“Four members of a library board in West Bend, Wis., were dismissed last week for refusing to remove controversial books from the library’s young adult section–and yesterday, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the National Coalition Against Censorship, the Association of American Publishers and PEN American Center criticized the firings.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
Mexican Folk Music Chimes In On Swine Flu
“There is a long tradition of folk music reacting quickly to events and commentating on them for those who don’t pay much attention to the mainstream media and the flu-inspired songs are delivered in the accordion-based cumbia style which is popular across the Americas.”
Duffy Believed To Be Named Poet Laureate Tomorrow
“Carol Ann Duffy is expected to be named by Downing Street tomorrow as the first female poet laureate, the latest in a line that has included John Dryden, William Wordsworth and Ted Hughes. Duffy is thought to have edged ahead of Simon Armitage to succeed Andrew Motion, whose 10-year tenure comes to an end tomorrow. For her fans – and there are a lot – it will be justice at last.”
A Violinist’s Gift To His Instrument: A New Concerto
Dallas Symphony concertmaster Emanuel Borok, who plays a 401-year-old Amati violin, “has heard many of the theories about what makes Amati and Stradivarius violins so special. It’s the wood. It’s the varnish. It’s the cow’s urine in the varnish.” But, he says, “As an artist, I’m not interested in that too much.” What he was interested in was commissioning a concerto to mark his instrument’s four centuries. So he did. (With audio and video.)
Whoops: Volunteers Paint Over Banksy’s Paddington Bear
“A group of volunteers clearing graffiti from the walls and bus stops in their home town have inadvertently painted over a modern masterpiece – and cost its owner £5,000. The work, attributed to street artist Banksy, depicted Paddington Bear with the caption ‘Migration is not a crime’ and was painted on to a wall owned by Julian Chatt in Glastonbury, Somerset.”
‘Theatre Of The People’ Will Let Them Program The Season
“Theatre Royal Stratford East is to give audiences a free rein to choose its programme for the first six months of 2012, in the run up to the London Olympics. The move, which is thought to be the first time a major producing theatre has given the general public an open say about what is put on its stage for an entire season, is seen by officials at TRSE as an extension of the company’s long tradition … of being a ‘theatre of the people’.”
Mendes Bows Out Of Glyndebourne
“Film and theatre director Sam Mendes has pulled out of making his opera debut at Glyndebourne in 2010. Mendes was due to direct Mozart’s Don Giovanni for the festival and his appointment was greeted with excitement in the opera world.” Mendes blamed “massive theatre commitments” for his withdrawal.
North Of The Border, U.S. Plays Have A Not-So-Fresh Smell
“Starting June 1, all American citizens will have to present a passport to enter Canada. Perhaps the same regulation should have been placed on American plays years ago. … All too often, what sizzled on Broadway fizzles here. Why does this happen? Well, if one were to oversimplify things, there are two reasons….”
Sentence Halved For Scholar Who Cut Pages From Books
“An Iranian scholar who stole pages from priceless books at Oxford’s Bodleian library and the British Library has had his sentence halved. Farhad Hakimzadeh, 61, of Knightsbridge, central London, pleaded guilty to 14 counts of theft and was jailed for two years in January 2009. … The British Library said it was disappointed with the court’s ruling.”
With Proposed Law, Canada Has Ticketmaster In Its Sights
“The Ontario government took aim yesterday at U.S. entertainment giant Ticketmaster by introducing a new law that would block companies from charging scalpers’ prices for tickets to concerts and sporting events on resale websites they own. … Attorney-General Chris Bentley said yesterday that he has heard ‘loud and clear’ from consumers in Ontario that they are not getting fair access to tickets for their favourite events.”