Former Czech president and writer Václav Havel died Sunday. Imprisoned by the Communist regime for four years, Havel led the 1989 Velvet Revolution which precipitated the end of totalitarian rule in Czechoslovakia. Several of the plays Havel wrote satirized the Soviet-backed leaders of his country. During his presidency, Czechoslovakia joined NATO and the European Union, [...]
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
The American Institute of Architects last week announced that Steven Holl would receive its 2012 Gold Medal. The New York City-based architect has taught at Columbia for almost 40 years, and designed projects in Europe, the United States, and China. One critic has written that “you don’t just walk through a Holl building. You embark [...]
Thursday, December 1, 2011
One of Venice’s most famous attractions was unveiled Wednesday following a three year $3.74 million restoration. This marked the first time in a century that the 400 year-old Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri) had undergone renovation. The project attracted some controversy, as the scaffolding placed at the site had been covered with paid advertising. [...]
Friday, November 18, 2011
The 62nd annual National Book Awards were presented in New York City Wednesday evening. Jesmyn Ward received the fiction award for her Hurricane Katrina novel Salvage the Bones. “As the storm approaches, the Batiste family’s story takes on the resonance of one of the Greek myths.” Stephen Greenblatt won the nonfiction prize for The Swerve: [...]
Monday, November 14, 2011
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The Los Angeles Police Department has some good safety and crime prevention tips as we enter the holiday season. Among the highlights: Shop during daylight hours whenever possible. If you must shop at night, go with a friend or family member. Teach your child to go to a store clerk and ask for help in [...]
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
A detailed survey of a World War I tunnel system is underway in northern France. From 1914 to 1916, French, German, and British miners dug tunnels in order to place charges beneath enemy lines. La Boisselle is at the heart of the Somme battlefield of 1916. Digging will start next year on the private land [...]
Monday, October 31, 2011
An Iowa site which was used as a setting for scenes in the 1989 movie “Field of Dreams” will be sold, and the field kept intact for visitors. The film, based on W. P. Kinsella’s book Shoeless Joe, made the site a popular tourist destination. The asking price for the 193-acre farm was $5.4 million; [...]
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
English writer Julian Barnes was announced yesterday as winner of the 2011 Man Booker Prize for The Sense of an Ending. The annual award is given for the best full-length novel written by a citizen of the British Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. Barnes had made the shortlist three previous times, but this is [...]
Thursday, October 13, 2011
The National Book Foundation today announced 21 finalists for its 2011 National Book Awards, including the following: Fiction Andrew Krivak, The Sojourn Téa Obreht, The Tiger’s Wife Julie Otsuka, The Buddha in the Attic Edith Pearlman, Binocular Vision Jesmyn Ward, Salvage the Bones Nonfiction Deborah Baker, The Convert: A Tale of Exile and Extremism Mary Gabriel, Love [...]
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Poet Tomas Tranströmer of Sweden was announced today as recipient of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature. The Swedish Academy awarded Tranströmer the prize “because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality.” This year marks the first time since 1996 that the award has gone to poetry. Tranströmer’s work is [...]
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
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