Today marks the publication of the inaugural issue of the Saturday Wall Street Journal. It also marks my debut as a columnist for the “Pursuits” section of the new Saturday paper. In “Sightings,” to be published every other week in “Pursuits,” I’ll be covering the arts in America. Here’s a taste of my first column:
Remember “View of the World From 9th Avenue,” the 1976 New Yorker cover in which Saul Steinberg depicted New York City as the outsized capital of a squashed-together U.S.? It’s still good for a laugh–but when it comes to the arts in America, Mr. Steinberg’s comically chauvinistic scene bears little resemblance to reality….
I live and work in New York, and I’m happy to be here. Still, I learned long ago that if you want to stay in touch with the best of what’s happening right now, you’ve got to look beyond the city limits–no matter where you live. The Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Carolina Ballet, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Miami City Ballet, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Washington’s Phillips Collection, the San Francisco Symphony: All rank high on my personal list of America’s top arts organizations, and all are a long, long way from Ninth Avenue….
The Journal has been kind enough to post a free link to Saturday’s “Sightings” column. To read the whole thing, go here.