“Tom Paulin’s new book is the latest in a series of bluffer’s guides to poetry which have recently fallen from the press, one of them, I must confess, by myself. Paulin has a passion for language and a marvellously sensitive ear for its textures and cadences. In fact, he reads so closely, slowing a poem down to a sort of surreal slow-motion, that it becomes in his hands a strange cacophony of plosive, guttural and sibilant noises.” But “you can, in short, read too closely, just as you can squash your nose up against a canvas until the painting fades to a blur.”
Tag: 03.15.08
Clough Appointed Smithsonian Chief
“The selection of Georgia Tech University president Wayne Clough is a return to the practice of having a scientist occupy the top position at the Smithsonian, a tradition that began in 1846 with renowned Princeton physicist Joseph Henry. Clough follows banker Lawrence M. Small, whose promises of boosting institution coffers were overshadowed by controversial decisions and questions about his compensation and spending.”
Giving The Whitey Biennial The Benefit Of The Doubt
The critical consensus is that this year’s Whitney Biennial is another bland, high-profile flop. But Simon Houpt says that the conventional wisdom might be overlooking the Whitney’s clever embrace of America’s peculiar national position. “Much of this year’s exhibition mulls breakdowns: of political, economic, social or artistic theories; of civil engineering; of common sense.”
What Went Wrong In Stratford?
“The euphoria that greeted a unique theatrical leadership 21 months ago has turned to shock” as two of the Stratford Festival’s three artistic directors resigned this past week. The remaining director calls the collapse of the festival’s model “traumatic,” and observers are still trying to assess what happened.
Movie Popcorn Prices Set To Go Through The Roof
“As a consequence of the booming demand for alternative fuels — with farmers replanting acres of popcorn with more profitable crops that can be converted into ethanol and other biofuels — the sellers of the nation’s favorite movie snack say the salty tub will soon take a bigger bite out of your wallet when you’re at the multiplex.”
Anna Madrigal & Friends Headed To Broadway
Armistead Maupin’s popular series of novels about San Francisco, Tales From The City, is being converted to a musical by the writer and director of Avenue Q, and is expected to hit Broadway sometime during the 2009-10 season.
What, The Urinals At Yankee Stadium Weren’t Available?
A Dublin theatre troupe is in New York this month, putting on “a nasty little tale about prostitutes, politicians and other morally questionable types in 1950s Dublin.” Their venue is as gritty as their story: the whole play is staged in the public bathrooms of Central Park.
At SXSW, Musicians Looking Past Record Companies
The record industry (or, at least, the huge corporate end of it) may be in trouble, but at the South by Southwest music festival that just wrapped up in Austin, it’s clear that music – good music – is as popular as ever, and maybe more so. “In an era of plummeting CD sales and short shelf lives even for current hit makers, the festival is full of people seeking ways to route their careers around what’s left of the major recording companies.”
A Tale Of Two SXSWs
South By Southwest is truly two separate festivals this year – one for the music fans, and one for the lawyers and accountants. “Music lovers have never had more choices, or easier access, to great music,” but everyone is scrambling to fill the hole where the dollars used to be. “This year legal panels comprise a full eighth of the seminar discussions.”
Young Frankenstein Scraps Premium Pricing
The top ticket for the Broadway musical Young Frankenstein costs $120. That’s notable because ever since 2001, hit musicals have reserved a certain number of “premium” tickets for buyers willing to pony up $225, $325, or even $450. But the producers of Frankenstein have reportedly decided that premium pricing was a mistake.