What will the New York Times Book Review look like under new editor Sam Tanenhaus? “It still feels like there’s an institutional history that I don’t want to necessarily disrupt. We’re responding to the cultural moment, which seems a contentious one, and trying to capture those diverse energies. We’re also trying to capture the breadth of the literary culture, the highs as well as the lows. We’re trying to do justice to commercial and mass-market books as well as the serious and rarefied works of literature that come out. We’re trying to have a balance, and trying to have a mix of voices—the established writers but also newer writers. We’re encouraging reviewers to speak in their own voice and trying to accommodate their sensibilities. We might run a very long review for one writer and also run some short punchy reviews of mass market books and mix the two together. The biggest changes will probably be in appearance and presentation, though.”
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Sidney Morgenbesser, 82, Philosopher
Someone once likened philosopher Sidney Morgenbesser to “a cross between Spinoza and Groucho Marx.” The longtime Columbia University professor (since 1954) died last weekend at the age of 82. He was “known for his wit, erudition, and blunt conversational style.”
Of Ashton And Tudor
Although Frederick Ashton is the genius on whom British ballet is based, it could have been Anthony Tudor who got the crucial job. In a few brilliant years in the 1930s, between them they produced a handful of masterpieces that have endured 70 years, and will surely endure further. Ashton was making larky, sophisticated modern entertainments such as Façade and Les Rendezvous when Tudor made two ballets that were shocking in their time, for exposing emotions never talked about and opening up a rich seam of ballet that is feverishly mined by today’s choreographers.”
Paris Artists’ Building To be Cultural Center
“An illegal Parisian artists’ squat is to be transformed into an official and permanent cultural centre, designed as a counterpoint to more traditional galleries like the Louvre, at a cost of up to €7 million.”
Athens’ Olympic Cultural Legacy
“The Olympics is not, you might think, a cultural event. No one worries about the influence of Euro 2004 on the Portuguese art scene. But the return of the ancient games to Athens is a moment so rich in historical, artistic, architectural and even mythological associations that it becomes by definition a cultural as well as an athletic festival. Athens is staging a “cultural olympiad”, a collection of exhibitions and concerts under the aegis of the Organising Committee of the Olympic Games. Meanwhile, even the new stadium and its surrounding complex aspires to be a work of art.”
Today’s Educators – No Time To Think
“Today the role of professor has veered to a ludicrously opposite extreme from the untrammelled freedom of the postwar years. Under huge pressure to be labelled a highly starred international researcher in the next research assessment exercise, a professor is expected to produce top-quality books and papers, while buried under a ferocious bureaucracy of business plans, mission statements, forecasts, audits of every kind, endless meetings, paperwork, quality inspections, performance assessments and interim reviews. It is no way to treat talented and creative people, on whom the next generation of scholars, and indeed our society, depends.”
Hollywood’s Comix Mania
Comic book heroes are hot in Hollywood these days. “Hollywood is finally recognizing comics as literary material in their own right. That’s why we’ve got deals happening for things that may not be franchises like ‘Spider-Man’ or ‘Batman’ but are books that may sell only a few thousand copies a month. Still, these books tell a great story that will resonate with a wider audience.”
Imprint Of Memorization
Students don’t memorize texts anymore. “Aren’t exercises in memorizing and reciting poetry and passages of prose an archaic curiosity, without educative value? That too-common view is sadly wrong. Kids need both the poetry and the memorization. As educators have known for centuries, these exercises deliver unique cognitive benefits, benefits that are of special importance for kids who come from homes where books are scarce and the level of literacy low. In addition, such exercises etch the ideals of their civilization on children’s minds and hearts.”
Science Expressed As Art (It’s Easier That Way)
“Most of us have seen the cyclonic swirl of water running down a drain, but what about the turbulent rush of the jet stream or the dance of an electromagnetic field? John Belcher and colleagues at the MIT Center for Educational Computer Initiatives developed a computer program that turns the mathematical descriptions of these phenomena, technically known as vector fields, into visual patterns showing the fields frozen in time. Then he took the program a step further, allowing students in his introductory-level class on electricity and magnetism to design their own field patterns.”
Cracking Down On Dentist Music (oooooh!)
Dentists in Canada are required to pay license fees if they play music from their iPods through their offices (and Big Music is enforcing it). When dentists heard about it, they wondered, “Is this for real? Some were bemused, some were, I guess you could say, upset. We were just caught off guard.’ Those offices that pipe music through speakers are now paying about $100 to $200 per year, depending on the square footage of the office. Dentists do not need to pay a fee if they play AM or FM radio in separate rooms for individual use.”