‘How to Be Both’ offers two stories with playful cleverness

Ali Smith is a playful writer, but her sense of fun thrives in unlikely places. It’s evident in the language of the terrible death of the young chambermaid in a dumbwaiter in Hotel World (“Woooooooo-hooooooo what a fall what a soar what a plummet what a dash into dark into light what a plunge what a glide thud crash what a drop what a rush what a swoop what a fright what a mad hushed skirl what a smash mush mash-up broke and gashed what a heart in my mouth what an end.”)It’s there in the title a

BooksJan. 1, 2015

Gerritsen’s ‘Die Again’ is rock solid thriller

Die AgainBy Tess Gerritsen (Ballantine)Tess Gerritsen delivers another outstanding thriller in her continuing series featuring Boston police Detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles. The murder of a big game hunter spurs the duo into action. The victim was bound and hung upside down like a hunter stringing up his prey after a successful kill. His body was also cut open in a style reminiscent of being trimmed for meat consumption. The autopsy reveals the cause of death was like

BooksJan. 1, 2015

Tale of Kansas pastor who fought fascism

Democracy’s Defender: The Life of L.M. BirkheadBy Jim Grebe (Lulu Publishing Services)The U.S. Senate censured Joseph McCarthy on Dec. 2, 1954, for behavior “contrary to senatorial traditions.”The previous day, Leon Birkhead, former Kansas City Unitarian pastor, had been found dead in his New York City hotel room.Birkhead, who had been receiving treatment for cancer, long had battled those he considered enemies of tolerance and free thought.McCarthy, the red-baiting Wisconsin senator, had been B

BooksJan. 1, 2015

Gaia Vince asks if it’s possible to fix the Earth

Adventures in the AnthropoceneBy Gaia Vince (Milkweed Editions)In her new book, “Adventures in the Anthropocene,” science writer Gaia Vince lays out for inspection the damage that human beings have wrought on the Earth: polluted oceans, depleted stocks of wildlife, burned-out forests. The list goes on. And with global warming comes a host of new problems, some we’ve been reluctant to admit, even as climatologists announced last month that 2014 was the warmest year on record.It’s enough to ask: I

BooksJan. 1, 2015

‘Haunted’ lacks action in visceral Florida visit

HauntedBy Randy Wayne White (Putnam)Randy Wayne White has built a legacy exploring Florida’s history and ecology. But an evocative look at Florida and its often ignored role in the Civil War can’t make up for a lack of action in “Haunted,” his third novel about Hannah Smith, a Gulf Coast fishing guide and private detective.“Haunted” is more like a visit with an old friend who’s having a really unusual adventure ― and working on an entry into ancestry.com ― than the action White has brought to hi

BooksJan. 1, 2015

Performances to look out for in 2015

A new year always brings with it a sense of anticipation. For culture lovers in Korea, 2015 seems to have plenty of things to look out for, from a chance to see the world’s hottest conductor today in action to original productions of hit musicals getting Korean runs. Here are some of the year’s most anticipated shows and performances in music, theater and performing arts. Classical music Fans of classical music are already buzzing about the coming performances of world-class orchestras in Seoul

CultureDec. 31, 2014

Farewell horse, welcome sheep

After a turbulent 2014, the New Year has finally arrived. In what feels like a nice respite, 2015 is the Year of the Sheep, a meek and gentle creature often associated with peace, harmony and compatibility. The sheep is the eighth animal in the 12-year cycle. It is the guardian animal for the time between 1 and 3 p.m. The previous sheep year was 2003. Year of the Sheep or the Goat? In Chinese, the animal sign for 2015 is “yang,” an inclusive term for various horned ruminating mammals. So, Year o

CultureDec. 31, 2014

How VOD grosses of ‘The Interview’ could change the game

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Sony appears to have a win-win with “The Interview.” Not only did the studio score a moral victory by releasing the film in the face of hacker threats, the movie made at least $15 million from more than 2 million digital rentals and purchases in its first four days. On Friday, it seemed unlikely we’d ever know if the simultaneous ― or “day and date” ― strategy paid off. Now, it’s tempting to suggest this may be the start of a brave new world of distribution. Add in the $2.8 mi

