 1001 Album Complaints podcast for turning me onto John Martyn's exquisite 1973 album, a surehanded mix of folk, jazz, and rock that sounds both of its time and out of (definitely ahead of its) time. If you're a Nick Drake or Joni fan, it's a must. open.spotify.com/album/0QD0LE...
Reposted by Rob Weinert-Kendt
“You’d have to work hard to not get enough protein.”
Column | I found the most complete protein. It’s not meat.
The most “complete” protein is probably one you’re already eating.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 22, 2026 at 2:12 PM
“You’d have to work hard to not get enough protein.”
Reposted by Rob Weinert-Kendt
"This is the insight that Melian Dialogue quote-mongers typically miss. Power that rests on the performed compliance of others is more fragile than it looks." hegemon.substack.com/p/the-strong...
The Strong Will Suffer What They Must
Vaclav's Grocer and American Hubris
hegemon.substack.com
January 21, 2026 at 7:15 PM
"This is the insight that Melian Dialogue quote-mongers typically miss. Power that rests on the performed compliance of others is more fragile than it looks." hegemon.substack.com/p/the-strong...
Another delightful thread
A list of five words (and their meanings) for children under six years-old…
1. Criancinha (Portuguese) = small child
2. Smábarn (Icelandic) = small child
3. Kleinkind (German) = small child
4. Pikkulapsi (Finnish) = small child
5. Sopliaci (Slovak) = snotling
1. Criancinha (Portuguese) = small child
2. Smábarn (Icelandic) = small child
3. Kleinkind (German) = small child
4. Pikkulapsi (Finnish) = small child
5. Sopliaci (Slovak) = snotling
January 21, 2026 at 5:51 PM
Another delightful thread
Reposted by Rob Weinert-Kendt
Originally set for a 2-week presentation at the Kennedy Center, the new TYA play YOUNG DRAGON: A BRUCE LEE STORY by Keiko Green now, instead, hopes to extend its Seattle run at Seattle Children’s Theatre.
www.americantheatre.org/2026/01/21/s...
www.americantheatre.org/2026/01/21/s...
Seattle Children’s Theatre Pulls Kennedy Center Run of ‘Bruce Lee Story’
Originally set for a 2-week presentation at the Kennedy Center, the new TYA play by Keiko Green now, instead, hopes to extend its Seattle run.
www.americantheatre.org
January 21, 2026 at 4:21 PM
Originally set for a 2-week presentation at the Kennedy Center, the new TYA play YOUNG DRAGON: A BRUCE LEE STORY by Keiko Green now, instead, hopes to extend its Seattle run at Seattle Children’s Theatre.
www.americantheatre.org/2026/01/21/s...
www.americantheatre.org/2026/01/21/s...
Reposted by Rob Weinert-Kendt
If I walk up to you with hammer and say “I could break your knees if you don’t give me $20 but I won’t,” would you feel relieved that I’d ruled out breaking your knees?
January 21, 2026 at 2:17 PM
If I walk up to you with hammer and say “I could break your knees if you don’t give me $20 but I won’t,” would you feel relieved that I’d ruled out breaking your knees?
Reposted by Rob Weinert-Kendt
Our Sight and Sound 100 project at The Reveal brings us to WANDA, a film that shot up to #49 on the poll without having made an appearance previously. @kphipps3000.bsky.social and I had never seen it. We were suitably impressed: thereveal.film/50-tie-wanda...
#50 (tie): ‘Wanda’: The Reveal discusses all 100 of Sight & Sound’s Greatest Films of All Time
Little seen in 1970, Barbara Loden's sole directorial feature is a grim portrait of one alienated woman's aimless existence that's been rediscovered and championed in the 21st century.
thereveal.film
January 20, 2026 at 3:37 PM
Our Sight and Sound 100 project at The Reveal brings us to WANDA, a film that shot up to #49 on the poll without having made an appearance previously. @kphipps3000.bsky.social and I had never seen it. We were suitably impressed: thereveal.film/50-tie-wanda...
Always a pleasure to catch up with a playwright who gave me some of my favorite nights in the theater
In our winter 2026 print issue, the prolific L.A. playwright Justin Tanner chats about his newest autobiographical play, MY SON THE PLAYWRIGHT at @roguemachinethtr.bsky.social, and how his family has shaped his artistry.
www.americantheatre.org/2026/01/20/p...
www.americantheatre.org/2026/01/20/p...
People to Watch: Justin Tanner
The prolific L.A. playwright chats about his newest autobiographical play, 'My Son the Playwright,' and how his family has shaped his artistry.
www.americantheatre.org
January 20, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Always a pleasure to catch up with a playwright who gave me some of my favorite nights in the theater
A delightful story from Jesse Green about, of all things, the oboe. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/14/a...
