Tag: 07.05.12

Algerian Writer Denied Literary Prize Money Because He Visited Israel

“The winner, Boualem Sansal, … was scheduled to receive the Prix du Roman Arabe (the Arab Novel Prize) for his book Rue Darwin (“Darwin Street”). But in May, he spoke at a literary festival in Israel, and afterward Hamas … said he had committed ‘an act of treason against the Palestinian people’.” The 22 Arab diplomats in Paris who, as a group, sponsor the award promptly cancelled the ceremony and withheld the €15,000 in prize money.

A Surfeit Of Bookbinding Supplies And Tools, In Brooklyn (Of Course)

“One wall held roll upon roll of whole calf and goatskins, most from Nigeria. Even within the same dye lot, each hide can take on a slightly different shade — variations, say, from a deep raspberry to a bright crimson. To the left of the leathers were rolls of book cloth (backed with paper for easier gluing) in various textures and fabrics, much of it imported from Japan. And to the right were stiff, creamy sheets of vellum and almost opalescent parchment imported from Britain; the parchment is treasured by botanical illustrators for its ability to hold the finest line without any bleed.”

Robots, Taking A Mechanically Precise Bow (When They Don’t Fall Over)

In one high school theatre/robotics program, “The robots are forever keeling over, wandering off, missing their marks and stealing focus. … Will robots ever develop the acting chops to compete for top billing? Probably not anytime soon. Nonetheless some robotics researchers and experimental dramatists are finding fertile ground in working with a new generation of increasingly sophisticated robot actors.”

The Twists And Turns Of Germany’s Most Complex Art Restitution Case

Michael Hulton wants justice. By that, he means “his inheritance, which consists of works of art that Flechtheim owned and either went missing or had to be sold during the Nazi era. They consist of 11 paintings and six works on paper, which are now owned by German museums, including works by Pablo Picasso, Max Beckmann and Paul Klee.” But when did Hulton’s great-uncle really sell the art? And will the museums ever agree?

LA’s Flourishing (Sort Of) Small Theatre Scene

“Critically esteemed yet commercially challenging, these playwrights have been underserved by Los Angeles. One problem is that the marquee nonprofit houses have been reluctant to take chances on dramatists carving their own paths, while the city’s few midsize theaters, which would be the logical venue for emerging writers who aren’t pandering to established tastes, haven’t seemed eager to fill this gap. So what’s keeping the better smaller companies from stepping into the breach?”

Those Reviews That Crush You

“I read the reviews of my books and I am greatly affected by the reviews of my books. I can’t help it. They matter, both artistically and commercially. They scare me and I love them. How other people react is a part of storytelling. What reviewers say affects the book’s life. And because of this, the week before the reviews come, I am catatonic, greatly troubled by the storms of anticipation.”

The Louvre Opens Its First Satellite Museum

“Strictly speaking, overcrowding is not the reason why the Louvre is building a $200 million facility in the Pas-de-Calais region of France. It has more to do with the accessibility of the town of Lens – which can be reached by train in two to three hours from Paris, London and Brussels – and a deep need for urban renewal in an old coal industry center that lost its last mine in 1986, pushing unemployment to 15 percent.”