“August Wilson has almost completed his series of plays chronicling the 20th Century. “His output over the past 20 years has been prodigious. His name is frequently mentioned in the same breath as Arthur Miller, Eugene O’Neill, and Tennessee Williams. O’Neill set out to write a cycle of plays chronicling the life of a single American family over time, but he completed only one play before he died. Wilson is about to achieve his ambitious goal, and for years to come his cycle will be studied as a reflection of the black ethos in the 20th century. But Wilson is not without his detractors.”
Blog
Shanley Wins Drama Pulitzer
John Patrick Stanley wins this year’s Pulitzer for drama. “Shanley’s play opened on Broadway just last week to critical acclaim after an off-Broadway run. It tells the story of a confrontation between a nun and a Roman Catholic priest at a Bronx parish; she suspects the priest of molesting a male student. Shanley, who has written a number of successful off-Broadway plays, captured the Academy Award for best screenplay for “Moonstruck” in 1988.”
A Run On Pope Books
Publishers and book stores are bracing for a run on books about Pope John Paul II. “Sales of books by and about Pope John Paul II have soared since his death Saturday, with several quickly reaching the top 20 of Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com.”
The Moscow Biennale’s Important First Steps
It’s not clear if the first Moscow Biennale achieved its ambitious goals, but “visitors, Russian and Western, agreed that the biennale was the most important event in Russian art of the past ten years. And it seems that legitimization of contemporary art was at least partially achieved.”
New York Mag – A Successful Makeover In Search Of Readers
It’s been a year since Adam Moss took over as editor of New York Magazine. “New York has enjoyed some journalistic success under Mr. Moss, with three National Magazine nominations. But it has been slower to find financial success. Though its advertising is up, the level is not as high as it was as recently as 2001, and circulation is flat, with newsstand sales down. The magazine is losing money, although executives would not say how much.”
I Starbucks, Major Music Label?
Starbucks has had big success selling music in its 4000+ US stores. Building on that success, the coffee retailer is introducing its first album by a little-known band, a next step in building a major music business.
Will Steinbeck’s Hometown Close Its Public Library?
Could it be? Salinas, California, the place that proudly calls John Steinbeck its native son, may close its public library? “Unless the city can raise $500,000 by June 30, the John Steinbeck, Cesar Chavez and El Gabilan Libraries will be shuttered, victims of the city’s $9 million budget shortfall. If the branches are closed, Salinas will become the nation’s largest city without a public library.”
Planners For Seoul Opera House Look To Copenhagen
Seoul is going to build an opera house, and is looking to Copenhagen’s new theatre for inspiration. The project will cost $247 million. “Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak, just back from a tour of Europe, said Monday the Opera House in Copenhagen, Denmark, seemed to make the best benchmark for Seoul in terms of location and characteristics. Seoul City will select an architect in an international contest, with construction slated to start early next year.”
Historic Britain – Have The British Fallen Out Of Love With The Past?
“It is no secret that historic buildings have not been a government priority in recent years. While museums and the Sports Council have seen their grants rise, English Heritage has been starved of cash. Perhaps more importantly, the British public appear to be losing interest in our stately homes and grand buildings. Seekers of our country’s cultural past are more likely to want to look inside the home where John Lennon grew up in Liverpool rather than an elegant country house.”
Art Since 1900: Adding Up A Century
The big new art history “Art Since 1900” is “formidably high-brow.” It “is spectacular, gargantuan and painstakingly conceived so that it can be read in a number of ways. The authors have selected what they consider to be a defining event for every year and written essays about each one. But within those essays are signposts to other entries, so that if you were interested in a particular strand of thought, you could follow it throughout the century. The possibilities of this are endless and it’s not long before you realise that the book could be not 700 but 7,000 pages long, depending on the historical maps you choose to draw up for yourself.”