“Recently in the news again for a reported state abduction from a Chinese train, publisher and bookseller Gui Minhai has been named the recipient of the 2018 Prix Voltaire from the International Publishers Association. … The Prix Voltaire honors the struggles faced by those in international book publishing who have, in many cases, endured serious adversity for the sake of the freedom to publish.”
Month: February 2018
These Dancers Will Have To Cope With Three-And-A-Half Tons Of Clay Onstage
In a piece titled Icon, created by choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and sculptor Antony Gormley, “the dancers manipulate clay through the performance in very imaginative ways. … They’re creating different little sculptures during the performance and some of them they wear.”
Connie Sawyer, Hollywood’s Oldest Working Actress, Dead At 105
She spent most of her career playing bit parts – something she said she was glad of. Yet that career stretched from opening for vaudeville and radio legend Sophie Tucker, through notable spots in the films A Hole in the Head, True Grit, Dumb and Dumber, and Pineapple Express, to her final TV appearances at age 102.
Hollywood Should Move On From Naming And Shaming Abusers To Restorative Justice
In her Golden Globes acceptance speech, Laura Dern said, “I urge all of us to not only support survivors and bystanders who are brave enough to tell their truth, but to promote restorative justice.” While many listeners might have found Dern’s call to be a mere bromide, Ann Hornaday explains that the term “has a very specific meaning, that happens to hold particular promise for an industry in the midst of intense self-examination, and equally intense avoidance thereof.”
Austin Opera Fires Longtime Artistic Director For ‘Inappropriate Behavior’
“Austin Opera has terminated the contract of artistic director and principal conductor Richard Buckley, … effective immediately.” The company’s statement included no details, and Buckley’s spokesperson said that the allegations are baseless and without merit,” but “two women spoke on the record with the American-Statesman on Thursday about Buckley’s behavior while he was artistic director.”
Dealer Of Works Stolen By Jasper Johns’s Assistant Can Be Charged With Racketeering, Court Rules
“A Manhattan district court has ruled in favour of the Equinox Gallery of Vancouver, Canada in its civil suit against the New York art dealer Fred Dorfman, who was implicated in a scheme to sell stolen work by the US artist Jasper Johns, but who has never faced criminal charges.”
Ceramic Artist Dora De Larios, 84
“Throughout her career, De Larios’ work took singular forms – as small, sprightly sculptures of animals and towering goddesses – inspired by her interest in pre-Columbian craft and ancient Japanese design.”
Daniel Harding Will Step Down As Music Director Of Orchestre De Paris
The 42-year-old conductor succeeded Paavo Järvi at the French capital’s leading symphony orchestra in 2016. He decided, for “artistic reasons,” not to renew his initial three-year contract.
Radio France Chairman Fired For Corruption, Though Ugly Gossip About Him And Macron Is Swirling
“Mathieu Gallet, 41, was this week fired as chairman of Radio France by the Higher Audiovisual Council (CSA), the French broadcasting authority. Officially, he was dismissed after being convicted of corruption and fined €20,000 for giving a €400,000 contract to a consultancy owned by one of his friends.” But rumors – pushed by former president Sarkozy’s culture minister – claim that President Macron had Gallet fired to quash rumors that the two had had an affair.
Truck Driver Plows Over 2,000-Year-Old Geoglyphs In Peru
“A truck driver in Peru damaged the 2,000-year-old Nazca Lines, after officials said he ignored warning signs and drove over a portion of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Nazca Lines are large designs that were scratched into the ground’s surface between 500 B.C. and A.D. 500 on a coastal plain south of Lima. UNESCO calls the site one of the ‘greatest enigmas’ of the archaeological world.”