– as a spoof of Hollywood. But critic Tom Shales says it’s so witty and wonderful, he wonders: Is it a satire, or a documentary? Washington Post
Author: Matthew Westphal
Short end of the stick
Why are short films such a neglected art form? The last place you expect to see them is on the big screen, distributors don’t know how to market them, audiences never liked paying for them, and critics never review them. But the British Short Film Festival demonstrates the creativity being passed over. London Times
Après le “High C”
La Scala’s older singers don’t go off into the sunset, they come to Casa Verdi, the rest home for those who can no longer hit the high notes. – Los Angeles Times
Why Johnny can’t read?
The Washington Post‘s Jonathan Yardley says that modern school reading lists are largely devoid of literary merit. – Washington Post
BOOKS IN PRINT
A computerized analysis of the 18 million books in the Library of Congress (the world’s largest library) shows there are nearly twice as many books about Christ (17,239) as about his nearest challenger, William Shakespeare, and four times as many as about Lenin, who occupies third place on the list, with 4,492. – Sydney Morning Herald
Giant screens/big size dilemma
The phenomenal commercial success of last year’s Everest movie has the giant screen industry rethinking its fare. New York Times
WHO CHOOSES ART
Two star curators sit down with FEED Magazine to talk about the life of the peripatetic international curator and how the profession is changing. Feed Magazine
CULTURE CLASH
Berlin’s Reischstag as remodelled by Sir Norman Foster, is more Blues Brothers than Beethoven. For Germany’s political workers, moving the government from Bonn to Berlin means a change of style. Financial Times
JANOS STARKER IS 75
Tonight many of the best cellists in the world will converge on Indiana to celebrate the birthday of probably the most prominent cello teacher alive. There will be 100 cellists performing onstage. There’s a live internet broadcast of the concert. – NPR Morning Edition (needs RealPlayer)
Chapter Too
Giant Canadian book retailer Chapters is reportedly telling Canadian book publishers they won’t be getting some of the chain’s fall orders until they agree to give higher discounts to Pegasus, the retailer’s wholesale subsidiary. – Toronto Globe and Mail
PLUS: SANTA CRUZ FIGHTS THE ARRIVAL OF BORDERS – Publisher’s Weekly 9/13/99