The just-published, unfinished 200-page volume, titled The Four Corners of the Heart and described as “a laconic dissection of the lives of the French haute bourgeoisie,” is the big news of this year’s rentrée litteraire, the post-summer “return” which is the height of the book-publishing year in France. – Yahoo! (AFP)
Author: Matthew Westphal
Poet Jane Mead, 61
“In a literary career that spanned more than 20 years, Mead wrote five poetry collections and her work was regularly published in anthologies and journals. She was a Griffin Poetry Prize and Los Angeles Times Book Award finalist for her 2016 book World of Made and Unmade, about her mother’s death. It also was long-listed for the National Book Award.” – Los Angeles Times
In Times Like These, We Need Literary Journals More Than Ever
“Almost certainly more than any other media in our country, literary magazines model critical thinking and arrange an exposure to the unorthodox, both of which can provide inoculations against where we seem to be headed as a collective. They assist in that crucial rear-guard holding action on both reading and writing’s behalf.” – Literary Hub
Why Can’t Most Theatre Performances Be ‘Relaxed’ Performances?
Events labeled “relaxed performances” are ones where it’s okay for the audience to move around, make noise, leave and return to the auditorium if you need to, etc.; there’s usually one per run of a show (if that) and they’re aimed at neuro-atypical people, children, and so on. Maddy Costa argues for “the possibility of all theatre performances being relaxed, with occasional ‘uptight’ performances being programmed to accommodate those who prefer to experience live theatre in a strictly controlled and rarefied atmosphere.” – Exeunt
Making Dance Accessible To Blind And Partially Sighted Audiences
“Our ears take in the score, the artists’ breathing patterns, fellow audience members’ reactions, and the physical percussion made by the dancers’ footfalls and partnering. All of this information is available to audience members with limited to no vision, and when it comes to providing them with the rest, there are multiple approaches being refined by experts in the field generally referred to as ‘audience accessibility.'” – Dance Magazine
France And Italy Have Finally Stopped Fighting Over The Loan Of Leonardos
“Italy and France are set to sign an agreement to exchange works by Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael, burying a spat triggered by Italy’s former populist government. The deal … will result in Italian museums lending works by Leonardo to the Louvre, in Paris, for an exhibition in October to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the artist’s death. In return, France will lend Italy paintings by Raphael for events marking 500 years since his death next year.” – The Guardian
NPR Is Pulling In Serious Money From Podcasts
“NPR is projecting that podcast sponsorship revenues will surpass revenues from broadcast sponsorships next year for the first time. … The network has budgeted about $55 million in corporate sponsorship revenues from podcasts in fiscal year 2020.” NPR CFO Deborah Cowan described podcasts as “[a] huge return on investment for us and a major growth engine for our business.” – Current
Can Ira Glass Convince Public Radio Non-Pledgers To Pledge $1 A Month?
The host and creator of This American Life has recorded five spots urging people to become donors to their public radio stations at about the lowest possible rate. Why? Basically, for the same reason that iTunes priced tracks at 99 cents. – Current
Finally, The Met Will Stage An Opera By A Black Composer
The chosen work is Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones, with a libretto by Kasi Lemmons based on the memoir by New York Times columnist Charles Blow, premiered this past summer at Opera Theater of St. Louis. When will it arrive in New York? That hasn’t been worked out yet. – The New York Times
This Orchestra Is Not Going To Announce Its Season. It Will Tell Its Audience What’s Coming Program By Program
“We want to announce little nuggets at a time and build as much excitement as we can,” says Arkansas Philharmonic executive director Jason Miller. This is one of several new initiatives — another is “APOx Small Bites,” a, early-evening 30-40-minute chamber concert with food and drink aimed at working families — undertaken by the orchestra for its 10th season. – Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette