Teenagers at a Jewish comprehensive school in London refused to sit a Shakespeare test because they believe the Bard is anti-Semitic.
Tag: 03.01.08
Why Are Finnish Kids So Smart?
“By one international measure, Finnish teenagers are among the smartest in the world. They earned some of the top scores by 15-year-old students who were tested in 57 countries. American teens finished among the world’s C students even as U.S. educators piled on more homework, standards and rules. But by ninth grade Finns way ahead in math, science and reading — on track to keeping Finns among the world’s most productive workers.”
Playing It From Both Sides
“As Martin Luther’s PR man, Lucas Cranach was crucial to the success of the Reformation, yet he also produced many great works for the Catholic church. Ideology was all very well – but for this artist, business was business.”
Obama Leads On The Bestseller Lists, Too
All three of the remaining presidential contenders can reasonably claim to be bestselling authors. But as the campaign drags on, only Barack Obama has seen a major spike in sales accompany his rise in the polls. Sales of Obama’s two memoirs have averaged 35,000 per week in 2008, while Hillary Clinton and John McCain are racking up fewer than 1,000 sales each.
Seeing Cuba Through The Lens Of Art
“All of the current soul-searching concerning a Cuba after Fidel is entirely in line with the sort of contemplation that began decades before he showed up and is evident through most Cuban art… And being Cuban involves a certain sense of isolation, of the kind best-known to an island people.”
Guillaume Côté’s Unexpected Second Act
National Ballet of Canada principal dancer Guillaume Côté has been gradually crafting a second career for himself, as a composer. Now, his ballet company is showcasing his first orchestral work as part of its spring program, on which Côté will also be a featured performer.
Transfer of Power At Chicago Children’s Museum
“Peter England, chief executive officer of the Chicago Children’s Museum for the last seven years, is retiring effective the end of April. England, 63, said Friday that his departure from the Navy Pier museum is the culmination of a succession plan, with his duties gradually transferred to Jennifer Farrington.”
Hollywood Treading Carefully In An Uncertain Year
“Around the industry, executives are wrestling with versions of the same dilemma: Should they go forward with movie projects that might be disrupted by an actors’ strike if shooting does not end by the guild’s June 30 contract deadline? Or should they wait, with the risk that prospective films will fall victim to afterthoughts and lost momentum?”
New Line’s 40 Eclectic Years
New Line Cinemas, which was folded into Warner Bros. last week, was a tough studio to define, and a fascinating one to watch. “New Line was not a specialty division or a genre label. It went highbrow and low, sometimes playing for the niches and sometimes for the mass audience. It was an oddity and an anomaly.”
Dia Foundation Director Resigns Abruptly
“Only nine months after taking over, Jeffrey Weiss has resigned as director of the Dia Art Foundation, saying he had realized he was not cut out for the job… His exit will not come as a surprise to many in the art world. Some thought Dia and Mr. Weiss were a mismatch from the start.”