duncan:
>Newspapers don't hire reporters who know anything about
>art/music/literature/theater.

check. partly what my testimony twere. well, to be fair, they sometimes
seem to have the -credentials-, but just go to show for what that's good.

>Or they collect up all the press releases and hold them until
>they're desperate to fill space, and then they rifle furiously through the
>pile until they find something -- ANYTHING -- that can be accomplished in,
>say, two hours.

check. the overwhelming bit of what i read, it seems. what press releases
have been held off until the last moment of utility.

speaking of, and in thinking of peeps ironically disappointed of what gig/party
they missed due to last minute announcing, there was an unintentionally
hilarious letter in the n&o today from a woman bemoaned the last minute
cancellation of the opera she wanted to see due to low ticket sales due to lack
of promotion, primarily blaming the n&o. she concluded by asking what this told
the opera company about the cultural standards in our city. hahaha. tell the
company. cultural standards. ahahahahaha.

something grady said i'd unnerstand.

>My summary of the attitude of many newspapers toward arts coverage:
>1. It's filler

as it is, yeah.

>2. It's for women

you are just trying to make ri mad.

>3. It takes space from sewer policy coverage

and soil and water conservation district supervisor board meeting minutes!

>4. Newspapers are not good places for abstractions, or the discussion of
>such things

like any discussion is not?

>5. Art is soft. Therefore, it is not news.

bullshit. that all discussion of art is perforated through and through with
the political is itself old news apparently unread.

i mean, take any 'aesthetic' 'conversation' on this list, let it -play out-,
and sooner or later summin will get the righteous idea of accuse summin else
of takin a moral high ground, as though an embedded morality could in any
way be excluded from such a die elected.

>6. Art is a luxury, and not an essential part of our lives.

nothing is essential, even life. everything is luxurious. ask ac lee to
quote some kant, as if that would validate.

everything is quite excessive.

hey, when you find some 'real' objectivity, then -that- would be news.

>It is simply a diversion from the real business of life, which is politics.

you are just trying to make ri mad.

bullshit. that all politics is perforated through and through with the
subjective is itself a dusty automatic drawing sitting in the archives.

you almost hit me at a time when i might could be drawn into that.
fuck, today's headline just makes me wanna go out a rent a fleet
of buses, paint nuck fewt onnem, and drive us all up to dc for a
little shouting match.

then there's the fuckers at the irs who wanna yank more money outta unc
so the gummint wont share it with gulf war babykillers who keep coughing
up blood cuzza what clintos endorses as post-traumatic stress syndrome.

and insteada publicizing opera, dey be publicizing the name of some kid
in juvie court -for voting-.

ha. the -business- of everything faux.

art is faux. politics is faux. there's nothing but art and politics.

>A letter writing campaign demanding more and better arts coverage, as corny
>as it may sound, would help change things. Seriously.

did i tell you about this letter i read in the n&o today?

duncan, you and diane keep posting, please. you're both breaths of fresh air.
i'd explain but i don't wanna be misunderstood about this particular point at
this particular time.

3.2.3