If You Think This Instrument Is Hard to Play, Try Building One
www.nytimes.com
January 19, 2026 at 11:00 PM
A delightful story from Jesse Green about, of all things, the oboe. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/14/a...
Spent the last week catching up with, and relishing, Mikayla Geier's 2024 debut album. Think of it as sunshine pop with passing clouds, or bedroom pop that opens the door and runs a bit wild. The title track was my gateway but the whole record is a ride. www.youtube.com/watch?v=npkU...
Mikayla Geier - here we go again... (Official Visualizer)
YouTube video by Mikayla Geier
www.youtube.com
January 16, 2026 at 10:16 PM
Spent the last week catching up with, and relishing, Mikayla Geier's 2024 debut album. Think of it as sunshine pop with passing clouds, or bedroom pop that opens the door and runs a bit wild. The title track was my gateway but the whole record is a ride. www.youtube.com/watch?v=npkU...
Reposted by Rob Weinert-Kendt
I've been dying to tell people I wrote the essay for TROUBLE IN PARADISE, a true Lubitsch masterpiece, and now I can. It's hilarious, it's gorgeous, there's nothing like it, and spending time with Trouble last year soothed my soul. www.criterion.com/films/723-tr....
January 16, 2026 at 6:28 PM
I've been dying to tell people I wrote the essay for TROUBLE IN PARADISE, a true Lubitsch masterpiece, and now I can. It's hilarious, it's gorgeous, there's nothing like it, and spending time with Trouble last year soothed my soul. www.criterion.com/films/723-tr....
New column just dropped
In his newest Goes to Show column, editor @robkendt.bsky.social talks with director Karin Coonrod about her multiplicitous take on KING LEAR, and with the folks behind a new staging of MY DINNER WITH ANDRÉ, an iconic film that nevertheless has theatre in its DNA.
A Many-Headed ‘Lear,’ a Theatrical ‘Dinner With André’
Karin Coonrod explains why 'King Lear' is apocalyptic but not bleak, and a new staging of an iconic film returns it to its theatrical roots.
www.americantheatre.org
January 16, 2026 at 5:50 PM
New column just dropped
Reposted by Rob Weinert-Kendt
One of my absolute favorite TV moments: 1997. Ving Rhames, brilliant in the HBO film Don King: Only In America, is up for a Golden Globe against Gary Sinise, Matthew Modine, Armand Assante, and Jack Lemmon. He wins. And then... youtu.be/gt6cm7yu9iM
BLACK HISTORY: Ving Rhames - An Act of Tremendous Generosity
YouTube video by Golden Globes
youtu.be
January 15, 2026 at 9:08 PM
One of my absolute favorite TV moments: 1997. Ving Rhames, brilliant in the HBO film Don King: Only In America, is up for a Golden Globe against Gary Sinise, Matthew Modine, Armand Assante, and Jack Lemmon. He wins. And then... youtu.be/gt6cm7yu9iM
Reposted by Rob Weinert-Kendt
My husband was on the 2 train and a guy started braying about how Renee Good deserved to die and her "lesbian lover" did too. My husband got pissed and said, "You're absolutely disgusting." "Fuck you!" the guy said. "Fuck YOU!" my husband said. The guy left.
See? We just need to talk to each other.
See? We just need to talk to each other.
January 14, 2026 at 11:46 PM
My husband was on the 2 train and a guy started braying about how Renee Good deserved to die and her "lesbian lover" did too. My husband got pissed and said, "You're absolutely disgusting." "Fuck you!" the guy said. "Fuck YOU!" my husband said. The guy left.
See? We just need to talk to each other.
See? We just need to talk to each other.
AI transcription error of the day: "Carlo Gozzi play" rendered as "cargo god, see play"
January 15, 2026 at 2:55 PM
AI transcription error of the day: "Carlo Gozzi play" rendered as "cargo god, see play"
Been thinking about this episode of BORGEN lately
January 15, 2026 at 1:10 PM
Been thinking about this episode of BORGEN lately
In a very old-school “Please Pay Cashier” New York diner, whiplashed by the playlist: “Don’t Stop Believing,” “Maniac,” and “The Power of Love” have just been followed by Sonic Youth “Kool Thing.” I feel like my life is flashing before my eyes
January 14, 2026 at 11:49 PM
In a very old-school “Please Pay Cashier” New York diner, whiplashed by the playlist: “Don’t Stop Believing,” “Maniac,” and “The Power of Love” have just been followed by Sonic Youth “Kool Thing.” I feel like my life is flashing before my eyes
Reposted by Rob Weinert-Kendt
New season of Blackadder is gonna be lit bsky.app/profile/pete...
BREAKING: The UK is sending a single military officer to Greenland at the request of Denmark to participate in a multi-nation exercise
January 14, 2026 at 10:19 PM
New season of Blackadder is gonna be lit bsky.app/profile/pete...