Author: Douglas McLennan

Justin Davidson Mulls The Point Of Criticism After NYT Critic Declines To Review Restaurant And Writes About It Anyway

“No critic can know what another diner brings to the table or an audience member to a concert hall, what vicarious joy—or scorn—a reader draws from a review. Which is why I object to one of Pete Wells’s most ringing self-justifications for taking a pass on this particular restaurant: that the people who eat there are the wrong sort.”

Claim: On The West Coast Women Are Getting More Visibility In Opera

“First and foremost, if you ask little girls what a scientist looks like, it’s Einstein. If you ask adults what does a composer look like, they would think of men – like Mozart.  And if you look in the seasons of the major orchestras and opera houses, it’s not some big secret. There is music by women composers, but you have to ask the programmers, the people hiring, the commissioners: Why aren’t they seeking out more women? I don’t know why.”

Dense American Cities Are Becoming Denser. Less Dense Cities Are Becoming Less Dense

There’s a clear pattern in which metro areas are becoming more urban: Dense metros are getting denser. Meanwhile, sprawling metro areas are spreading out further. It’s another example of a polarized America, of places becoming more unlike each other: not only with respect to income inequality and politics, but also with growth patterns.

Director Of Arizona Commission On The Arts Resigns

“Robert Booker led the state Arts Commission through an often challenging period marked by recession-era budget reductions and major shifts in the state’s public policy environment. Nevertheless, under Booker’s leadership, the Arts Commission distinguished itself as one of the state’s most resilient, responsive, fiscally responsible agencies, and one of the nation’s boldest and most innovative state arts agencies.”

Playwright Threatens Theatre If It Holds Audience Discussions After Performances

During Outvisible’s run of Oleanna, which closed in early April, the creative team (as they apparently do with all of their productions) wanted to host talk back sessions with the audience, who had just seen the show. That was until they received contact from a Dramatists representative, who holds the license to Oleanna, on behalf of David Mamet himself.  According to sources they were notified that if they proceeded to have these talk back sessions or ” anything like it were to happen within two hours after the performance, that we would be charged/fined $25,000.”

The American Writers Museum? A Dead Letter, Says Deanna Isaacs

“Longer on gadgetry than on literature, AWM is all about the breezy quote and the glitzy busywork toys that are now the currency of the exhibit industry: push a button, spin a wheel, drag an icon, and the gadgets spit out a thimbleful of data. It’s American Lit 101 (and more), the nutshell version. The books? Look up when you first walk in: a lot of them are stapled to a framework hanging just below the ceiling.”

The Mythologies About Neural Benefits Of Music

“There is a gap between the state of research in neuroscience related to music education, and the knowledge of current and future music teachers about these findings,” writes a research team from the Hanover University of Music led by Reinhard Kopiez. It reports instructors are particularly prone to accepting false assertions when they are accompanied by certain brain-related buzzwords.

The Marciano – LA’s Latest Big New Private Museum

Like similar projects in California, Florida, Texas, Connecticut, Maryland and elsewhere, the Marciano Art Foundation isn’t exactly a museum. It’s merely a private collection open to the public. The selection is highly personal. The mission statement is freewheeling (“Through exhibiting a diverse and compelling collection … MAF aims to encourage curiosity and contemplation of art.”) The professional staff is limited, as are public hours.