Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen makes the charge. “Inspectors in England found most pupils liked poetry but had only a limited knowledge of classic poems. Schools often concentrated on preparing children for exams at the expense of teaching poetry, the report said.”
Tag: 12.06.07
Long-Lost Michelangelo Sketch Found In Vatican
“A long-missing Michelangelo sketch for the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, possibly his last design before his death, has been discovered in the basilica’s offices.”
Incoming CEO: CBC Is Canada’s Most Important Cultural Institution
“Given all the cultural influences coming from other countries, Canadians must be able to count on a strong and independent national public broadcaster which reflects their reality and their identity.”
Lieberson Leads In Classical Grammy Nominations
“The last score that Peter Lieberson composed for his late wife, the beloved mezzo Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, and a piece commissioned by a consortium of 65 American orchestras are two of the three leaders among the classical nominees for the 2008 Grammy Awards.”
The Face Of The New Miramax
Miramax is not the behemoth studio it once was under the Weinstein brothers, but somehow, it has remained in the thick of the Hollywood awards race. Much of the credit for the smooth sailing at Miramax is going to its new, soft-spoken chief, Daniel Battsek.
Decoding The Spanish Book Boom
The American market for Spanish-language books and translations has exploded in just the last few years. Actually, it might be more accurate to say that, in the last few years, booksellers and publishers have begun to notice the huge potential audience for such titles. So what sparked the revolution? It all started with The DaVinci Code…
Legendary Cuban Drummer Dies
“One of the greatest Cuban percussionists ever died Wednesday night in Cleveland of complications from emphysema. The diminutive Carlos ‘Patato’ Valdés not only enjoyed a great musical career, but revolutionized the playing of his instrument, the tall Cuban hand-drums commonly known as congas. Hospitalized with emphysema, he was 81.”
T.O.’s True International Fest Returns
Toronto’s edgy, envelope-pushing Luminato festival is back for a second season, and the details of the June fest were unveiled this week, to the delight of critics. Luminato ’08 will include no fewer than five world premieres, and will focus on showing Canadian audiences “what’s exciting the public elsewhere in the world.”
The Breakthrough That Isn’t
Video on demand is supposed to represent the great, wide-open future of television, and broadcasters worldwide are looking for ways to incorporate it into their existing product. But so far, no one seems to be making any money off it. So how to get TV from point A (status quo) to point B (a profitable on-demand model)?
Court Battle Over Country Music Treasures
“A bankruptcy trustee wants a judge to decide the fate of ‘Mother’ Maybelle Carter’s Gibson L-5 guitar and Bill Monroe’s mandolin after negotiations stalled over the future of some of country music’s most treasured instruments.”