More than a month has gone by since Canadian author Rohinton Mistry cancelled the remainder of his U.S. book tour after being repeatedly singled out for “security searches” at American airports. In the U.S., it didn’t cause much of a stir, but in Canada, there was national outrage at the lengths to which the U.S. appears to be going to enhance “national security.” Now, a San Francisco bookstore which had scheduled a Mistry reading has gone ahead with the event, with local authors reading from Mistry’s work, in an effort to bring more attention to the author’s protest.
Tag: 12.19.02
Italy To sell off Art Treasures?
Is Italy getting ready to sell off some of its archeological treasures to raise money? The government denies that preparations are underway, and that an inventory of assets is “for accounting purposes” only. But critics don’t believe the explanation,and “the scheme has raised a tempest of protest, with marches and petitions throughout the country.”
Golden Globe Nominations
“Chicago, a musical about lady killers in prison, received a leading eight Golden Globe nominations Thursday, including best musical or comedy and best actress for stars Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The Hours, a three-tiered story about women coping with sadness whose lives are linked to a novel by Virginia Woolf, had seven nominations including best film drama, best actress for Nicole Kidman and supporting actor for Ed Harris.”
Everyone Has His Favorites
“Toronto movie critics have voted Spike Jonze’s screenwriting satire Adaptation as the best film of 2002, making the wide-open Oscar nominations race even tougher to call. The 25 members of the Toronto Film Critics Association showered Adaptation with kudos in their annual list of year-end prizes, citing the film for best picture, best male performance, best supporting male performance, and best screenplay… Critic and industry groups traditionally kick-start the Oscar nominations process, and this year they’ve been all over the map in assigning glory.”
Mummy’s Curse Debunked
The curse of the mummy was supposed to kill anyone who disturbed the tomb of King Tut. And Lord Carnavon, who financed the 1923 expedition that discovered Tut did die an untimely death at age 57. But a researcher who tracked every one of the 44 people in on the discovery says there were no other early deaths – average age at death was 70 or higher. So no mummy curse…
Big, Bigger, Biggest – Where Does It End?
Ever since Frank Gehry’s widely-hailed Bilbao museum opened, architects around the world have faced unprecedented expectations as to what their designs can do, not just for an organization or a neighborhood, but for an entire city. But how much has the “wow” factor actually hurt the practice of serious architecture, and is the movement towards buildings-as-tourist-attractions and architectural star power a sign of growing public interest, or merely the end product of a celebrity-obsessed culture?
The Film Without A Country
A much-lauded film from Palestine has been garnering awards worldwide. But the filmmaker has been unequivocably told that his work cannot be nominated for an Academy Award, because Palestine is not a country recognized by the U.N. Of course, neither are Puerto Rico and Taiwan, both of which have had films in nomination in the past.
Calgary Gets Some Civic Support
The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, which suspended operations two months ago in the face of overwhelming debt, is getting a bit of relief from the city government. Calgary’s city council agreed this week to kick in $250,000 to help rescue the CPO, provided it can raise the remaining $1.25 million it needs from other sources. But a number of city officials were dismayed that public money could be spent on bailing out a private nonprofit.
PBS Looks For New Funding Tricks
For years, PBS has been looking for more effective methods of drawing sponsors, whether that meant pitching corporate responsibility or blurring the line between funding announcements and outright advertising. But with the recent pullout of ExxonMobil from its club of program underwriters, PBS (and its Boston flagship, WGBH-TV) is stepping up efforts to secure a money stream for the future.
Greece’s Own Maria Callas
“Featuring personal effects and props belonging to Maria Callas, Athens Tuesday opened a museum dedicated to the New York-born opera legend, the first of its kind in the country… Although she took Greek citizenship only in 1966, aged 43, her enormous global success and heart-rending interpretations of tragic roles, combined with her liaison with the shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis — another Greek success story — have made Callas a symbol of Greek national pride.”