If 80 percent of Canada can be considered “urban,” is there something called “urban literature?” A new publishing imprint aims at defining it. “But urban’s presence in literature is still nascent. The form’s more characteristic themes — a sense of bravado, youth, hip-hop culture, a certain hypersexuality, and often some reflection of violence — are only just creating their own hood in the literary canon.”
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The Evolving Book
Books always seemed so traditional. And then came the promise of e-books, giving readers more control of how they read. But “after an initial frenzy of attention, neither hypertext nor e-books gets much ink these days. Are readers ceding control back to writers?”
Insta-Talk Novel
A French writer has written the first novel in shorthand instant messaging language. “Phil Marso has published (on paper) an antismoking novella for teenagers called ‘Pa Sage a Taba’ (Not Wise to Smoke), composed in the jambalaya of abbreviations, slang, and neologisms that teens worldwide use to send each other text messages online and via cellphone.”
Selling Out Abroad
Why do big stars promote products? Because they can make big money. But “like Bill Murray’s character in the film, most A-listers will do ads for these types of products only in non English-speaking countries. Why? Because they’re paranoid about tarnishing their images back at home in Hollywood. In the age of staras- luxury-brand, no celebrity worth their Golden Globe nomination wants to be associated with pedestrian consumer items. Or to look like a money-grabbing sell-out.”
Carnegie Hall Leader Dies At 47
“Robert Harth arrived at Carnegie Hall in September 2001 with a mandate to stabilize an institution bruised by the acrimonious tenure of his predecessor, Franz Xaver Ohnesorg. He quickly projected a combination of businesslike efficiency and musical adventure, adroitly navigating a series of potentially catastrophic shoals.”
Tennyson’s Crisis Of Confidence
In a recently unearthed trove of writings: “Scribbles by Queen Victoria’s poet laureate Alfred Lord Tennyson on a publisher’s proof show he planned to cut out the most celebrated sections of The Charge of the Light Brigade.”
Backlash On An Opinion Forcefully Expressed
Dale Pck was surprised by the furor that erupted over his scathing review of Dale Peck’s book last fall. But the backlash has taken its toll, he writes. “God knows the name-calling doesn’t bother me (although you’d think a clever writer wouldn’t have to resort to homophobia to defend his novel). But it does effectively destroy my ability to be read seriously, by which I mean holistically. I’m the guy who called Moody the worst writer of his generation, and the thousands of words I used to qualify that assertion have disappeared behind it.”
Plenty of Mouth, But Not Much Money
A new poll of residents of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area found overwhelming support for the area’s thriving cultural scene, with 85% saying that the arts improve the cities’ quality of life, and 92% saying that the arts have significant value for children. But when pressed further, poll respondants revealed a distinct split between general expressions of support for the arts, and the type of specific support which translates into ticket sales and contributions. “Only a quarter of those who attended an arts event in 2001 made a financial contribution to an arts group that year. Less than a third of those surveyed rated government support for the arts as ‘very important.'”
Much Ado About God
“The advent of Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ has brought with it a controversy that seems, at least at first glance, familiar, even ritualistic. Once again a filmmaker has brought his interpretation of Scripture to the screen and once again, before most audiences have had a chance to see the picture, there are expressions of outrage, accusations of bigotry and bad taste, and an outpouring of contentious publicity.” But this time, the pious are standing with the Hollywood elite, and the protesters are those who view the film’s pro-Christian message as narrow-minded at best, and anti-Semitic at worst. We’ve come a long way from the era when religious blockbusters were at the core of Hollywood’s popular appeal.
Why Harlem Can’t Give Up On Its Boys
The scandal that enveloped the Boys’ Choir of Harlem this year is a serious problem not just for the choir and its school, but for the surrounding community. Since its founding, the school has been one of a handful of institutions which has refused to give up on Harlem’s underprivileged youth, and has consistently turned out students who go on to academic and professional success elsewhere. But on top of that, the organization has created a respected musical ensemble where many thought one could never emerge.