Why is the Bush administration making it it difficult for foreign scholars to get into the United States? “The administration, instead of instilling confidence that it knows what it is doing to stop foreign visitors from harming us, invites cynicism when it bars scholars who wish to enter this country for legitimate academic reasons. With these decisions, it hampers our ability to learn from those whose experiences and knowledge can enrich our understanding of vital issues.”
Tag: 02.12.07
What $100 Million Is Doing For Poetry
“Many years from now, when people are looking back, my first hope would be that the course of the river of American poetry would have been altered by a few degrees–or maybe more–by the Poetry Foundation. If less than that happens, but there’s something discernible enough to be called the Chicago Movement, that wouldn’t disappoint me, either. I don’t know what the Chicago Movement is. I have no idea. It’s not poets or a kind of poetry. But it implies a departure from the status quo today. If there’s an effect on the art form, I hope it would be a bigger audience and a poetry that is deriving energy from a general audience.”
And Now, The Classical Grammys
Composer Osvaldo Golijov picks up a pair. Best Classical Album and Best Orchestral Performance were both picked up by Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony for their Mahler 7 disc.
IRS Ruling Works Against Film Production Credit
The credit was designed to discourage runaway productions that film outside the US. “In effect, the IRS decision means there is less money for other production costs because participations and residuals must be included in the total. The decision could also potentially hurt low-budget films that become hits as participations and residuals are paid on revenue the film earns. A big hit could cause the film to rise above the tax credit limit, triggering a fine or other retaliation by the IRS.”
Rated “R” For Smoking?
A new survey suggests Americans would support a new “R” rating for movies that include actors smoking. “The survey of 1,800 Americans by the American Medical Association AMA Alliance, an arm of the AMA, shows public concern over the issue of tobacco imagery on screen has grown substantially.”
Canada Looks At Copyright
Everyone seems to agree that Canada has to update its copyright laws. The question is how. “When a copyright bill does arrive it will require a new round of hearings, leaving some industry insiders worried the current legal limbo will out-last the sitting government.”
Rocky Hopes – A Serbian Village To Give It A Try
A tiny Serbian village wants to errect a statue of Rocky Balboa as an inspiration to residents. “Zitiste has suffered serious damage from floods and landslides, earning it a reputation for being jinxed. Many of its residents have left the village in search of a better future.”
Hamilton Orchestra Goes To Horn Section For Director
Canada’s Hamilton Philharmonic chooses a new music dirctor. He’s James Sommerville, a Canadian-born musician who currently holds the principal French-horn chair with the Boston Symphony.
Commonwealth Writers Prize Finalists
Alice Munro was cited for The View from Castle Rock. Other best-book finalists are Mark Frutkin of Ottawa for Fabrizio’s Return, Toronto-raised Claire Messud, who lives in Massachusetts, for The Emperor’s Children, Nega Mezlekia of Toronto for The Unfortunate Marriage and New Brunswick-born David Adams Richards for The Friends of Meager Fortune.
The Super-rich Propelling London’s Art Market
Why are art prices shooting up so high in London? “British journalists describe the country as having become a virtual tax haven for the superrich, and some in the art world think this contributes to some works, like ‘White Canoe,’ selling for far greater than their expected value.”