“Thousands of antiquities missing from the Iraq National Museum have been found but not returned because citizens won’t hand them over to either their American occupiers or remnants of the hated former government, U.S. investigators say.”
Blog
Art Market Headed For Fall?
Is the art market getting ready to tumble? Recent sales were good – but some say the good prices were luck. “So far the art market has defied the doomsayers who predicted a collapse at the top end. Perhaps it is true that art, because of the emotional attachment, is the last thing the financially embarrassed rich will sell. But some believe that it is a only matter of timing.”
The Gray Lits
You might think, the way we lionize the latest young writer that only the young can write a compelling book. “Older people aren’t newcomers to literature. But older characters have tended to spend their time recalling their youths or coming to terms with their mortality. Now we are seeing the rise of books about sexto-, septo- and octogenarians who are seizing the here and now.”
Are You Good Enough To Sing Underground?
London has licensed performers who work in the subways. “London Underground says the public wants high quality musicians who are guaranteed not to be confrontational. Complete with blue busking licences – after auditions, police background checks and a refundable registration fee – the first official buskers are among 256 approved performers who will occupy 25 pitches at 12 stations.”
Working To Amend The Patriot Act
US librarians and booksellers are organizing to protest the Patriot Act, which allows the government to access records of what books people are reading. “In an unusual display of industry solidarity, 32 groups representing a cross section of publishing-related organizations, regional booksellers associations and chain booksellers issued a statement in support of House Resolution 1157, a bill introduced by Vermont Rep. Bernie Sanders that would amend section 215 of the U.S.A. Patriot Act.”
Choral Union – Where New Music Thrives
Where’s the action in American contemporary music? Choral music. “In terms of concert music, choral and ‘educational’ music represent the lion’s share of most titles that are commercially published each year. There is a significant and constant demand for new works for chorus that significantly surpasses demand for new string quartets or symphonies or operas. Choral unions, community choruses, professional choruses, and choirs in faith communities regularly commission new works?oftentimes, there are numerous commissions each year. The premiere of a new work is a matter of course for hundreds of thousands of American choir members every year.”
Firing Crouch – Was It Something I Said?
Was jazz critic Stanley Crouch fired from his JazzTimes magazine column because of of what he wrote? “Crouch, 57, said he is convinced that his column ‘Putting the White Man in Charge’ was the direct cause for the termination of the column, even though Maryland-based Jazz Times, the nation’s most widely read jazz publication, with a circulation of more than 100,000, had promoted the essay as Crouch’s ‘most incendiary column yet.’ Jazz Times publisher Lee Mergner sees the situation differently. “We didn’t discontinue Crouch’s column because of what he wrote in ‘Putting the White Man in Charge. In fact, that wasn’t even his last column, which was actually about Eric Reed. We discontinued the column because it had become tedious’.”
Hairspray Big Winner At Drama Desk Awards
Hairspray was the big winner Sunday in New York, picking up the most Drama Desk awards. “Hairspray” took 10 awards, distantly followed by “La Boheme,” “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” and “Nine” with three apiece.
Will WalMart Decide What You Read Or Listen To?
With the big mass retailers like WalMart now accounting for 40 percent or more of sales for books and music, their influence on what gets sold is growing. “But with the chains’ power has come criticism from authors, musicians and civil liberties groups who argue that the stores are in effect censoring and homogenizing popular culture. The discounters and price clubs typically carry an assortment of fewer than 2,000 books, videos and albums, and they are far more ruthless than specialized stores about returning goods if they fail to meet a minimum threshold of weekly sales. What is more, the chains’ buyers ? especially at Wal-Mart ? carefully screen content to avoid selling material likely to offend their conservative customers.”
Above And Beyond Movies
Movies are the Big Medium, right? There are no small movies, only small…. whatever. But some movie makers are wondering if the movie form is too small to express their work. So could the internet or other digital technologies be the answer? One filmmaker is testing the idea.