Jim Fusilli quit his job reviewing crime fiction for the Boston Globe. “Writing that monthly column for the Globe was easily the worse job I’ve ever had, and this coming from a man once responsible for the nightly hamburger run for a dock’s worth of Teamsters. The assessment has nothing to do with the Globe or Boston, which, one could argue, is the epicenter of American crime fiction.” Why was it so bad? Too many books…
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Opera – A Lost Plot?
“Down in the mists of Greenwich, miles from the nearest Ring, they are dusting off Graham Greene’s only opera. Never seen it, say the buffs. Worth a tube trip for curiosity value. Add it to the stock of esoterica for the bar chat at Bayreuth. That’s how opera fans go about their business, collecting wayside works for the inevitable Wagnerian longueurs.”
New Saddam Novel Published
Portions of a new novel by Saddam Hussein have been published in London. “The manuscript was found in Iraq’s Ministry of Culture after the U.S. military overran Baghdad. The newspaper said it had received its copy from Saddam’s physician, Alla Bashir, who fled the country following the war.”
Road Show Opera – But Why?
Wagner at Glastonbury, Boheme in Trafalgar Square… why are English opera companies hitting the road? “It does not matter whether anyone was in fact converted to opera by the Glastonbury Valkyrie, Wednesday’s Bohème, or any of the educational programmes that have become de rigueur. No, what counts is that opera is seen to be reaching out to the unconverted, is seen to have outgrown its image as a bastion of privilege, is seen to be democratical ly accountable, however token the gesture.”
Could New Copyright Law Make iPods Liable
A bill under consideration in the US Congress would make operators of media-swap networks such as Kazaa and Grokster liable for users’ actions. “Opponents say the language is so broad it could apply to makers of MP3 players, such as iPod, and CD and DVD recorders, as well as to media organizations that give consumers tips on using digital content. The recording and movie industries support the bill to help curb piracy. But the tech industry is worried.”
Duke Ellington And The Pulitzer
What would Duke Ellington have thought of the decision by the Pulitzer board to broaden the prize’s music category to include jazz? He would have thought, writes Nat Hentoff, that it was damn well about time.
Reviving A Town Through The Arts
The town of North Adams Massachusetts was a dying town when MassMOCA moved in. Now the town is rebuilding as a center of creative industry and people are moving in…
When Was Rock Born?
So rock music is officially 50 years old. So much for officially. “Just when did rock really begin? It’s an issue that has long been tinged with racism, specifically the notion that it took a white man to make it rock ‘n’ roll, whereas before it was only R&B and what was then described as ‘race music’.”
Kurtz Expected To Plead Not Guilty
Artist Steve Kurtz is expected to plead not guilty today on charges that he acquired biological substances illegally. “The bizarre case of Steven Kurtz, 46, has attracted international attention in recent weeks, pitting U.S. prosecutors and FBI agents who say they’re only protecting public safety in the wake of Sept. 11, and the arts community that claims the federal government is indiscriminately and mistakenly attacking artistic expression and freedom of speech.”
Gordon Brown, Polymath
Chancellor Gordon Brown is prime minister in waiting. This week he delivered a speech on Britain’s place in the world that was the picture of erudition. He’s a well-read polymath who draws on an amazing array of sources…