James Grippando, the Miami lawyer-turned-bestselling crime writer, used to be able to produce books faster than publishers could publish them. That’s no longer true, thanks to digital technology. But that doesn’t mean he’s slowed the pace. “It’s been more than a book a year for a while now,” says Grippando, who has two novels scheduled for the first half of this year, and an … [Read more...]
‘While We’re Young’ panders and lectures, losing Baumbach’s spark
I must concede that my love for Noah Baumbach’s cinema is at least partly founded on the belief that he’s writing for me, and a cultish minority of other mes out there, and not the mass populace that fills multiplexes for comic-book sequels and Kevin Hart buddy movies. Like his antecedent Whit Stillman, his best films have talked up to their audience, not down. While the rest … [Read more...]
Jazzman Batiste looks ahead while looking back to New Orleans roots
The recently completed four-season HBO series Treme brought post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, and the city’s deep musical history, back into the spotlight. Appearances by New York City-based jazz pianist and vocalist Jon Batiste also elevated the stylish young rising star a rung higher, something that’s no coincidence, since Treme was partly based on his own family’s … [Read more...]
With ‘Old Times,’ Dramaworks takes on the puzzle of Pinter
Seven years ago, director J. Barry Lewis introduced Palm Beach Dramaworks’ up-for-any-challenge audience to the enigmatic work of Harold Pinter with a production of Betrayal. While some theatergoers were taken aback by its reverse chronology, that play was relatively straightforward compared to the next Pinter shoe to drop. Opening this Friday and continuing through March 2, … [Read more...]
Chance find brings French master’s work back to light
Before he knew the name, title and exact age, the Norton Museum’s curatorial associate for European art knew the piece in front of him was something exceptional. Past the cracks, layers of dust and the darkness that had settled, he knew. “When I first saw the work, my adrenalin was pumping,” Jerry Dobrick said. “I knew it was a superb painting, no matter who had painted it.” … [Read more...]
Two artists of the fleeting at Boca Museum
The work of artists Victor Matthews and Paolo Nicola Rossini, now on view in Transitions at the Boca Raton Museum of Art, at first glance appears dramatically different. Yet Kathleen Goncharov, curator of exhibitions and audience engagement, who organized the show, sees a common theme in their work. “Both artists afford the viewer a glimpse into their subconscious and their … [Read more...]
Music roundup: The Adaskins, Hye-Jin Kim, and ‘Semele’
Editor’s note: Here are late reviews from three concerts held earlier this month. Adaskin String Trio (Jan. 10, Flagler Museum) The Adaskin String Trio did something at its Flagler Museum concert that only the better chamber groups do: Play unusual, rarely heard material with the same kind of commitment they expend on the standards. In its program Feb. 10 at the … [Read more...]
The View From Home 2: New releases on DVD
Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service (Disney’s Studio Ghibli) Release date: March 2 Standard list price: $19.99 each Girls always rule in the films of Hayao Miyazaki, Japan’s top animator and one of international cinema’s most empowering feminist voices. In his four most prominent Western exports – Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s … [Read more...]