Opera singer, Eric Owens is glad to be back in the United States so he can sing in his native language of English. Speaking of his experience with singing in Italian and German, he says, “Even if you get really fluent, there’s always a certain amount of disconnect, because you didn’t grow up with the language. When I sing American music, it’s really satisfying to identify and connect so well with the text.”
This past fall, Owens sang in the National Symphony Orchestra’s “Messiah” and the Washington National Opera’s “Barber of Seville.” He is scheduled to perform during the “America Sings in the Nation’s Capitol” festival organized by the Vocal Arts Society this spring.
The former bass now considers himself bass-baritone. “My top has always been pretty descent,” he says, referring to the highest notes he is capable of singing.
I think it is ridiculous that officials are lowering themselves to ethnocentric and racist means. Thankfully Hosny lost the bid for the director general of Unesco. A cultural agency does not need to be plagued with racist ideas. Instead of using famous and beautiful artwork for political pawns, it should be cared for and enjoyed by the public.
Egypt’s chief archaeologist, Zahi Hawass, claims Germany stole a 3,500 year-old bust of Nefertiti almost a century ago and insists it be returned. Germans maintain that Nefertiti was found by Ludwig Borchardt at Tel el Amarna in 1912 and that the Egyptians gave him permission to take it to Berlin.
Furthermore, Hawass demands France return five fresco fragments, which were bought at gallery auctions in 2000 and 2003 and are currently displayed in the Louvre. He also suspended the Louvre’s excavation in Saqqara, Egypt and threatened to stop collaborating with exhibitions at the museum.
Officials from Germany and France did not overlook the fact that Hawass made his accusations directly after Farouk Hosny, Egypt’s culture minister, lost a bid to become director general of Unesco, the United Nation’s cultural agency. Jewish groups campaigned against him due to his racism against Israelis and Jews. For example, when questioned about the presence of Israeli books in Alexandria’s library by Egypt’s Parliament, he replied, “Let’s burn these books. If there are any, I will burn them myself before you.”
But when asked about his timing, Hawass asserted that there was no connection between his case about the pieces of art from Germany and France and Hosny’s lost bid. Unfortunately, the main reason behind Hawass’s claims is extreme nationalism. The artwork turned into “a political football” and resulted in racism and ethnocentrism.
I am intrigued at how successful Temple Grandin has been in her field of work. I think this is definitely a beam of hope for parents with children that have autism. Grandin proved that being autistic does not mean that you cannot live an accomplished life. I look forward to reading “Thinking in Pictures: My Life With Autism” and watching the HBO movie “Temple Grandin.”
In her autobiography “Thinking in Pictures: My Life With Autism,” Temple Grandin describes her life with autism and her ability to become a very successful woman despite many setbacks. The HBO movie “Temple Grandin,” in which Claire Danes is the lead role, allows viewers to watch her colorful and vibrant life on their televisions. It makes its debut on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 8 p.m.
Grandin, whose autism was diagnosed when she was young, was born in 1947 in Boston, Ma. Her mother and teachers were extremely helpful in allowing Grandin to prove she was a very smart and talented woman. She loves animals and became a prestigious animal behaviorist and livestock consultant. She is well-known for creating humane slaughterhouses.
Grandin credits her autism for her accomplishments. She claims the hypersensitivity and distinctive vision caused by autism allowed her to become attuned to animals’ emotions and the details of agricultural engineering.
The HBO movie “Temple Grandin” is an excellent depiction of Grandin’s life with autism. It allows viewers a glimpse inside Grandin’s world, which is filled with vibrant images that pop into her head. Grandin describes these images as “full-cover movies, complete with sound, which run like a VCR tape in my head,” in her autobiography. Claire Danes portrays the anxiety and fear Grandin feels from the sights and sounds of the world. For example, when her mother sends her to Arizona for the summer, she sees how cows become calm in squeeze chutes, which are metal devices that press against cows to keep them still when they are given vaccinations. Grandin then creates her own squeeze chute to help her relieve anxiety.
Although she does have many supporters, Grandin was still forced to endure much criticism by some students and teachers who believed her autism made her less credible in her field of work. But despite this criticism, she continues to be success in working with animals and is a beam of hope for parents with autistic children.
