Why are even jaded older teenagers anxiously awaiting the latest installment of Harry Potter? “It’s a delicious juxtaposition. They are reading about Harry, who is charged by the Ministry of Magic with underage sorcery, while they are careful not to be caught for underage drinking. Teens whose parents have found beer store receipts and seized their fake ID are asking mom for a ride to the bookstore Friday to be among the first with their own copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. They want to engage again in that other world that makes “walking to the cottage at night scarier.”
Tag: 07.10.05
Maazel’s 1984 – Vanity Or Integrity?
Was Lorin Maazel’s opera 1984 a failure because it was a vanity project? Or did paying for a production of it himself at Covent Garden give him the control and integrity of a project in a way he otherwise not have had? This is certainly true in other artforms…
Why Opposing The Patriot Act’s Library Provision Is Important
“The US government says it’s not interested in nosing around libraries, and an expensive study would appear to confirm that claim. So what’s the big deal? Why are so many groups, from the American Library Association to a bipartisan collection of members of Congress, so opposed to Section 215? Last month, the U.S. House approved a measure barring the Justice Department from spending money on library and bookstore searches under Section 215. Are these opponents of 215 ‘soft on terrorism,’ as some Bush administration members charge? Do they want to provide a “safe haven in bookstores and libraries”? Well, no.”
Ring Tone Symphonies?
Cell phone ring tones are getting more sophisticated. “When combined with technology that allows them to sound like music instead of its tinny shadow, and programs that allow anyone to make, mix or otherwise devise his or her own ringtones, the seven songs on the Timbaland album – among the first meant to be played on a phone, not a radio or CD player – suggest that ring tones are not merely a new money-maker; they are a new art form.”
Blockbusteritis?
“James Cuno is among a growing number of museum directors who have grown queasy at the way the “major” temporary exhibition has become a nearly annual fixture at art institutions like the Chicago Art Institute. Yes, blockbusters create excitement, draw huge crowds and massive media hype — all of which gives museums chances to shine and, oh by the way, earn wads of cash from increased concessions and memberships. But at what cost? Through the ’90s, there was too much emphasis on temporary exhibitions because they came to dominate the museum’s activity and, worse, people’s expectations of the museum.”
God: No Longer A Niche Market
The religious book phenomenon is looking like it has more staying power than many in the publishing industry believed. “The growth of Christian books outpaced the adult trade category in 2004, with sales expected to soar in coming years… Precise reasons for this jump in interest are hard to pin down, although the phenomenon coincides with the rise of evangelical Christianity and general anxiety over terrorism and the economy… Beyond that, Christian bookstores enjoy a special relationship with customers. The stores tend to blend a bit of ministry with retailing.”
American Gothic, Iowan To The Core
For three-quarters of a century, the lonely farm couple depicted in Grant Wood’s ubiquitous painting, “American Gothic,” have called Chicago’s downtown Loop home, an incongruous base of operations for such a distinctly rural pair. But this fall, in a rare case in which the Art Institute of Chicago has consented to lend out one of its prized works, the painting will be going “home” to Iowa for a special Wood retrospective at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. It may be just another painting in Chicago, but Iowa is already abuzz with talk of the return.
Harry Potter & The Dubious Legacy
The Harry Potter craze has been hailed by parents and educators on both sides of the Atlantic as a sign that children of the information age can still be engaged by good, old-fashioned books. But are the books really the classics of children’s literature that they are constantly made out to be? Robert McCrum thinks not. “When the current generation of Harry Potter readers has grown up, it will look back on the Harry Potter phenomenon with a mixed thrill of intense nostalgia, embarrassment and dismay. Our children’s children will certainly read these books, but as curiosities, bizarre literary relics from a lost world.”
Placido’s Fire
For Luciano Pavarotti, the Three Tenors phenomenon was the beginning of the end for a career that went from spectacular to parody. But for Pavarotti’s 3T counterpart, Placido Domingo, the crossover blockbuster was little more than a curious way-station in the midst of a breathless marathon that never seems to slow down. At Domingo’s core appears to be a burning desire to prove himself again and again, and to earn the love of everyone around him. “That sense of obligation, rare in performers (especially among the flighty narcissists who sing opera), is the essence of his character and accounts for the esteem in which he is held. He always justifies the price of the ticket, because he sets out to earn his reputation all over again every time he sings.”
The Plays That Wouldn’t End
Apparently, things just aren’t worth enjoying anymore unless they’re “extreme.” The tag gets put on everything from skateboarding to soft drinks, so why not theatre? “Marathons (as savvy marketers have called them since the running boom of the 1970’s) defy conventional ideas about how long full-length plays are. These productions can run 20 hours or more.”