2020 and 2021 saw the deaths of five titans of children’s and young adult literature. Here’s to revisiting old “classics” and discovering new ones.
Commentary
Film Interview: Bertrand Tavernier (1941-2021) Talks About – What Else? – French Cinema
We mourn the loss of an affable generous man, a bridge to a vast history, who also knew and loved American culture.
Music Commentary: The Seven Ages of Jazz-Kind
With apologies to the Swan of Avon.
Arts Remembrance: Jeff Breeze, Host of WMBR’s “Pipeline”
“I don’t believe that there has been a stronger advocate for local music than Jeff Breeze. Nobody cared more about local music than him — nobody.”
Arts Commentary: In Memoriam, James Levine (1943-2021)
Do any of his accomplishments – including James Levine’s raising the level of an orchestra’s playing to new heights – really excuse sexual predation?I’d argue in the negative.
Pop Culture Commentary: The Rise of the “Boomer Doomer”
Hippie Boomers have morphed from being figures we were horrified to see victimized (think “Easy Rider”) to the kind of people that audiences are positively happy to see get their comeuppances.
Arts Remembrance: Poet and Illustrator Joan Walsh Anglund
Throughout her career, Joan Walsh Anglund remained humbled and amazed by her success, maintaining a quiet and private life.
Arts Remembrance: Homage to Dorothy Boudreau — Farewell, My Lovely
Dorothy Boudreau believed in the necessity of culture, and she was as erudite as she was unpretentious.
Music Appreciation: Exit Daft Punk
Few bands have shown themselves to be as infectious about their art — and for so long.
Cultural Commentary: Arts Institutions, Unions, and the Pandemic
It behooves audiences to be aware of how workers in the arts organizations they frequent are treated and whether management is operating in good faith.