“Nonfiction, once relegated to the ‘good for you, like oatmeal’ shelf, has become the kind of fare readers choose for enjoyment. In this age of declining readership for all sorts of publications, any reading is good reading, right? Maybe. But does a de-emphasis of the literary novel — still the form of entertainment that requires the most engagement and conjecture on the reader’s part — coincide with a devaluation of the imagination?”
Tag: 08.11.06
Hermitage Mastermind May Be In Custody
“Russian police have detained a man they believe may have organized the theft of artifacts from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, according to news reports on Friday. The suspect is the fourth person detained since Russia’s famous museum announced on July 31 the theft of 221 items worth over $5 million.”
Officially Or Not, Ohio Ballet Is Dead And Gone
No one is saying anything officially, but all indications are that Ohio Ballet has folded up its tent and disappeared into the Akron night. The group’s artistic director has accepted a job with Arizona’s Ballet Tucson, and “just after the ballet board put together a recovery plan, its president, George Petrenko, died in January and the group began to fall apart.”
9/11 Film Scores With Moviegoers
Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center opened strong in the U.S. on Thursday, taking in $4.4 million in box office receipts despite renewed terror fears. “Meanwhile the movie’s marketing plans will not be changed, despite the alleged plot to blow up US airliners. Studio executives had considered scaling back advertising for the film in light of the news, but decided against it.”
Canadian Gallery Still Waiting For Government To Notice It
The Mendel Art Gallery in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, has some big expansion plans, and is chomping at the bit to get started. “Two years ago, the city-owned gallery marked 40 years as the anchor in Saskatoon’s cultural life by unveiling plans to renovate its building on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River… Alas, the bulldozers are on hold until next year at least, possibly later — the result of a lack of financial assistance from [provincial and federal government sources.]”
Google Library Project Gets A Big Partner
“The University of California is joining Google Inc.’s book-scanning project, throwing the weight of another 100 academic libraries behind an ambitious venture that’s under legal attack for alleged copyright infringement. The deal to be announced Wednesday covers all the libraries in UC’s 10-campus system, marking the biggest expansion of Google’s effort to convert millions of library books into digital form since a group of authors and publishers sued last fall to derail a project launched 20 months ago.”
Calatrava Tower Reportedly Still On Track
When an Irish developer stepped in to buy a large plot of land in Chicago recently, it started a whirlwind of rumors as to whether the developer intended to use the land to build something other than the 2000-foot Santiago Calatrava-designed skyscraper that had long been intended for the spot. The developer is reassuring the city that he plans to begin negotiations with Calatrava shortly on what would be the world’s tallest tower. Some skeptics “contend that the $1.2 billion project is economically unfeasible.”
Commercially Viable Shows Need Not Apply
New York’s Fringe Festival is ten years old, long enough to have settled into a comfortable place in the national theatre scene. But like everything in New York, it’s tough to keep the Fringe small-time. “The professionalizing, or Sundance-izing, of the Fringe has been a concern for the entire life of the festival, particularly after a 1999 entry, ‘Urinetown,’ made it to Broadway and won three Tony Awards. Partly in reaction, the Fringe has been actively looking for little-known and first-time artists in the selection process.”
No Shortage Of Classics In Pittsburgh
At a time when many American radio stations are dropping classical music, Pittsburgh’s WQED is reaffirming its commitment to the genre, shuffling its schedule to play more music, eliminate talk and other non-classical programming, and increase arts and culture reporting on its popular morning show. “During peak weekday listening hours, the station will play more music by the [Pittsburgh Symphony] and add opera arias, giving the music exposure to a wider audience than would tune in a program devoted entirely to the music.”
Should Nashville Sym Really Be Getting $20 Million In Civic Money?
Several members of Nashville’s Metro Council have announced that they will ask the governing body to reconsider a $5 million contribution to the city’s new Schermerhorn Performing Arts Center, which opens this fall. “Metro provided the Symphony the property the center sits on, $5 million for construction last year and then… would provide $5 million this year and $5 million the next two years for $20 million total. The Symphony also receives an annual contribution from the Metro Arts Commission for operating purposes, which in recent years has totaled about $400,000.”