The conductor best-known as founder and director of the Gabrieli Consort and Players “has been appointed principal conductor and artistic advisor of the Lisbon-based Gulbenkian Orchestra from July 2013 on a four-year contract. He succeeds Lawrence Foster, who has spent 11 years in the role.”
Tag: 09.14.12
Why Bother Translating Arabic Literature? (Asks Arab Writer)
Ibrahim Ferghali: “Taking together all the Arabic literature we see translated and celebrated today, in addition to the two aforementioned prizes and others, it is my view that nothing has changed. These translations have failed to give expression to the true nature of the Arab world’s literary output and they have proved unable to bring about any sort of audience for this literature.”
Jack Kerouac’s Ex-Girlfriend On Being His Biographer
Joyce Johnson: “After Jack’s death in 1969, I kept up with the stream of biographies that began to appear, seldom finding in them the man I’d known myself. Jack’s life provides a writer with almost too much tempting sensational material. It is easy to fall into the trap of trying to put it all in, which will often result in a book without a central thread – in other words, lots of stuff but no story.”
Emory University To Restructure Its Arts Department, Eliminate Visual Arts Department
“Among other changes, the Graduate Institute of Liberal Arts will become an institute without a permanent faculty, and graduate admissions to it will be suspended.”
What The Hell Is A Dramaturg, For Real?
“I have a secret; I’ve started to doubt that dramaturgy is a job.”
American Poetry’s Kingmaker (Yes, We Have One, Apparently)
Stephen Burt “is 41, a professor of English at Harvard, heir to the intellectual mantle long held by giants like Harold Bloom and Helen Vendler. He is also an avid science-fiction fan, the founder of a short-lived indie-pop zine, an authority on women’s basketball, the husband of Jessie Bennett, with whom he has two sons, and an unabashed cross-dresser.”
Google Takes All Of The Fun Out Of Everything, Including Kevin Bacon
Seriously? Google? You’re killing dinner parties: “Google has just launched a ‘Bacon number’ search feature. Just add those magic words to a celebrity’s name (as in: ‘Tom Cruise Bacon number’) and get the answer (as in: ‘Tom Cruise’s Bacon number is 1’) and the reason (A Few Good Men).”
Take Note, Museums: Prada Outdraws Picasso
“With many art museums pondering how to boost attendance – and some critics, curators and museum directors wondering whether maximizing crowds is really the best measure of success – it’s worth noting that Prada beat Picasso in recent blockbuster shows at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.”
Texting In The Theatre In London? Watch Out For Ninjas
“Wearing black bodysuits, these volunteers roam the theatre in stealth silence during films, pouncing on anyone who may be disturbing other patrons with a warning: ‘Shhhhhh.'”
Pasadena Playhouse Survives Bankruptcy – And Thrives
“The Pasadena Playhouse, which survived a recent bankruptcy, is going into its new season flush with a massive infusion of cash and planning to expand its production calendar.”