State of the Arts: December 18, 2010 Archive
Saturday news and reviews
Posted at 9:44 AM on December 18, 2010
by Marianne Combs
Filed under: News and reviews
Here's a look at the arts stories making headlines...
Books
ROUGH ROAD
A young woman struggles with the complexities of a new marriage and life on a secluded Arizona ranch.
-Emily H. Freeman, Star Tribune
Online publishing popular with writers
University of Minnesota literary magazine Ivory Tower will print about 1,000 copies of their publication this year, less than half of last year's total, as a result of a tight budget and the increasing presence of online publishing, said Editor in Chief Phil Hart.
- Sadelle Schroeder, The Minnesota Daily
An Iowa of the imagination
A surprisingly lively and varied collection of stories, set in Iowa.
- James Cihlar, Star Tribune
A FINE LINE
The final volume in Edmund Morris' spectacular trilogy wraps up the amazing story of Teddy Roosevelt.
- Kevin Duchschere, Star Tribune
Mosley's latest explores a legacy of racism and aging dreams
In Walter Mosley's 30th novel, a dying old man seeks to redeem his family from a legacy of racism.
- Chuck Leddy, Star Tribune
A schmaltzy voice about 'The Voice'
An ambitious biography of Sinatra that doesn't quite achieve all it attempts.
- Carl Rollyson, Star Tribune
Spreading the sound
Music critic Alex Ross hopes to demystify music, celebrating the energy of rock, the fun and emotion of classical.
- Craig Morgan Teicher, Star Tribune
Movies
Coens go West for remake of a classic
The filmmakers say "True Grit" was less about redoing the 1969 John Wayne movie and more about their love of the original book.
- Colin Covert, Star Tribune
It's the terror, stupid!
An old-fashioned shootout at the O.K. Corral understimulates. We want to see what it's like for the world to blow up.
- Emilio DeGrazia, TC Daily Planet
Music
Rose Ensemble offers a Christmas in Spain
If you've ever wondered what the soundtrack to the Spanish royal court was like circa 1500 and in the ensuing century, you can get an earful at this weekend's Rose Ensemble concerts.
- Rob Hubbard, Pioneer Press
Q & A with Rapper Brother Ali: High school opens huge doors
ThreeSixty reporters Erika Roedl and Edwin Flowers interviewed Brother Ali by phone this fall after he made a public service announcement supporting an effort by Minneapolis public schools to persuade people who have dropped out of school to return. The rapper left high school without a diploma. This is an edited version of their conversation.
- Erika Roedl and Edwin Flowers of Twin Cities Academy and ThreeSixty staff
Best in pop for 2010
With apologies to the Lady, our pop favorites weren't necessarily Monster-sized.
- Jon Bream and Chris Riemenschneider, Star Tribune
Theater
A look at how music from pop stars has fared onstage
It takes a certain skill set to craft the perfect pop song, to boil down complex emotions into three or four minutes that are catchy, but not overlong. It takes a whole different skill set to craft a musical, where those complex emotions are expressed by numerous characters, through song, over the course of two or three hours.
- Ross Raihala, Pioneer Press
Saturday playlist
Posted at 6:57 PM on December 18, 2010
by Marianne Combs
Filed under: Playlists
It's hard to know when a great arts story or interview is going to air on MPR, so chances are you missed a few this week. Here's a re-cap to help you catch up:
Author writes about a different kind of traveling
Tony Hiss writes about travel, but not in terms of exotic spots to visit. He writes about the actual movement from place to place.
Talking Volumes with Anita Shreve
Author Anita Shreve has written a dozen novels, including the Oprah's Book Club pick "The Pilot's Wife." Her latest book is "Rescue." She joined Kerri Miller at the Fitzgerald Theater on December 8th.
The intriguing pairing of percussionist and DJ
Even in a musical world which prizes innovation, a percussionist playing tuned brake drums paired with a DJ creating stories by spinning yarns by spinning disks is unusual.
Behind Ol' Blue Eyes
Legendary singer Frank Sinatra was a larger-than-life figure whose career straddled five decades. A new book looks at the first half of Sinatra's career, and how the skinny young crooner who could sell a song like no one else became an American icon.
Chris Osgood on First Avenue's 40th anniversary
Osgood reflects on the changing status - and smells - of Minnesota's most popular music venue.
Music with Minnesotans: Steve Heitzeg
Steve Heitzeg writes music that beats and breathes with the rhythm of the earth. His evocative and lyrical music is inspired by the natural world, even going so far as to introduce 'instruments' of found objects like stones, bones and shells. He shares an unusual collection of music he loves for this season.
Opera for a modern audience
The incoming director of the Minnesota Opera is an accomplished musician in his own right, with compositions performed at Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center. He joins Midmorning to talk about the challenge of bringing opera to 21st century audiences.
AND: A New York Times ballet critic caused an uproar recently when he criticized a ballerina performing in "The Nutcracker" for being overweight. Did his criticism cross the line?
Art Hounds: Chinese fashion, The Shiny Lights, and a feast at Fezziwig's
The hounds hunt down an exhibition about Mao suits and modern Chinese fashion, a veteran rock band that resurrects a '70s sound, and "The Christmas Carol" re-told by the family Scrooge clerked for as a young man.
Bob & Ray, masters of subtle satire
A pioneering radio duo who some say laid the groundwork for modern American comedy has been captured on a new four-disc set.
The Dinner Party Download featuring Christian Lander
This week on the Dinner Party Download, David Hidalgo of Grammy-nominated band Los Lobos leads us to a punchline, KPCC's Patt Morrison tells us how the California prison system discovered Festivus isn't kosher, and "Stuff White People Like" creator Christian Lander.
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