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James Gunn, prizewinning science fiction author, dies at 97
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- In 1949, when he was in his mid-20s and studying for his masters degree in English, James E. Gunn submitted a piece of science fiction to a pulp magazine. One day, I got a letter saying, I like your story Paradox, and Ill pay you $80 for it, he recalled in a 2008 interview. My wife says it was probably the most transforming experience in our lives when we realized someone would actually pay me to sit in front of my typewriter. He remained particularly proud of the plot about a drunken bum abducted by telepathic aliens who, once they read his delirious mind, abandon their plans to subjugate humanity. Decades later, he ran into Sam Merwin Jr., the publisher who had bought Paradox, at a science fiction writers convention. He introduced himself by saying, You probably dont remember, but you bought my first story. Merwin said ... More

National Book Foundation names new leader
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- The National Book Foundation said Thursday that Ruth Dickey, executive director of the literary nonprofit Seattle Arts & Lectures, will become the organizations new executive director. An award-winning poet and essayist, Dickey served as a fiction judge for the National Book Awards in 2019. For the past 25 years, she has worked at arts organizations and nonprofits across the United States, a background that she could draw on to help the foundation expand. Before she led Seattle Arts & Lectures, Dickey, 49, worked as executive director of Clifton Cultural Arts Center in Cincinnati, where she helped transform a vacant school into a regional organization, and as executive director of New Futures in Burien, Washington, a group that worked with families in low-income housing. Ruth is not just a literary leader but is someone with a track record in ... More

Review: Shakespeare's baddies convene in 'All the Devils Are Here'
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Prospero steps out onto the stage, a sturdy white staff and book in hand. He kneels, opens the book and strikes the stage three times. As the last heavy thud echoes throughout the empty theater, the lights dim to an icy, concentrated glow. This is the magician, and this is his art. But it isnt actually Shakespeares vengeful sorcerer were seeing; this is Patrick Page, and when he opens his mouth, its not Prospero but Lady Macbeth who speaks, in a jagged whisper. Its a summoning: Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts. Its enough to make you shiver, and fitting for a play called All the Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented the Villain, an enchanting one-man show full of Shakespeares vilest, silliest and most misunderstood characters: the baddies. Produced by Shakespeare Theater Company at Sidney Harman Hall in ... More

In Spain, virtuoso violinist pays tribute to war-torn Lebanon childhood
MADRID (AFP).- In the garage where he sought shelter from bombs in his native Lebanon, Ara Malikian discovered the power of music. The bearded and heavily tattooed 52-year-old paid homage to this childhood hiding spot in his latest album released online in January called "Petit Garage". "It was a place full of rats and cockroaches," he said during an interview with AFP in Madrid where he has lived for the past two decades. "We would hear the bombs, it was a very dramatic situation and suddenly some of us started to make music, others to sing, everyone dancing," he added. "I saw how music and art changed people's mood, gave them hope, joy. We forgot all our sorrows, the war and the bombs." Born in Beirut in 1968 to an Armenian family, Malikian started playing the violin at a very young age, encouraged by his violinist father who has performed with legendary Lebanese singer ... More

World War II Citroen truck for sale with H&H Classics
LONDON.- A British tourist visiting a French vineyard spotted a Citroen truck converted from a 1924 Citroen B12-9cv Camionnette car abandoned and rusting in a thistle and bramble patch. Now restored it is for sale with H&H Classics on April 14 at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford. It is being sold with No Reserve. Once restored in Britain the Citroen has been much used in film and television about the WW2 period in France. When the truck was recovered and brought to the UK in the early nineties it was restored...however it was subsequently sold on and in the intervening years has deteriorated and now needs restoring again hence No Reserve. The wreck came with an intriguing story that slowly emerged during a long wine tasting session at the vineyard where it was found. The Citroen car had been converted to a light truck to ensure a petrol supply from the German occupiers ... More

John Murphy named Director of Development and Donor Relations at MWPAI
UTICA, NY.- John Murphy of Clinton has been named director of development and donor relations for Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. Murphy was previously director of milestone reunions for Hamilton College, where he has secured nearly $10 million in gifts and pledges for the Colleges current campaign, and more than $16 million in declared estate gift intentions. During his 23-year tenure he has facilitated scores of new scholarship gifts and worked with hundreds of dedicated alumni donors and volunteers. MWPAI president and CEO Anna DAmbrosio said Murphy was selected after a national search. "We are delighted to have John join the Munson-Williams staff, she said. His dedication to the arts, combined with years of development and business experience, makes him a perfect fit for the Institute." Murphy has a lifetime of involvement in the arts. He has been a member of ... More

