” The museum shows how earthly a religion Mormonism is, how practical its actions have been and how intimately connected its history is to the American past. The printing press, the farm, depictions of the ordinary citizens who were the first church members — we see a vision of early American democracy. The covered wagon, the daring mapping of unknown territory: Mormon history is a version of the American pioneering myth.”
Month: April 2012
DC’s Howard Theatre Shows That Dreaming Can Lead To Action
The historically important black theatre reopens after years of work. One of its cheerleaders says, “at a time when apathy dominates much of the civic scene, when activism is associated with acting out, not acting together, the relaunch of the Howard Theatre is a magnificent reflection of America’s ‘can do’ spirit.”
Proselytizing For Books On Monday’s World Book Night
“To the cynics, World Book Night must seem like windmill-tilting. After all, aren’t books meant to be going the way of Ceefax, or good manners? Well, no, they’re not. Polls show that reading has been rising in popularity for decades; literary festivals such as Hay are attracting huge crowds; and even if sales of paperbacks are falling, those of eBooks are shooting up. The real challenge is not to save books, but to widen the circle of those who love them.”
Theatre That Nurtured Helen Mirren And Daniel Craig Making Serious Austerity Cuts
The National Youth Theatre “will unveil an overhaul of its operations this week, potentially including job cuts and the closure of several productions. This comes after the Arts Council had to step in with an emergency £200,000 grant to allow the organisation to meet its financial obligations.”
The Secret Life Of Alan Z. Feuer, By Alan Feuer
“My host sat back in his club chair, silenced, and I worried for a moment that I had made a terrible mistake. But then a look of wild delight sprang into his eyes — the look, I thought, of a man who hadn’t been surprised in 40 years.”
Oh, So That’s What Happened To The Fiction Pulitzer
Blame a cat video, just as we all suspected.
The Revenge Of The (Comedy) Nerds – Where’d They All Come From?
“What I think really worries Burr (and I admit I share his concern) is not that comedy nerds aren’t reverent enough to stand-up traditions. It’s that they’re too reverent — and that all this reverence, this study and dissection, this niceness, threatens to ruin a form of entertainment that has stridently avoided being declawed. That comedy nerds, like overexuberant fanboys, will effectively love, nurture and respect stand-up comedy to death.”
Oh, Behave! (Do Performing Arts Organizations Really Want Younger Audiences?)
“Symphony orchestras, regional theatres, ballet and opera companies across North America are feeling stiff competition to lure ticket buyers who they believe are increasingly distracted by interactive entertainment and social media. But when those sought-after new audiences do show up, they don’t always behave the way that venerable institutions and veteran audiences expect.”
Work Of Adapting Poe For Cinema Almost As Bloody As His Stories
“Poe’s work, full of murder, madness, ghosts and febrile passion, is irresistible to filmmakers because of its bold imagery and powerful emotional impact. But despite these sensational qualities Poe is not nearly as movie ready as his writing seems. The big problem is that he wrote almost exclusively in short forms, and his stories’ effects are highly concentrated, like shots of neat whiskey.”
Google E-Books Will Abandon Indie Bookstores – Will Kobo Step Up?
Sure sounds like the firm, which is doing well even after the death of Borders Books, wants to get in the indie bookstore e-business.