Jonathan Franzen’s observation that “she wasn’t pretty” (which he considers a “potentially redeeming disadvantage”) has, predictably, drawn a lot of angry comment. Yet, observes Laura Miller, “if Wharton’s looks didn’t have some significant impact on her life, she’d be a very unusual woman indeed, for any period of history. … And if her life is relevant to her work, then I’m sorry to say that her looks probably are, too.”
Tag: 03.07.12
Hey, Theatre Bigmouths: Back Off, And Let It All Flourish
“Everyone seems to believe they will (or have) discover(ed) some brand of theatre that will save the art, making it more resonant and vital, returning audiences to the live theatre, crushing film and television and blah blah blah. Often these grievances and corresponding solutions are tied (somehow) to solving the financial crisis we face. I call bullshit.”
You Want To Go Backstage At The Ballet? Get Online
The Royal Opera House jumps on the bandwagon of arts organizations that want young audiences live-tweeting and blogging ballet … especially a ballet that’s broadcast to more than 700 movie houses around the world.
Why Does Classical Music Get Uncritical Appreciation?
“Classical music has a reputation of being something smart – indeed, its fans are often stereotyped as nerds and eggheads – but the way that people engage with it often seems to me anything but, as if it renders otherwise smart thinkers uncritical.”
Is ENO Underpaying Its Dancers In The Death Of Klinghoffer? (And Will Anyone Do Anything About It?)
“The tale of professional dancer’s pay is a very long story that’s never going away but things have reached a new low with the revelation that dancers working on the English National Opera production The Death Of Klinghoffer are being paid just £327 for what amounts to a 40 hour working week during rehearsals.”
London’s Newest Theatre, Built And Funded Despite The Recession
“Two years ago, [Jez] Bond took possession of a nondescript office block in Finsbury Park, north London. His plan was almost ludicrously ambitious: to drum up £2.2m in the middle of an economic downturn and build a theatre from scratch. By the end of this year, the shiny new Park Theatre will open its doors.”
Was The “Mona Lisa” Painted Later Than Attributed?
“The Louvre dates the Mona Lisa to 1503-06. It has now been realised, however, that part of the painted background was based on a drawing of rocks that Leonardo made in 1510-15.”
Is There Such A Thing As A National Canon For Literature?
“The teaching of contemporary literature in universities is often, strangely, a fraught business when it comes to deciding which works should be prioritised and what contexts they should be taught in. Comparative with other contemporary works in the same language, from the same country? In terms of cultural co-ordinates, political and ethical similarities and differences? In terms of aesthetic and prosodic qualities or subterfuges? Or just because the teacher just likes or respects a particular work? “
Printed Book Sales Fall In UK
“When sales of non-fiction and children’s books are included, the total number of books sold in the UK fell by 4.7 million to 25 million over the eight week period, according to Nielsen BookScan, which compiles data from across the high street. The decline in sales of printed books – as opposed to electronic books – means that bookshops have taken £28 million less through their tills than they did a year ago, raising further questions over whether traditional book retailers have a future on the high street.”
Denver Theatre Folds After Ten Years and Just After Moving In To New Home
“Less than a month after inaugurating its new digs in Denver’s RiNo district, the Paragon Theatre ensemble has announced that it will close permanently.”