Oct 15 Conversation: Joan Baez By Arts Desk Last night on PBS's American Masters, viewers got an intimate portrait of one of America's most famous singers. Joan Baez began performing with her guitar in coffee shops at just 17, but went on to help define the sound and… Continue reading
Oct 15 Andrew W.K. Rocks a Classical Sound Andrew W.K., a solo rock act known best for his bombastic 2001 debut album, "I Get Wet," has earned a reputation as a party-friendly, long-haired headbanger who combines earnest optimism with exuberant piano playing plus some distorted guitar and frequent,… Continue reading
Oct 14 Gustavo Santaolalla, Making Music For Both Stage and Screen The first thing Argentine musician Gustavo Santaolalla wants people to know about him is that he is an artist: one who works with a guitar rather than an easel. The 57-year-old has spent the last four decades recording, producing and… Continue reading
Oct 13 ‘Herb & Dorothy,’ a Love Story About Art, Opens New Season of Independent Lens By Arts Desk The story of a postal worker and his librarian wife, who with modest means created one of the most priceless collections of contemporary art in the world, is the subject of Tuesday's season premier of Independent Lens on PBS. Continue reading
Oct 12 Weekly Poem: ‘Domestique’ Heather McHugh was among the recipients of the so-called "Genius Award" (i.e. the 2009 MacArthur Fellowship). Continue reading
Oct 09 Conversation: Hilary Mantel, Winner of the 2009 Booker Prize By Arts Desk Hilary Mantel took home the coveted Man Booker Prize this week for her novel, "Wolf Hall," a detailed look at the contemptuous court of Henry VIII during the English Reformation. Continue reading
Oct 08 Herta Muller Wins Nobel Prize in Literature By Arts Desk Romanian-born writer Herta Muller won the 2009 Nobel Prize in literature Thursday, becoming only the 12th woman to win the prize in its 109-year history. Continue reading
Oct 08 Famed Photographer Irving Penn Dies at 92 By Arts Desk Fashion and celebrity photographer Irving Penn died Wednesday in his Manhattan home at the age of 92, according to his photo assistant Roger Krueger. He is remembered for creating striking, minimalistic images and for adopting a craftsman-like approach to his… Continue reading
Oct 07 Art:21 Kicks off New Season By Arts Desk "Art:21":http://beta.art21.org/, the documentary series about art and artists in the 21st-century, starts a new season tonight on PBS. Continue reading
Oct 06 The Wood Brothers Make Austin Home Critics have been praising the Wood Brothers since their first studio project together, a 2006 modern blues and folk album called "Ways Not to Lose." NPR named the album one of the best of the year. Continue reading