FilmDec. 31, 2014

Novelist Gong Ji-young accuses netizens of libel

Best-selling novelist Gong Ji-young sued seven netizens for libel, claiming they circulated a false rumor about her private life and posted malicious comments online. Gong filed a complaint with the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office against the netizens, who are accused of posting sexually insulting comments on major newspaper websites, Facebook and Twitter between December 2012 and November 2014, according to Yonhap. The nature of the rumor was not specified.“Gong is well aware that as

BooksDec. 31, 2014

Baby, it’s gold inside

PHILADELPHIA ― Gold has moved beyond deck-the-halls festive into the glitzy realm of must-have fashion.It’s the season for gleaming flecks to sparkle on fluttering eyelids and glisten on mistletoe-ready lips. A bronzy link chain, instead of a ribbon, on tuxedo-style trousers is happy-hour sultry. And shimmering, silky pantsuits are both retro and relevant.Once civilization’s most sought-after metal, gold shines brightest this year in classic yellow. But copper and rose blends, especially on sequ

Arts & DesignDec. 29, 2014

‘Hobbit’ wins, ‘Interview’ has strong VOD sales

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Audiences had their pick of genres during the Christmas weekend, but despite a host of fresh arrivals, splashy holiday fare like “Unbroken” and “Into the Woods” proved no match for “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.” “The Interview,” meanwhile, wowed with $15 million from its over 2 million online rentals and purchases. The final installment in Peter Jackson’s trilogy marched to the top spot once again with an estimated $41.4 million take across the weekend ($54.5 inc

FilmDec. 29, 2014

Korea becomes third most popular destination for Chinese tourists

South Korea has become the third most popular destination for mainland Chinese tourists after Hong Kong and Macau. The number of Chinese tourists to Korea has seen double-digit growth over the past couple of years. The figure is expected to reach 6.1 million by the end of this year, up about 40.9 percent from 2013. The number grew 51.5 percent from 2012 to 2013. Korea benefits from the growing number of mainland Chinese travelers, which is expected to exceed 100 million by the end of this year.

TravelDec. 29, 2014

[Herald Interview] The mind behind ‘Pop Danthology’

From the humorously trend-setting era of hammer pants to the present day hip-hop infused electro-psychedelic pop, the music world is certainly no stranger to the constantly changing and ever-so-inventive modern fads and phases. Much thanks to YouTube, technological innovation and sheer musical genius, the art of mash-ups is becoming one of the hottest trends in the music industry today. The 2012 Hollywood blockbuster “Pitch Perfect” helped rocket song mashing into the global, mainstream limeligh

PerformanceDec. 29, 2014

Seoul’s multicultural values master plan for foreign residents

The number of foreign residents in Seoul has now reached about 410,000, accounting for about one in every twenty-five people. This changing demographic of Seoul has motivated the city administration to develop policies to support the foreign residents of the city. As a result, the city is currently carrying out a variety of initiatives to create an advanced, multi-cultural cosmopolitan community built on the basis of cultural diversity, thereby improving the quality of life of its foreign reside

Life&CultureDec. 29, 2014

Let’s talk about men

Korea has seen brisk discussion of feminism and improvement in the status of women over the past decades. In Korea’s patriarchal society, securing women’s rights was a victory and promised a balanced development of society. For several years, though, men have been complaining about their weakening rights and positions in family and society. The shrinking dominance of males has been ridiculed and satirized on a comedy show that created the so-called “Committee for the Restoration of Male Human Ri

CultureDec. 28, 2014

Guitarist doesn’t miss day of Vegas Cirque work

LAS VEGAS (AP) ― It’s easy to miss Bruce Rickerd during the “Mystere” show at Treasure Island especially when there’s a man balancing upside-down on the foot of another, or a giant inflatable snail emerging from the massive moving stage or the gasp-inducing drops from acrobats above. But he’s there ― up high on the right or rather, stage left ― playing guitar in just about the same place he’s been for every one of the 10,000 shows come Saturday in the 21-year history of “Mystere” as he and the r

PerformanceDec. 28, 2014

[Herald Review] Reliving adolescent bliss with ‘The Nutcracker’

While for some, the holiday season is about bundling up by a crackling fire, bellowing out some of Irving Berlin’s most cherished carols or guzzling down a cold cup of hard eggnog, for others it’s not quite complete without the sounds of whimsical percussion bells and the air of innocence in one of the ballet world’s most beloved holiday tales ― “The Nutcracker.”Saturated in festive tradition and Christmas nostalgia, the century-old production continues to spread cheer all around and remains a m

PerformanceDec. 28, 2014