Category: people

“The Durham-born historical fiction writer died in Umbria, Italy, where he had lived for several years. He was named joint winner of the Booker Prize – the most prestigious in British publishing – in 1992 for Sacred Hunger, about the 18th century slave trade.”

“[She was] known for her unflinchingly direct novels for young people about black life in urban America … She addressed subjects that had remained largely unexplored in fiction for teenagers when she began her career four decades ago.”

“Now, for a young composer, I think it must be terribly hard to work out what your route should be, unless you have an entirely personal and strong vision – which mostly you don’t when you’re starting out and few people have anyway.”

Don Campbell’s books “The Mozart Effect” and “The Mozart Effect for Children” were bestsellers and have been translated into 24 languages. The accompanying “Music for the Mozart Effect” recordings dominated the Billboard Classical charts for more than three years. He has written on music, health, education and creativity.

“[He] flood[ed] the resistant object of his desire with romantic revelations, only to be faced with repeated, composed rejection … But Rilke’s love didn’t flinch and the two eventually developed a passionate bond which, over the 35-year course of their correspondence that followed, we see change shape and morph from friends to mentor and protégé to lovers to literary allies.”

The Unquenchable Uncle Elliott talks about the time Stravinsky snubbed Sinatra, drinking in speakeasies, why he’s still writing new music, and why he’s lived so long (he has no idea).

“Music-loving Iranians craving nostalgic Persian songs of a bygone era, or the upbeat dance music that is banned in their Islamic state, have new darling: Rita, the Israeli singing sensation.” Her Iranian fans “use tricky software to furtively download her songs online. Bootleg CD sellers in the back alley of Tehran’s old bazaar wrap her albums in unmarked packages and hush any inquiries when asked if they sell her music.”

Petroc Trelawny, a presenter for BBC Radio 3, had been arrested for violating the terms of his tourist visa by taking employment in Zimbabwe because he was emceeing a music festival on a volunteer basis. “But his ordeal was ended when a magistrate ruled there was nothing to prevent a tourist taking part in public music events and dismissed the charge.”

Beginning in the late 1970s, her dozens of recordings with William Christie, René Jacobs, Christopher Hogwood, John Eliot Gardiner, Emma Kirkby and others were standard-setters. She was also a founding member of San Francisco’s Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and she performed regularly in the Bay Area until she was 60, her pure voice remarkably intact.

Last week, as a guest on Craig Ferguson’s Late Late Show, the comedian/actor (Seinfeld) went on an extended riff about how cricket is a “gay” sport (as opposed to “manly” Australian rules football). When several of Alexander’s Twitter followers objected, Alexander thought hard about what he’d said and ultimately issued an unusually eloquent and sincere statement.