“The past century has taught us that good writing can appear in unexpected forms: film scripts, Sopranos-type series, the storytelling of R. Crumb or Art Spiegelman, for instance. And writing about poetry, particularly praising contemporary poetry, is a fine but extremely difficult art.”
Tag: 09.05.08
Vote’s In: The World’s Oddest Book Title
The impenetrable-sounding book, a comprehensive record of Greece’s postal routes, is published by the Greek Hellenic Philatelic Society of Great Britain, which “exists to encourage the collection of Greek stamps and to promote their study”.
Study: The Music You Like Says A Lot About You
“Fans of indie music, for instance, were found to have low self-esteem and little motivation, but described themselves as creative. Rap enthusiasts, on the other hand, tend to think a lot of themselves and are extremely outgoing… The study’s most remarkable discovery is that refined lovers of classical music share a high number of personality traits with those who prefer rocking out to heavy metal.”
Trial For Men Accused Of Ransoming Leonardo Painting
“Five men have appeared in court accused of demanding £4.25m for the safe return of a Leonardo da Vinci painting. The Madonna with the Yarnwinder was taken from Drumlanrig Castle, near Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway, in August 2003. Its disappearance from the stately home became Britain’s biggest art theft.”
A “Strangely Placid” Venice Film Festival
“In recent years, Venice has had a stronger programme than either of its immediate rivals, Cannes or Berlin. The fact that this year’s selection seemed so patchy may have been due to factors beyond the festival’s control. However, in a dull year, at least the better movies stick out all the more.”
British Exam Board Censors Poem
“Britain’s biggest exam board has been accused of censorship after it removed a poem containing references to knife crime from the GCSE syllabus. Officials at the AQA board said their request that schools destroy the anthology containing the Carol Ann Duffy poem Education for Leisure had been triggered by concerns in two schools about references to knives.”
Why The Censors Have More Difficulty With Poems
“Poems are often brief and ambiguous. Exam boards might more easily tolerate a novel about an adolescent who considers stabbing someone, because 200 or so pages would probably encompass debate, payoff and a clear message distancing the author from their character.”
London’s Cultural Olympics – Substance Over Kitsch?
“The major projects include a World Shakespeare Festival, which is to be spearheaded by the Royal Shakespeare Company. Critics have voiced fears that the events may follow the pattern of the handover ceremony in Beijing, which, with its song and dance routine and its brief appearance by David Beckham, was derided as kitsch in some quarters.”
Portrait That Was Almost Trashed Wins Top Art Prize
“A self portrait that was nearly torn up by the artist has won Australia’s most prestigious prize for drawing. Virginia Grayson, winner of the $20,000 Dobell prize for drawing, said she realised a few months ago that she had been working too hard on No conclusions drawn — self portrait.” And she nearly destroyed it…