Everyone was talking e-books at this year’s BookExpo. Well, almost everyone; a few subversives still linger: “I think the book is an amazing bit of technology,” Martin Amis asserted with his familiar, welterweight edge. “I like to write on my books, bend the pages, make little marks. I read with a pen in my hand, and I would like to be read with a pen in the reader’s hand. Reading a book is communing with the author. I think you need the page in your hand, the weight of it, as part of that process.” – Philadelphia Inquirer
Blog
SHILL BIDDING
- New York Times arts reporter Judith Dobrzynski discusses the current FBI investigation of the recent fraudulent bidding for a purported Diebenkorn painting on eBay. – NPR [Real audio file]
THE FBI —
— is reportedly investigating the troublesome fake (?) Diebenkorn auction a few weeks ago on the eBay auction site. – New Jersey Online (AP)
UNDERWATER WORLD
Two ancient Egyptian cities, Herakleion and Canopus – known only from ancient legends and Greek tragedies – were discovered off the Egyptian coast last weekend by French and Egyptian researchers. The 2,500-year-old finds are being heralded as “the most exciting find in the history of marine archaeology. They are intact. Frozen in time and totally untouched.” – The Times (UK)
MASSIVE MASTERWORKS
The permanent collection at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum contains an unrivalled range of 17th-century Dutch paintings. This year the museum celebrates its 200th anniversary and has acquired additional masterpieces from other Dutch collections for a massive exhibition showcasing the definitive sweep of the period. – The Telegraph (UK)
COW CLONES
Last summer Chicago placed 300 fiberglass art cows on its downtown streets and the city claims 2 million visitors came to see them, generating more that $200 million in economic activity. Sniffing a hit, some 30 North American cities are planning urban animal installations this summer – among them Toronto, which this week put up 100 10-foot-tall moose around its downtown. – Chicago Tribune
MORE THAN JUST STRANGE
Pianist Glenn Gould was renowned both for his talent and for his eccentric performance habits, which included rocking back and forth, humming loudly, and conducting to himself during concerts. Now the director of the music division at Canada’s National Library says evidence shows Gould suffered from Asperger’s syndrome, a kind of autism. “I went ‘Bingo.’ I’d suspected for a long time that this was more than just a weirdo.” – Yahoo (Reuters)
BEYOND BOP
Be-bop, fusion, improv, stride – what exactly is jazz? The Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival in New York looks for answers through programs all week with an inspiring array of players. – Salon
NAME OF THE GAME
It’s the “National” Symphony but the “Washington” Opera. Why doesn’t America have a “national” opera company, since almost everywhere else does? So Congress is looking into a name change. – Washington Post
MAESTRO ON EDGE
Wolfgang Sawallisch may be on his way out as director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, but he’s got a remarkable thing going in Philadelphia. “Although orchestra players traditionally complain about anyone who wields a baton, Sawallisch seems to inspire consistent affection from the orchestra, even amid observations that age has robbed his baton technique of some precision. But the mind behind the technique has gained precision.” – Philadelphia Inquirer