Here's a look at what's in the limelight for February 7, 2011 in Local Arts News:
Author Michael Chabon Visits Bloomington
The novelist Michael Chabon visits IU this week, with a highly anticipated reading on February 7. The author of seven novels, including The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, which won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and Wonder Boys, Chabon has also written a young-adult novel, two books of short stories, and two collections of essays. Chabon's visit to IU Bloomington is sponsored by the College of Arts and Humanities Institute, whose director Andrea Ciccarelli has called Chabon "one of the most accomplished and sought-after fiction authors writing in the English language."
- Read the news release.
- Visit Michael Chabon's official website.
Kokomo To Play Starring Role In Documentary
The British-born documentary filmmaker Danny Lomax has been focusing his lens on Kokomo, Indiana. His online documentary is to tell the story of downtown Kokomo, the economic climate of which bears some resemblance to that of Lomax's hometown, Lower Falinge in Rochdale, England, where 865 of every 1,030 adults are unemployed. Kokomo, which has suffered unemployment as high as 20%, was ranked one of America's top ten cities where unemployment has hit hardest in Forbes magazine in 2009.
- Read the article in Forbes.
- Read about Lomax and filming the documentary in the Indy Star.
Indiana Review Represented At National Bookfair
The national literary organization AWP, or Association of Writers and Writing Programs, held its annual conference February 2-5 in Washington, D.C. Among the hundreds of small presses and literary journals at the bookfair was the Indiana Review, the 29-year-old nonprofit literary journal run by graduate students in creative writing at IU Bloomington. Says editor Alessandra Simmons, "Despite the icy [weather in Indiana], Indiana Review made it out to AWP and enjoyed meeting writers and past contributors. We successfully sold out of the journals we brought and promoted our upcoming issues, and prizes."
- Learn about AWP, which will be held in Chicago next year.
- Visit the website for the Indiana Review, or the journal's blog, Under the Blue Light.Â
Crown Point Library To Begin Construction In May
Officials in Crown Point, Indiana, have allocated $12 million to the construction of a new library at the north end of the downtown square. The funds come in large part from bonds sold by the city. The city's Historical Preservation Committee approved a courtyard design and red brick exterior for the new building, which is scheduled to open in 2013.
- Read about the new library in the Indy Star.
Jacobs School Faculty Member To Be Concertmaster In Dallas
Indiana University Jacobs School of Music professor Alexander Kerr has been appointed concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the school announced last week. He will share the role with his co-concertmaster, violinist Nathan Olson. Kerr will continue as principal guest concertmaster of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, a position he has remained in since 2007. He will also maintain his post as full-time professor of music at the Jacobs School.
- Read the news at the IU Newsroom.