As anyone who obsessively follows the latest in cutting-edge tech news can tell you, blogging is so 2003, and photo blogging isn’t much better. No, the online DIY-of-the-moment is vlogging, or video blogging, and it’s changing the face of… okay, actually, it isn’t. But it is wildly popular, for no apparent reason at all, leading some observers to declare that “mundane is the new punk.”
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Critics Like Gratuitous Sex, Too
Marking one of those rare instances when television critics share the public’s taste for a program, the Television Critics Association has honored ABC’s racy suburban farce, Desperate Housewives, as program of the year. The group also selected The Daily Show‘s Jon Stewart as comedic performer of the year, and honored PBS’s Frontline series as the best news and information program.
Belgium To Open Magritte Museum
“A new museum dedicated to Belgian surrealist master Rene Magritte is to open in Brussels after organizers secured French funding, a report said. The museum, expected to open in early 2007, will present some 150 works by the painter famous for eye-catching pictures often involving startling, dream-like juxtapositions.”
Albania’s Underdog
In a field crowded with literary heavyweights, Albanian author Ismail Kadare didn’t exactly stand out on the shortlist for the Man Booker Prize. But while his win several weeks back was a surprise to many in the publishing world (and to the author himself,) there can be no doubt as to Kadare’s significance. “At 69, Kadare is Albania’s most beloved literary export and one of the central cultural figures in the recently troubled Balkan region — but unlike many other Eastern Europeans writing under socialist regimes, he was no dissident. His early writings earned him wide acclaim in official (and tightly controlled) literary circles, and he was particularly well received by Albania’s then-ruler, Enver Hoxha.”
Big Changes In Store At Grant Park?
As downtown Chicago’s summer jewel, the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, winds up its 2005 season, rumors are abounding that the festival is considering major changes on the podium. Principal guest conductor James Paul has been dismissed, sparking fears that further changes are on the way. “The official silence has only served to fuel rumors that the festival is gearing for further changes at the podium level that could move Grant Park in a more populist direction. And that would be a calamity at a time when music lovers in ever-increasing numbers are discovering downtown Chicago’s beautiful, accessible and dynamic new lakefront haven for classical music. Why tamper with a civic treasure that has proved such a resounding success?”
The Publishing Strategy That Changed the World
How do you insure that your new book will be a slam-bang bestseller? Well, you could write a really good book. A solid marketing push never heards. You could charm a few critics. Or, if you just don’t want to work that hard, you could give your book a subtitle that contains the phrase, “The whatever That Changed The World.” As it turns out, those words are pure publishing gold, and few authors seem to be too proud to take advantage of it.
Polanski 1, Vanity Fair 0
Filmmaker Roman Polanski has won his libel suit against Vanity Fair magazine, which published “an article that accused him of propositioning a woman while on the way to the funeral of his murdered wife.” Polanski was awarded $87,000 in damages by the British court that heard the case.
Public To Choose UK’s Greatest Painting
“BBC Radio 4’s Today programme has joined forces with London’s National Gallery for a new poll which aims to find the greatest painting in Britain. The survey, believed to be the first of its kind, will allow members of the public to nominate and comment on their favourite works of art. Any painting currently hanging in a British art gallery is eligible, regardless of its origins.”
The Arts, The Politicians, & The Big Shiny Race Cars
The city of Charlotte is considering a package of arts proposals totalling over $150 million, which backers say would revitalize the city’s cultural scene. But as with any expensive project involving taxpayer funding, there is controversy brewing. “At a recent City Council meeting, member Nancy Carter contrasted the council’s hesitation on the arts plan with its ‘stampede’ to promise money to a NASCAR Hall of Fame — if NASCAR lets it go up here… The proposed Hall of Fame would cost $137.5 million — not far from the price of the five arts projects combined. The city voted unanimously to give the hall nearly $104 million.”
Glasgow’s New Old Concert Hall Ready For Its Closeup
Glasgow is winding up a three year, £13 million renovation of one of its two main concert halls, and the results should be a great relief to concertgoers. “When the complex opens its new doors in January… Glasgow will, to all intents and purposes, have a brand new, state-of-the-art, multi-purpose arts facility. The impact on the visitor will be instantaneous. What was previously a bland, functionless vestibule at the Candleriggs public entrance has been opened up to feed into a fashionable café. To the side, in a prominent and spacious shop-window position, and next to the new box office area, will be the plush new public face of the Scottish Music Centre, a potentially influential organisation currently hidden away in an anonymous Glasgow West End terrace.”