“Sarah Jessica Parker, Kerry Washington and Forest Whitaker are adopting some of the nation’s worst-performing schools and pledged Monday to help the Obama administration turn them around by integrating arts education. The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities announced a new Turnaround Arts initiative as a pilot project for eight schools.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Filmmaker Rejects Singapore’s Cuts To His Shame
“Steve McQueen has stopped his controversial film on sex addiction Shame being shown in Singapore after a row over censorship.”
Cologne Opera Director Threatens To Cancel 2012-13 Season
“Intendant Uwe Eric Laufenberg, frustrated by the failure of the city to resolve financing issues, noted that would be the first time any German house cancelled its entire season since the darkest days of the Second World War.”
Jakarta’s Symphony Orchestra Tries To Reboot
“After decades under the control of the government of the capital city, the Jakarta Philharmonic Orchestra has this year taken the bold step of going private. Under the leadership of director Estu Susanto, the Jakarta institution has changed its name (from the Jakarta Symphony Orchestra) and adopted a more professional approach. Now it is seeking to find a whole new audience for classical music, and along the way break down some tired, old stereotypes about the genre.”
Musician Fazil Say Will Leave Turkey Because It’s Hostile To Atheists
Turkey’s most famous classical pianist and composer “has said that he is going to leave his native country and move to Japan after he was placed under investigation by the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office for ‘insulting religious values’ and offending Islamic belief. His (alleged) crime? Tweeting that he is an atheist.”
Court Quashes Final Attempt To Stop Fisk-Crystal Bridges Art-Sharing Deal
“Artist Georgia O’Keefe gave the 101-piece Stieglitz Collection to Fisk [University] in 1946 with the stipulation that it could not be sold. At issue for the last several years has been whether Fisk can accept 30 million dollars to share the art with Crystal Bridges museum in Arkansas.” The Tennessee Supreme Court has rejected the state’s attempt to block that arrangement.
Texting And E-Mail Aren’t Ruining Writing – Because They Aren’t Writing At All
John McWhorter: “Yet the brevity, improvisation and in-the-moment quality of e-mails and texts are those grand old defining qualities of spoken language. … In this sense, they are not ‘writing’ in the sense we are accustomed to. They are fingered speech.”
Charles Aznavour Cancels New York Concerts In Dispute With Producers
“Legendary French singer Charles Aznavour, who cancelled three New York shows for this week, said he was in a dispute with his producer – and not ill – in an interview Monday.” He accused the producer of breach of contract and said that “there is no reason for us to take the stage with him owing us so much money already.”
Why Charles Aznavour Is Still Touring At Age 87
“I have the strength to live more than others. Most of the time when you meet someone and they say, ‘I’m 50,’ they do this (Aznavour slumps down in his chair) and then 60 and so on. I refuse! One day it’s going to be impossible but I’m sure I can do something with a (mimes a walker).”
Those Critics That Panned Leaves Of Grass And The Waste Land? They Had A Valuable Point
“The critics (like the poets themselves) were creatures of their day, and subject to the prejudices of the day. … Such contemporary insight is important not just for its punctuality. The reviews expose how the poets failed the time – or how their time failed the poets. Only by knowing how critics resisted the work can we see what the poetry put in danger.”