“For the past four years, I’ve been working on a book, Globish: How the English Language Became the World’s Language, which argues that a seismic shift in the foundations of our lingua franca has transformed it from an expression of Anglo-American cultural sovereignty into a supra-national phenomenon, with its own powerful inner dynamic.”
Tag: 03.29.10
Visual Aid – Did Renaissance Painters “Cheat”?
“Did some Renaissance artists use lenses or mirrors to help them paint more accurately? Analysis of a 16th-century artwork dubbed a “Rosetta stone” for optical techniques suggests they did.”
The Wikipedia Problem
“It doesn’t matter whether we think students should or shouldn’t use Web sources such as Wikipedia; they will. We can and should require students to consult what we might call — for lack of a better term — more conventional sources.”
Can You Really Make Money As A Reality TV Star?
If you’re a student and jobless — if you have nothing to lose — then by all means, try out for reality shows. Otherwise, “it’s not a good idea.”
Placido Domingo Recovering From Cancer Surgery
The surgery took place earlier this month to remove a cancerous polyp from his colon. “Domingo returned to Los Angeles on Thursday to resume his role as director of the Los Angeles Opera Company. He told reporters he planned to begin rehearsals shortly for his next show in Italy in April.”
Sylvia Plath’s Daughter Disputes Claims Of Her Father’s Abuse
“Frieda Hughes dismisses “myths” about her father’s behaviour towards Plath, claiming his mother-in-law poisoned the poets’ marriage. The claim has sparked a literary row, with others who knew Hughes and Plath well disputing Frieda’s view.”
The First Met Season Planned By Peter Gelb, Graded By Alex Ross
“The marketing still shines: Gelb has transformed the Met’s public reputation, remaking a conservative bastion into an arena of chic spectacle. His notion of broadcasting opera to movie theatres has succeeded beyond the most optimistic projections … And Gelb continues to demonstrate good taste in nabbing productions from elsewhere. … As a maker of new shows, though, Gelb is struggling.”