New Orleans Museum of Art announces major fund and pledged endowment from Del and Ginger Hall
NEW ORLEANS, LA.- The New Orleans Museum of Art announced a major fund and pledged endowment by Del and Ginger Hall of Chicago, Illinois, in support of the NOMA photography department. The fund will support and augment an ambitious set of exhibitions and programs in the department of photographs over the next five years, while the endowment will provide a foundation for the departments activities in perpetuity. NOMAs current exhibition New Photography: Create, Collect, Compile is the first endeavor supported in large part by the Halls contributions. Del and Gingers incredible generosity will help grow what is already one of NOMAs greatest strengths: our photography program, says Susan Taylor, Montine McDaniel Freeman Director. By providing both immediate and long-term support, Del and Ginger are ensuring the present and future success of that ... More

Timken Museum of Art names Kathleen Lundgren and Alexandra Davis Perez to its Board of Directors
SAN DIEGO, CA.- The board of directors of the Timken Museum of Art located in Balboa Park in San Diego has named bioethicist Kathleen Lundgren and interior designer Alexandra Davis Perez to its ranks bringing the total number of board members to 14. The Timkens board is led by chair Jessie J. Knight, Jr., Sempra Energys former executive vice president of external affairs and chief sustainability officer and former president and chief executive officer of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. We are pleased to welcome Kathleen and Alexandra to the Timkens board of directors, stated Knight. They will be invaluable as the museum completes its renovation currently underway and prepares to open its doors to the public later this year. Lundgren earned her Master of Divinity from Yale University concentrating in both medical ethics and the history of psychological ... More

George H.W. Bush Letter to Mikhail Gorbachev to be auctioned
BOSTON, MASS.- "What I will never forget, Mikhail, is our partnershipand eventual friendshipas we worked to make our world a better, safer place" A George H.W. Bush letter to Mikhail Gorbachev will be auctioned by Boston-based RR Auction. The one-page typed is signed "George," personal letterhead, October 18, 2011. Letter to former President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, in full: "Even though I could not be with you tonight, I wanted to help welcome you to the great state of Texas. I know our good friends at the Johnson Library will make you feel right at home. At age 87, I forget more things these days than I remember. But what I will never forget, Mikhail, is our partnershipand eventual friendshipas we worked to make our world a better, safer place. There is no doubt in my mind that history will judge you one of the great leaders of the 20th Century. I hope our ... More

Toledo Museum of Art promotes two to senior management roles
TOLEDO, OH.- The Toledo Museum of Art has promoted two staff members to newly created senior management positions. Andrea Gardner, who served as director of collections, is now senior director of curatorial affairs; and Mike Deetsch, previously the director of education and engagement, has been named the Emma Leah Bippus senior director of learning and interpretation. The combined expertise of these collaborative and innovative leaders will help TMA achieve the ambitious goals set forth in our strategic plan, said Adam Levine, the Museums Edward Drummond and Florence Scott Libbey director and CEO. Andrea and Mike will play critical roles in operationalizing our commitment to quality and developing our culture of belonging. Gardner has served TMA since 2006, beginning as an intern in the curatorial and registration departments. She was promoted to director of collections ... More

A vision of Asian American cinema that questions the very premise
NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- Nearly 40 years ago, the filmmaker Wayne Wang cobbled together $22,000 and shot his debut feature on the streets of San Franciscos Chinatown. The result was Chan Is Missing, widely considered the first Asian American indie film and a work that managed to be at once a vÃ©ritÃ© peek into a neighborhood, a sly neo-noir buddy film, and an experimental, complex allegory about Chinese American identity or, at least, about the ambivalence of it. That 1982 gem became an unlikely hit that broke through to the mainstream only to be followed by a decadeslong drought of similarly successful indies told with any sense of an Asian American perspective. A few studio movies made waves, like Wangs 1993 period drama, The Joy Luck Club. And then, in 2018, the blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians arrived with its all-Asian cast. The last few years have ... More