David Orr takes issue with recent criticisms of the Poetry Foundation in the pages of The New Yorker. “Poets may get frustrated with the Poetry Foundation; they may complain; they may disagree with certain projects. But the Poetry Foundation, however misguided or impolitic, hasn’t given up on poetry. The question is: Has The New Yorker?”
Tag: 03.11.07
Scottish Theatre’s 20 Best Moments Ever
“No matter how brilliant your panel of judges – and ours was – the whole enterprise constantly stumbles over the big truth that the art of standing up in public to tell a story through words and action is as old as humanity itself, so that its beginnings can never be known, and that even when we know that a major theatre event took place, a vital element of that event, in this most live and transient of art forms, disappears for ever when it passes beyond living memory.”
Cleveland Gets, Pittsburgh Waits
Why do Cleveland museums get blockbuster shows (and market them to Pittsburgh art and culture lovers) “while their Pittsburgh counterparts seem to be sitting on their hands? The answer is complicated, but has to do with differences in strategy, museum types and timing.”
The Greatest American Builder
Robert Moses had “a greater impact on the physical character of New York City than any other individual, and given how the process of city building has changed since his time, it is unlikely anyone in the future will match him.”
Definitely Not Handel
Toronto Symphony conductor Peter Oundjian and Mony Python comedian Eric Idle are cousins. So how might the cousins collaborate? How about an oratorio called “Not the Messiah”? Idle: “What can I do with an orchestra that’s more than just singing my funny songs? What can we do that creates a plot?”
Airlines Look At Expanding Entertainment Choices
“Pushed by improving technology and the constant drive for a marketing edge over lower-cost rivals, the airlines are adding dozens of TV channels, risqué movie choices and innovative satellite music genres. ‘We’ve found out that what customers want to see is not just the blockbusters but also good films they haven’t had a chance to see yet’.”
Oregon Shakespeare Festival Prepares For Change
“One of the biggest nonprofit theaters in North America, OSF employs hundreds of staffers and lures in more than 80,000 tourists a year (including many from Washington state). In 2006 the fest took in $14.6 million at the box office, and the entire operation had an estimated $147 million impact on Southern Oregon’s economy.”
How A Series Gets On Network TV
“The practice of the pilot season-upfront-fall premiere cycle dates back to the early 1960s, when networks took over production of TV series from advertisers following the quiz-show scandals of the 1950s. The networks started selling ad time rather than advertisers producing single-sponsor shows. Unless things change again — always possible in the current, fast-changing media environment — it’s the cycle the industry is stuck with.”
The Poverty Of Being A Writer
“The average author earns about £16,000, a third less than the national average wage. So what? They’re doing what they love. But hidden behind that figure released by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) is a grimmer truth: when you take away the superstars who are earning shedloads, the actual figure for the rest is closer to £4,000.”
“Desert Louvre” Sparks French Dissent
“The ‘Desert Louvre,’ as the French press has dubbed the deal, is part of a revolutionary initiative by France to expand its global influence through its vast cultural heritage and holdings — the one realm where it remains a dominant world power — in the face of its shrinking diplomatic and economic clout.”