Simon Tolkien, the grandson of J. R. R. Tolkien, is a successful barrister, and he has a book contract in Britain and America. But five years ago he had a fallingout with his father over the movies to be made from his grandfather’s books. Seems the Tolkiens had no control over the movies since JRR had sold them years ago. Simon’s dad wanted mothing to do with the movie-makers, but Simon…
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Music From Out Of This World
The Kronos String Quartet has lately been preoccupied with sounds from out of this world – outer space. Sounds collected from the cosmos have been incorporated into the music. “What’s amazing about the noises is how organic they are – sometimes you feel they could be the sounds of insects or whales. The visuals, too, make the universe seem conscious – the Sun close up seems like a living body, with a pulsing heart.”
Of Book Critics Who Don’t Read…
“Reviewing books is not a particularly well-paid form of journalism and it takes time. A book of any more ambition than a thriller can’t be read for review at a rate of more than 40, or at most 60, pages an hour. Some books are only 120-pages long and can comfortably be digested in a couple of hours. Others, though, are 400, or 600 pages, or, in some dreadful instances, even more, and they can easily take days to get through. The reviewer’s fee, however, usually remains the same. So, shocking as it may seem, the truth is that some reviewers skip some books. And there are a few who skip through all the books…”
ACTing Out: Lessons From A Seattle Theatre
Theatre people across America were shocked last week when Seattle’s ACT Theatre announced it was on the verge of closing, nearly sunk by debt. Could the theatre’s predicament happen elsewhere, wonders Frank Rizzo? “The problems in Seattle only remind us that simply supporting building projects and not what happens when these buildings open is a short-sighted vision, one that could ultimately reflect a legacy of losers.”
Aboard The Floating Music Halls
“With the decline of clubs and cabaret venues, cruise ships have become the music halls of our generation – and as more than 10 million people cruise every year there is a lot of entertaining to be done. There are some who never get off…”
Fire Stations Meant To Look Like Something Else
“London’s fire stations were once splendid buildings. Designed and built to the very highest standards of the Arts and Crafts Movement inspired by John Ruskin and William Morris, they were the work of the London County Council’s fire brigade department. The proposed ‘community fire station and safety centre’ at Canary Wharf is something else. It promises to look like a cross between an office block and a block of flats.” Why? That’s how public funding in the “new” England works.
New Melbourne Museum A Top Draw
Melbourne’s new Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square has become one of the world’s most popular galleries, says the National Gallery of Victoria director Gerard Vaughan. In its first three months of operation, the museum has attracted 750,000 visitors. “It has to be one of the most visited art museums in the world just now. We can’t compete with the world’s top group of super galleries, which also includes New York’s Metropolitan and the Uffizi in Florence, but we are right up there compared to anywhere else.” He said the Pompidou Centre and the Musee d’Orsay in Paris receive up to 4000 visitors a day – the Ian Potter Centre was getting about 8000.
Canada Increases Tax Credit For Foreign Film Productions
Hollywood, trying to encourage producers to stay in the US to shoot their movies, have proposed legislation to give producers tax incentives. But last week, to try to keep producers coming to Canada, the Canadian government said it would increase production tax credits from 11% to 16% for foreign producers shooting there. Hollywood is protesting.
Going Wild Over Van Gogh In Japan
It was to be an ordinary auction in Tokyo, until a work for sale was revealed as a forgotten Van Gogh. “The ensuing media frenzy in Japan ensured that the auction in Ginza was mobbed. Over 500 buyers registered and those who couldn’t squeeze into the main auction room had to be seated on another floor, connected to the action by a television screen. When the Van Gogh portrait now known as “Peasant Woman” appeared, bidding was frenzied.”
A New Improved Analog Future
The recent technology revolution has been powered by digital processors. But that’s not the future. “Weird as it sounds, the road to smaller, cheaper, more energy-efficient consumer electronics may be paved with analog technology. These circuits are built from the same components as their digital counterparts but suck 90 percent less battery power. The difference? In an analog device, each transistor acts like a dial, with a wide range of readings that depend on the sinuous fluctuation of voltage, current, amplitude, and frequency. Digital circuits, on the other hand, use the same transistors as simple on-off toggle switches. Analog transistors capture far more information, so you need fewer of them.” Look for the new improved analog at a store near you.