“Alice Munro has this year done a remarkable thing: still in full command of her powers, she announced that she has finished writing because at 75, she has used up all her material and has nothing left to say.”
Tag: 12.31.06
That Rowling Magic
Another Harry Potter comes out this summer. Author JK Rowling “would be the first to admit she’s perfectly ordinary, but because the public doesn’t have easy access to her, a tiny sparkle of magic is preserved. Would JK really command the same extraordinary appeal if she delivered herself unconditionally into the hands of the media?”
A Wendy Chronicle
In an end-of-year reminiscence, Frank Rich remembers his longtime friend, playwright Wendy Wasserstein, who died last January. “The Wendy Wasserstein who was always there for everybody (including me) at every crisis and celebration, the Wendy with that uproarious (yet musical) laugh and funny (yet never bitchy) dialogue for every fraught situation, the Wendy the whole world knew and adored was also an intensely private person who left many mysteries behind.”
The Amazing Publishing Machine
“A machine that electronically stores 2.5 million books that can then be printed and bound in less than seven minutes is to be launched early next year. It prints in any language and has an upper limit of 550 pages.”
Saddam Images And Unreality
Video of the execution of Saddam Husein was on the internet within hours. “But the images of his execution and his body seem to point to a new era in the way images are used politically, what might be called a post-propaganda era. So many images that were supposed to have such profound impact on public perception — the now infamous ‘Mission Accomplished’ photo op or Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s bloody head tastefully framed for the cameras — have failed to connect with the reality of either public opinion, or the facts on the ground.”
The Top Touring Concerts Of 2006
“The Rolling Stones and Barbra Streisand topped the list, and the Top 20 was littered with old-timers, including Elton John, Billy Joel, the Who, Def Leppard, Journey and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. And the biggest thing on the 2007 horizon? A reunion of Genesis, featuring Phil Collins.”
A Forgotten Singer, Rethought
When Judee Sill died of a drug overdose in 1979, the 35-year-old singer was obscure, and barely rated a mention or obit. Yet Tim Page suggests her place and influence is still alive…
What We Watch – Men v Women
“Most Americans felt there was nothing special about the shows out this year — yet 58% said they got hooked on one. For women, the top show was “Grey’s Anatomy,” which often tops the weekly Nielsen ratings. For men, it was “House,” with the curmudgeonly Hugh Laurie, on Fox.”
One Night You’re On…
“It is a truism in opera that you’re only as good as your last performance. Human variability is supposed to be one of the exciting things about live music, making it like a high-wire act. Will the tenor successfully negotiate the course? Or will he fall spectacularly, in plain sight of everyone, cracking on a high note. This mutability has given even superstar singers screaming cases of stage fright.”
The Walk-Through Museum
Is Steven Holl’s addition for Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, his masterpiece? “People around here were on the edge of their seats, unhappy because it’s so different, so risky. But inside it’s just incredible, really masterful.”