“There is the choice that faces our increasingly multicultural society. We can try to defend an ever growing number of “cultures”, defined by religion, race, ethnic tradition or sexual preference, from public comment they regard as grossly offensive. There’s a case for this, but let’s be clear what it will mean. The result must inevitably be that we shall have less free speech. Future historians may look back on the last three decades of the 20th century as a high point of freedom of expression, never to be achieved again. There may be a net gain in other public goods – such as civic peace – but there’ll be a net loss of liberty. Alternatively, we can take the view that, precisely because Britain is increasingly multicultural, all variations of religion, all “cultures” – including, of course, atheism, devout Darwinism, etc – should get used to living with a higher degree of public offence.”
Blog
British Writers Protest Proposed “Religious Hatred” Law
Leading British writers are meeting with the government to express concerns that “the proposed new law on inciting religious hatred will stifle artistic liberty. Salman Rushdie and more than 200 writers of various faiths signed a letter from the writers’ group English Pen which was sent to the home secretary, Charles Clarke, earlier this month seeking an “urgent” meeting with him.”
Study: Arts Workers Pay Sucks (The Details)
“The new study finds that only 10 percent of Illinois arts leaders receive any employer contribution whatsoever to their retirement savings. Other fringe benefits are in similarly short supply. And a striking 50 percent of Illinois arts groups make no contributions to the costs of their employees’ health care. The study finds arts managers to be mature, highly educated and highly skilled. Nonetheless, it finds, their tenures tend to be shorter than in other non-profits, and their paychecks relatively small. Although higher than the national average, the average salary in Illinois for a non-profit arts leader is $49,911. Workers at major cultural institutions, of course, earn significantly more. Still, the most frequent salary amounts were $35,000 and $25,000.”
Blogging Books
Where to find good writing on books? How about Bookslut? “She [Jessa Crispin] will review books or talk about books that maybe aren’t the biggest best sellers out there, but she loves them. It goes right back to Jessa and the personality she injects into it. It’s attractive to both users and industry folks alike. The combination of the reviews and the blog is very powerful.”
Studies: Studying Arts Makes Better Students
Schools that go beyond basics and include arts studies produce better students. “A study of 23 arts-integrated schools in Chicago showed test scores rising up to two times faster there than in demographically comparable schools. A study of a Minneapolis program showed that arts integration has substantial effects for all students, but appears to have its greatest impact on disadvantaged learners. Gains go well beyond the basics and test scores. Students become better thinkers, develop higher-order skills, and deepen their inclination to learn. The studies also show that arts integration energizes and challenges teachers.”
Mozart – Portrait Of A Tired Man
What did Mozart look like at the age of 34? Not good. “At the age of 34, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a chubby, greying man with heavy bags under tired eyes, according to a painting which has been authenticated this week by German art experts.”
Adams’ Atomic Opera Gets A Date
John Adams’ new opera about the nuclear bomb has a debut date at San Francisco Opera. “I basically don’t have much interest in opera. But I do think it’s an art form that can grapple with the deepest, most unknowable subjects. ‘Doctor Atomic’ is about that moment in history, July 6, 1945, when we went from being a species that inhabited the planet along with other species and with the flip of a switch became capable of destroying it.”
When The Working Class Read Classics
It was once thought that working class people didn’t read the classics. But the reverse was true. “Working-class autodidacts read the classics in part because contemporary literature was too expensive. A 1940 survey found that while 55 percent of working-class adults read books, they rarely bought new books. An autodidact could build up an impressive library by haunting used-book stalls, scavenging castoffs, or buying cheap out-of-copyright reprints such as Everyman’s Library, but these offered only yesterday’s authors.”
SFMoMA At Ten
It’s been ten years since San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art opened in a new building. “Beyond the flaws and virtues that were on display from the start, the building’s craftsmanship shines more clearly with age. And it is now self-evident that Swiss architect Mario Botta designed with an eye to the future, not just the opening-day crowd and critics.”
Aboriginals Consider Suing Museums For Remains
Aboriginal groups are contemplating suing British museums to force them to return ancestral remains. “Many British institutions have been returning body parts over the past decade, but several of the largest and most prestigious, such as London’s Museum of Natural History and Duckworth Laboratory in Cambridge, continue to refuse to release remains.”