“Almost eight years have passed since Stieg Larsson’s death. One would think it would be enough time to resolve the dispute. No, says 58-year-old Eva Gabrielsson, there is no peace in sight, nor is there a bridge between the parties or even a mediator.”
Tag: 08.07.12
Is Optimism Genetic?
“We now know that optimism, just like pessimism, results from an intricate dance of genetics, life experiences and specific biases in how each of us views and interprets the world.”
Exclamations!! (Why They’re Proliferating)
“Because email is without affect, it has a dulling quality that almost necessitates kicking everything up a notch just to bring it to where it would normally be.” But what if a particular point needs to be stressed beyond where it would normally be?
Film Critic Judith Crist, 90
“In a field of measured criticism, Mrs. Crist was a howitzer. She sought to puncture the dull, the pretentious and the bloated – anything that squandered talented performers and directors and would waste moviegoers’ time and money.”
Remembering Judith Crist As (Fearsome) Journalism Professor
“There is a sizable Crist contingent working in journalism today – critics, essayists and writers who were driven to write savvier, and think bigger, by this professor’s blunt assessments. Nothing stung more than her red scrawl in the margins, but nothing was more rewarding than her appraisal that you had taken a commanding stance and argued your point persuasively.”
Is Ballet Dancing Getting Too Spectacular?
“Unfortunately, in these days of what appear to be an Olympian approach to ballet, such ballet artists [as Cynthia Gregory] are hard to find. And sadly, many ballet schools and major companies do not seem to be doing enough to preserve ballet’s greatest asset – its ability to transcend words and transport an audience into their world. Ballet technique that explodes with meaning instead of fireworks is vastly lacking.”
After 20 Years, New Philip Marlowe Novel To Be Published
Philip Marlowe is making another comeback. Henry Holt & Company said on Tuesday that Raymond Chandler’s creation, one of the world’s most famous private eyes, will star in a novel written by John Banville to be published in 2013.”
Leicester Mayor Calls City’s Theatre A ‘Disastrous Project’
“Leicester’s elected mayor has described the city’s Curve theatre as ‘the most expensive and most disastrous project this city has ever seen in its history’.”
Argentina Builds A Sistema Of Its Own
“A government program” – modeled after Venezuela’s now-famous Sistema – “has set up youth orchestras and choirs in underprivileged areas throughout the country. The instructors and conductors say the students have surpassed their expectations in the orchestra, and their teachers at school say they even notice positive results in the classroom thanks to their participation in the music program.”
Jonas Kaufmann Saves Salzburg Festival’s Bohème At Very Last Minute
Piotr Beczala, who had gotten terrific reviews for his opening night performance as Rodolfo, lost his voice just before Saturday night’s performance – and Salzburg generally doesn’t hire understudies. So Kaufmann, in town to sing Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos the following afternoon, was rushed into the pit (with his supper) to sing the role as Beczala mimed it onstage.