Ta-Nehisi Coates: “I take it as given that black people, because they are human beings, generally didn’t like being slaves. … Having said that, I think that just as the photography of the Civil War is interesting from an artistic perspective, the oral histories of slavery are interesting to me from a literary perspective. Looking at them as literature – and the recollection of specific individuals, not agitprop for anything – I’m never surprised to come across black people saying that they liked being slaves.”
Tag: 06.24.10
Young Imam: Malaysia’s Answer To American Idol
“The U.S. has American Idol. Britain has The X Factor. Malaysia, one of the world’s more progressive Muslim nations, has something rather different – a televised search for the country’s most eligible young religious leader. … Instead of a record contract or a million-dollar prize, though, the last imam standing wins a scholarship to the al-Madinah University in Saudi Arabia, a job leading prayers at a Kuala Lumpur mosque and an expense-paid trip to Mecca to perform the Haj pilgrimage.”
Insurance Against Fare Dodging, Speeding, Illegal Parking? Why Not!
“Jumping the turnstiles of the Paris metro, like red wine and croques de monsieur [sic], is a part of the city’s culture. Unlike Cabernet and croques, it’s an offense punishable by a $60 fine. So a band of savvy freeloaders have created an insurance fund for fellow fare dodgers. Fraudsters with foresight can pay about $8 a month into an underground, city-wide scofflaw pool. If they get busted, … they collect the $60 [to pay the fine] and go back to jumping turnstiles. … [So] let’s brainstorm some ways we could import this small-time misdemeanor insurance idea.”
Bollywood, Not Content To Stop With Hitler, Plans Bin Laden Satire
“India’s Bollywood cinema, known for its exuberant song-and-dance sequences and romantic plots, is to explore new territory with a satire on Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. … The farce follows a storyline in which [a] reporter makes a video with a bin Laden look-alike and becomes the centre of a major White House investigation.”
NEA Opera Honors To Glass, Arroyo, DiChiera, Queler
“The National Endowment for the Arts’ $25,000 NEA Opera Honors lifetime achievement awards for 2010 will go to composer Philip Glass, soprano Martina Arroyo, opera executive David DiChiera and music director Eve Queler.”
Jerry Saltz Talks About Judging Art On TV
“I’m seeing artists I think are good and, if they can survive the ridicule — the accusations that this is bringing on Armageddon — they may have an amazing journey in front of them. I hope they do.”
UK Music Festivals To Go Cashless
“Instead of using money, festival goers will be forced to pay electronically for everything from food and drink to t-shirts and fairground rides. Payments are likely to be made via a wristband, which also acts as the event ticket. Festival goers will have to pre-load the devices with money.”
Big Doings At The Musicians’ Union
Including leadership changes. “Delegates, if there’s anyone out there who still doubts the power of union democracy, today you got your reason. It’s the answer told by 273 delegates who believe that now the AFM must be different.”
Opera Orchestra Of New York Returns To Stage Next Season
The “small but beloved institution for fans of off-beat repertory and big voices … said Thursday it would end its financially induced hiatus and mount two concert productions next season: Meyerbeer’s L’Africaine, and a double bill of Massenet’s La Navarraise and Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana.“
Peoria Symphony’s New Music Director Staying With Juilliard
George Stelluto, who has just signed a three-year contract to lead the Illinois orchestra, is resident conductor at the Juilliard School and the Chicago Symphony’s assistant conductor at the Ravinia Festival. He plans to keep those other two jobs – and to use the connections they give him to expand what plays in Peoria.