This day marks the 300th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Franklin. Franklin is perhaps the most remarkable figure in American history: the greatest statesman of his age, he played a pivotal role in the formation of the American republic. He was also a pioneering scientist, a bestselling author, the
“An enthralling new book,” says the Boston Globe in its recent review of Composers’ Voices From Ives to Ellington: An Oral History of American Music, by Vivian Perlis and Libby Van Cleve. The book and the two-CD set that accompanies it present a host of interviews with and about the
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the death of artist Paul Cézanne (1839-1906), the celebrated impressionist and one of the founders of the modern movement. The centenary will be commemorated by art exhibitions in Washington, D.C. and in Cézanne’s native Provence. “A bucolic escape from busier ports of call,
Imagining America: Icons of 20th Century American Art, will air on PBS this Wednesday, December 28, 2005, from 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET. The film is a journey through the transformations that took place in 20th-century America, told through the words and work of some of the century’s most significant artists. “Anybody
“This distinguished production builds into a commandingly theatrical experience,” says David Rooney in his review of the Broadway revival of Eugene O’Neill’s A Touch of the Poet, now playing on Broadway for the first time in almost thirty years. The cast is led by Gabriel Byrne, who gives a “haunting
A Little History of the World continues to receive praise in publications across the country. The Los Angeles Times Book Review counts A Little History among the 20 titles in its Favorite Nonfiction Books of 2005 in its holiday roundup. The Raleigh News & Observer also names A Little History
The “Masters of American Comics” exhibition opened last month at the Hammer Museum and The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. “The organizing principle behind the show,” says Publishers Weekly, “is deceptively simple: tell the history of comics in the United States from the beginning of the 20th century
Four Yale University Press titles appear in the New York Times Book Review Holiday Books issue. Stephen Heller calls Masters of American Comics, “a smartly designed, comprehensive history of 20th-century comics.” Read the full review. Looking at Atget is included in a selection of recent books evoking a romantic vision
“Pinch yourself,” says Roberta Smith in the New York Times, “The Metropolitan Museum’s sublime exhibition of the Renaissance painter Fra Angelico is not a dream, much less a heavenly vision. Sure, its images are populated by figures with halos, wings or both. And yes, these motifs create a veritable mirage
Word keeps spreading about Ernst Gombrich’s amazing book. An interview with Leonie Gombrich, the author’s granddaughter, aired last Sunday on NPR’s Weekend Edition. Also last Sunday, the Philadelphia Inquirer ran a rave review by Katie Haegele, who called A Little History of the World “an astounding collection of historical and