“Contemporary memoirs tend to be either convalescent or nostalgic in mood. Suffering produces meaning. Life is what happens to you, not what you do. Victim and hero are one. Hence the preponderance of memoirs having to do with mental illness, sexual and other violence, drug and alcohol addiction, bad parents and/or mad or missing loved ones.”
Tag: 07.16.06
Choreographers Of The World’s Most-Seen Dance
Rich and Tone Talauega are “two of the most sought-after choreographers for television commercials, which makes them two of the most important and influential choreographers in the world: in the course of just 30 seconds, their work will reach millions of people, far more than ever see even the most successful theatrical dance production. And for their labors they’re paid far more than a theatrical production could manage: upwards of $3,000 a day.”
The Essence Of The Literary Magazine
“Where indeed in the independent ‘little’ literary magazines does the pleasure lie? The exercise of judgment, the settling of scores, the advocacy or the pillorying of the new: each magazine has an area of rhetorical specialism, a politics, and advances or counters the interests of a movement or a generation. In the past three decades, which magazines have made a substantial mark, a difference, a contribution?”
Chihuly Lawsuit Poses Ownership Questions
A lawsuit brought by glass artist Dale Chihuly against a former employee raises “intriguing questions about what makes any artist’s work unique, what qualifies as inspiration and what defines a mere knock-off.” The ex-employee’s dealer “expects the suit to cost him $1.6 million. He says the suit already has cost him a lot of business, including a cancelled deal with Costco stores to produce a special line of sea shapes for $550 a pop.”
Atlanta Opera Quits City, Moves To Suburbs
“Beginning in fall 2007, it will make the new arts center’s 2,750-seat Williams Theatre its home. The move is historic: It marks the first time a major-city opera company will leave its established location within a city and move all its performances to a suburb, according to Opera America, a service organization based in New York. And though metro Atlanta’s reputation may be that of one large, sprawling landmass, for the opera, being in Cobb County could present an uncertain bundle of financial, sociological and political ramifications.”
Where The Population Is Declining
World population growth is a big problem. But “forty-three of the 193 nations around the world will register a decline in population by 2050. Russia’s population is expected to decline by a staggering 31 million, from 143 million people to 112 million people. Alcohol is one of the main factors contributing to this decline, primarily among men. It is accountable for the world’s largest life expectancy gap between men and women in any country. On average, Russian men can expect to live only to the age of 55.”
Why Opera Languishes In Boston
“Twice in the past, Boston has arrived at the top level of international opera, with a combination of adventurous repertoire, major singers, and theatrically exciting productions. This occurred early in the 20th century at the old Boston Opera House on Huntington Avenue, and later on with the late Sarah Caldwell. But this can’t even be a goal nowadays for two basic reasons: There isn’t the money for it because of competition for funding with older and more prestigious arts organizations such as the BSO. And there isn’t a suitable venue.”
Netherlands Goes Nuts For Rembrandt On His 400th Birthday
“The town of Leiden hosted a festival where 17th-Century food and drink was served at restaurants and entertainers performed street theatre. In Amsterdam, some of Rembrandt’s most famous masterpieces have been put on display. Saturday also saw the opening night of the quirky Rembrandt the Musical at Amsterdam’s Royal Theatre Carre.”
Some Claim The Love’s Out Of Berlin’s Loveparade
The history of Berlin’s “Loveparade is the stuff of myth, as documented in countless guidebooks and Web sites. The first Loveparade, in July 1989, was actually staged as a political demonstration, and it attracted a crowd of about 150. Over time the parade grew and grew, the number of attendees skyrocketing for more than a decade. According to the Loveparade Web site (loveparade.net), the event has had more than 8.8 million visitors since its creation and has attracted some of the world’s most famous D.J.’s.” But changes this year have some of the original organizers protesting.
Curators Association Protests Brooklyn Museum Reorganization Plan
The Association of Art Museum Curators is objecting to the Brooklyn Museum’s plan to reorganize its curatorial departments. The group says that “the new structure ‘undermines the traditional vocation of the curator-as-scholar whose commitment to a particular collection renders him or her uniquely qualified to make recommendations regarding its care and interpretation.’ The plan, which has been criticized by some curators at other museums and within the Brooklyn Museum itself, ‘raises issues that are central to the health of art museums in North America, and in fact, throughout the world’.”