Why doesn’t public radio attract more diverse audiences? Tavis Smiley says that “too often the networks and stations are going for the same look and sound, even if they have people of color in front of the camera or the microphone.”
Tag: 10.16.06
Academics – The Charisma Factor
“Not that long ago, universities played a very different role in the public imagination, and top academics seemed to glitter as they walked.”
Good Book! (But Why’s It So Ugly?)
“Do books have to be ugly? It is a question that poses itself almost every time one walks through one of the huge American-style bookshops that are now the norm in this country, gazing with dismay at the heaps of ugly dust-wrappers and book covers.”
An Orchestra Grows In Kentucky
While some larger orchestras have struggled to survive, the Kentucky Symphony has been growing since its birth 15 years ago. “The first concert, Nov. 21, 1992, in Greaves Hall at Northern Kentucky University, drew 165 people. From a start-up budget of $20,000 and four concerts, the organization has grown to a budget of more than $600,000 and 34-40 concerts a year.”
“Rachel Corrie” As Drama, Not Debate Topic
“Few plays have traveled to New York with as much excess baggage as ‘My Name Is Rachel Corrie,’ ” which had no such problems in London. “Those didn’t erupt until the New York Theater Workshop, a nonprofit institution known for championing politically daring work, announced in late February that it would indefinitely delay the play’s American premiere. … Rachel Corrie became a name best not mentioned at Manhattan dinner parties if you wanted your guests to hold on to their good manners.” Now that the play has opened, Ben Brantley writes, “many theatergoers wonder what all the shouting was about.”
TV: Where U.S. Cultural Diplomacy Stands A Chance
“In the parliaments and pubs of Europe, the United States may wallow in least-favored-nation status. But on European television, American shows have been enjoying a popularity not seen since the 1980’s heyday of ‘Dallas,’ ‘Dynasty’ and ‘The Dukes of Hazzard.’ … Nick Thorogood, controller of Five US,” a new television channel devoted to American programming, “said British viewers set aside any anti-American sentiments when they settle down on the sofa. ‘We are seeing bright, intelligent and beautifully made drama coming out of America,’ he said. ‘In the U.K., many people abhor the politics of the U.S. but eagerly embrace the culture.’ “
Dancer-choreographer Todd Bolender, 92
“Todd Bolender, an internationally known dancer and choreographer who left a distinctive imprint on the New York City Ballet and its forerunner companies before leading the Kansas City Ballet and troupes abroad, died on Thursday in Kansas City, Kan. He was 92 and lived in Kansas City, Mo.”
Boys Behind Bars, Reading “Redwall”
With his book-tour stop at the Orange County Jail in Florida, crime writer Dennis Lehane became the latest of a dozen authors to visit a class where literature is used to teach teenage boys that, as their program coordinator put it, “they don’t have to be dirtbags.” “Ernest J. Gaines was the first author to come, in 2001, after the group read ‘A Lesson Before Dying’ (Random House), about a black youth sentenced to death. He has visited twice. Brian Jacques, author of the ‘Redwall’ series, about mice who fight off evil rats, foxes and other predators, has also visited twice, on a book tour for his publisher, Penguin, from England.”
Is YouTube The Best TV Network?
“Welcome to the new media universe, where for millions of video junkies, the best TV network in America isn’t Comedy Central, MTV, ESPN or even HBO, but YouTube, the amazing website whose video clips are viewed more than 100 million times each day.”
Artists – A Cautionary Tale
Some artists provoke. It’s their job. But “Van Gogh’s murder, the cartoon riots and the violent response to the pope’s comments may finally have jolted artists out of their solipsistic cocoon. These days, it would be lethally naive to forget that art can unleash murderous passions.”