Major props to young Master Salvage for his outstanding work attending to the front page over the past couple of weeks while I attended to some pressing matters of commerce. Big up yourself, David. Well done.
So, let’s go to the mailbag and see what’s happening. Ah, here’s something. Our regular Rob Deemer has just launched a new radio program called The Composer Next Door on Oklahoma City’s classical radio station KCSC-FM. Rob, who lives and teaches in OC, approached the general manager of the station last summer with the idea of a locally-created show that focuses on living composers and new music. Six months later, Rob tells us, it’s running smoothly.
“I’ve contacted composers from all over the country (and am continuing to do so) and over 50 established and emerging composers have been gracious in donating recordings to include in the broadcast,” he says. “The project is entirely home-grown; I write and record the scripts and edit the show completely in my own house. It’s a labor of love, but I think it may have some legs to it (and will be easily transportable if I find myself in another location in the future).”
The show is aired at 4 pm CST every Sunday on KCSC and is available on the web. Sounds like fun.
This looks neat. Miller Theater is doing the U.S. premiere of Olga Neuwirth’s Lost Highway, an opera based on the David Lynch film, on February 23 and 24. The production is a joint between Miller and the Oberlin Conservatory of Music’s Contemporary Music Division. Says here that “This haunting opera was adapted from the cult film by David Lynch, and is at once a mystery and a thriller. Neuwirth’s moody and mysterious opera combines live musicians, singers, actors, electronics, and video-a full arsenal of stage techniques to bring Lynch’s film to life with gripping immediacy.” We’re reserving judgement.
I need somebody to handle the front page for me from February 5 through 10. Who wants to be lead blogger for a week? Means you have to put something up every day before noon. Hands?
Here’s a little something for your dining and dancing pleasure recommended by Marco Antonio Mazzini, which reminds me of a couple of things. One is that the HBO series Rome is fabulous with all these great English actors and actresses that you never heard of. Equal opportunity full-frontal nudity, too. The other is that an Italian guy I know is looking for somebody to practice his English on for about an hour a day for a couple of weeks. He’s making a presentation in English in Las Vegas in February and wants to polish a bit. Late afternoon, early evening, and he’s willing to pay. You must, however, Skype. Don’t volunteer unless you’re Skypeable.
And now on with the show:
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The picture was taken about 11 am on November 22, 1963 in the newsroom of The Parthenon, the student newspaper of Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va. The young man, barely recognizable to me today as a former version of myself, is interviewing Art Buchwald, his hero, for the paper. A half hour later Buchwald was on his way to the airport for a flight back to Washington and an hour or so later John F. Kennedy was dead. A couple of weeks after the tragic day, Buchwald wrote me a letter about the importance of not losing faith and going on despite the loss. He knew the Kennedys well. His loss was personal. He had met me once. He was one of the few people for whom the word great was not overly generous. 