The Chicago Tribune is reassigning some of its critics. “Movie critic Michael Wilmington is scaling back his reviewing duties, at least for now. Theater critic Michael Phillips will shift to reviewing films, and is being eyed as a possible permanent movie critic. Meanwhile, long-time television critic Steve Johnson will switch to writing about the Internet, according to sources at the paper.”
Category: people
Running With Lawsuits
“The family that raised bestselling author Augusten X. Burroughs is now suing him in advance of the movie version of Running With Scissors, Burroughs’s 2002 memoir of his years with the family. A lawsuit filed in Massachusetts claims that Burroughs ‘mercilessly and repeatedly’ defamed family members ‘so as to sensationalize his past to make the book marketable while knowingly causing harm and humiliation’ to the Turcotte family, with whom Burroughs lived after his disturbed mother turned guardianship of her boy over to her psychiatrist.”
Assessing London’s “Art Terrorist”
Calling yourself an “art terrorist” probably isn’t a great career move in these times, particularly in London, but the self-styled guerrilla artist Banksy has somehow managed to win himself quite a following anyway. “Over the past few years, Banksy has emerged as an ingenious and dexterous culture jammer, adept at hacking the art world and rewriting its rules to suit his own purposes… Brits have come to expect daring stunts from Banksy, who uses a pseudonym to avoid arrest for past escapades. But critics see him as nothing more than an overhyped vandal.”
Kaminer To Edit NYT A&L
Ariel Kaminer has been named the new editor of The New York Times Arts & Leisure section. “Ariel was deputy editor of the section under Jodi Kantor and, before that, an editor on the Magazine under Adam Moss.”
Linda Farris, 61
Longtime star Seattle gallery owner Linda Farris died after a long fight against cancer. “Linda was one of the most significant shaping forces for contemporary art in the history of Seattle. She nurtured artists and nurtured public appreciation for their work. Her gallery was not just an exhibition space but also a site of a dynamic dialogue about art that brought people together. The Contemporary Art Project characterized the imagination and flair she brought to everything she did and is one of her great legacies.”
Calatrava, Master Drawer
Architect Santiago Calatrava talking about his new Chicago tower? Fuhgeddaboudit! But put a pen in his hand and have him draw? It’s magic. “While this drawing business has elements of showbiz — what a Disney animator he would have been! — it’s also Calatrava’s way of thinking: dreaming onto the sketchpad, trolling for inspiration, one seemingly unrelated image giving way to another and another until something clicks and a path opens up. Birds lead to human figures, which lead to eyes, which lead to something like a church monstrance.”
Stanley Kunitz At 100
He becomes a centennarian this week. “In his time, Kunitz seems to have known or had contact with practically everyone of note in the poetry world. He has also won virtually every prize and honor, and propelled or redirected the careers of dozens of poets. He won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, and served as consultant in poetry to the Library of Congress from 1974 to 1976 and again from 2000 to 2001, at age 95, after the position was renamed poet laureate.”
Kelly Appointed First South Bank Artistic Director
London’s South Bank has its first artistic director. “Theatre director Jude Kelly has been appointed the first artistic director of London’s South Bank Centre. The Liverpool-born 51-year-old will be responsible for programmes at the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and Hayward Gallery.”
No Dumb Soprano Jokes Here
Russian mezzo-soprano Olga Borodina has developed quite a reputation as one of her generation’s most opinionated divas. Two years ago, she walked out on conductor Antonio Pappano and the UK’s Royal Opera House in a dispute over director Robert Wilson’s approach to Aida, and just recently, she quit a La Scala production of Carmen when she discovered that the recitatives were to be spoken rather than sung. But her temperament seems to stem not from ego, but from a deep belief that there is a right way and a wrong way to approach music, and that she, as an artist, should not be asked to compromise her musical values.
American Woman
Current controversies aside, Marin Alsop’s journey to the directorship of the Baltimore Symphony began decades ago, and didn’t come about because she was looking to be a pioneer. She just wanted to conduct, and saw no reason why, in the 20th century, a woman shouldn’t be able to do that. But regardless of gender, it’s extremely hard to become a professional conductor – after all, you have no instrument to practice on, unless you can convince a group of 6 dozen or so friends to let you practice on them. Further, being an American is arguably a bigger impediment to success than being female. Alsop’s ascension to the top conducting ranks may be instructive not only for women, but for all young musicians looking to wave the baton themselves someday.