Poetic Preoccupation

“It may be going too far to call this a ‘golden age’ for poetry, as this year’s Forward judges have done, but most of the poets jostling for these prizes do seem to be reaching for a readership beyond the seminar room. Sales of particular volumes may often be counted in the hundreds rather than thousands, but poetry does escape to what Milton called a ‘fit audience, though few’. Free, unlike novelists, to be as recondite as they wish, they have surprising taste for accessibility. It might surprise traditionalists to find a common interest in poetry’s formal polish and patterning, even rhyme and scansion. So what preoccupies the nation’s poets – aside from obtaining the university posts teaching creative writing that now sustain many of them?”

Catering To The Boomers (It’s Just Good Business)

Youth may rule in American broadcasting, but in Australia, the most coveted demographic seems to be listeners deep in middle age. That’s right, the baby boomers are ruling the airwaves, and a whole new radio station is being launched in Melbourne to attract them. Of course, the new Vega FM will be competing with Melbourne’s three (yes, three) other boomer-focused stations, but no one in the business seems to think market saturation will be a problem. The overriding philosophy behind going after an older generation of listeners may sound odd to Americans, but the business strategy makes a lot of sense: young people are fickle and hard to please, whereas middle-aged folks generally know what they like and enjoy a steady, predictable diet of whatever that is.

Brit Council Opens Virtual Gallery

“One of the world’s largest collections of contemporary British art goes on show today, showcasing work from the likes of Henry Moore, David Hockney and Tracey Emin – and the venue is just a click of the mouse away. The British Council’s new online database… provides details of the 8,000 works in its permanent collection, 80% of which is on tour at any one time.”

Baker: New deYoung A Big Improvement

The facade of San Francisco’s new deYoung Museum has not been a big hit with members of the public, some of whom have suggested that it looks like an aircraft carrier. But Kenneth Baker says that art lovers should reserve judgment until they’ve seen the whole museum, and that includes the inside. “The new de Young deploys its resources to encourage our recognition that the meanings of art, even of the decorative arts, lie neither wholly within the art object nor wholly outside it.”

Rebirth of an Indie

Earlier this year, a much-beloved independent bookstore in Menlo Park, California closed, bowing to the same competitive pressures (from big chain booksellers and online retailers) that have taken out indie bookstores across the country. But in this case, the bookstore’s community didn’t sit idly by and mourn the passing – they passed the hat. “Local entrepreneurs developed a business plan to improve the store’s long-term standing and also invested cash… $500,000 was raised from 17 individuals, who each pledged at least $25,000 to become shareholders. About 370 local residents also signed up to volunteer time to help the store.” As a result, Kepler’s Books and Magazines will reopen for business this weekend.

NC-17 As A Promotional Stunt?

If you’ve heard anything about Atom Egoyan’s latest film, you’ve likely heard that it contains an explicit three-way sex scene that garnered the film an NC-17 rating from the MPAA. Egoyan loudly appealed the rating, but the ratings board refused to grant him the more mainstream ‘R’ rating he so desperately wanted. Or did he want it after all? ” In recent weeks, there have been suggestions that the appeal… was launched as a sort of ‘Banned-in-Boston’ tactic to generate some pre-release fizz.”

Famed Chinese Scroll To Get First Viewing

“One of the most famous — and longest — paintings of Chinese antiquity will go on display this month in its entirety for the first time ever. Engineers at the Beijing University of Technology have built a 52-foot-long case weighing 5 tons and costing $247,000 to display ‘Qingming Shanghe Tu,’ or ‘Qingming Festival on the River,’ the official China Daily newspaper reported. The 12th Century work has long been praised for its realism and historical detail in portraying social and commercial life in an ancient Chinese city. Yet, its size, and fears of damage to the delicate colors and silk on which it was painted have prevented it from ever being shown publicly. The original painting measured more than 16 feet long.”

Getting Past The P-Word

The recent run of writers and historians facing allegations of plagiarism surfaced has seen some of America’s best-loved authors and journalists exiled to the hall of shame that also includes steroid-popping baseball players and former Enron executives. But some writers seem to have an unusual ability to bounce back from such charges, even when their veracity seems indisputable. Take the case of presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, who is embarking on a major book tour three years after she paid an undisclosed sum to settle an embarrassing lawsuit alleging plagiarism. Why is a major publisher still taking it’s chances with a known copier? “Because she has a charming personality, because she has powerful friends, and not least of all because she writes like a dream.”