"I'm surprised that some people think that artists shouldn't write criticism," says Phoenix classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz, who last week faced questions about his ethics from the Boston Globe because an orchestra he covers was setting his poetry to music. "I can't believe that there is anything wrong with anyone, let alone a teacher and artist who also happens to be a critic, taking part in a worthy educational enterprise such as this one, a modest effort to further the education of a handful of young classical musicians," says the Pulitzer-winning critic. "It's a sad state of affairs that anyone thinks this service to a new generation of composers and musicians compromises my standing as a critic."
Phoenix classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz has signed a contract with the Boston Symphony Orchestra to have some of his poems set to music, which he will be paid for. The Globe's Geoff Edgers thinks this crosses an ethical line, since Schwartz covers the orchestra. But Phoenix executive editor Peter Kadzis disagrees, telling the Globe that Schwartz, who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1994, "works in the now waning tradition of artist/critic, not unlike Virgil Thomson. That the Tanglewood fellows would choose to set his poetry to music is a mark of distinction, not a compromise." The Poynter Institute's Al Tompkins tells the Globe that, while the arrangement isn't that egregious, "it presents, if not a conflict, the appearance of conflict of interest. You can avoid this conflict by, at minimum, paying your own way or having the paper pay your way."
The Phoenix and ThePhoenix.com have unveiled the inaugural "50 Bands/50 States": a declaration of the Best All-Time Band, Best All-Time Solo Artist, and the Best New Band from each of the 50 states. The project also includes an interactive component, with three "people's choice" awards, in which readers can cast ballots via mobile phone or the internet to determine the winner in three undecided contests. "I'm feeling bloodied and bruised," says Phoenix editor Lance Gould. "This list led to so many arguments, hurt feelings, and actual skin abrasions that we could use some medical attention. Luckily, California's Dr. Dre made the list."
Mayor Thomas M. Menino has proposed capping at 300 the number of boxes a publisher could place in the city and charging them $25 per box per year, plus a $300 annual fee to receive a certificate of compliance, the Boston Globe reports. The ordinance would have to be approved by the City Council, which yesterday sent it to a committee. "We only have so much room on the sidewalk for news boxes," says a spokeswoman for Menino. "We think 300 news boxes per publication is generous in order to cover the city." City records show that no publication has 300 boxes yet, though several are close, including Boston's Weekly Dig, which currently has 284. Boston Phoenix circulation director Jim Dorgan tells the Globe the new fees are significant -- AAN's quick calculation shows that a publisher with the max of 300 boxes would pay $7,800 a year. He also says that another aspect of the ordinance, which precludes a publisher from having two news boxes for the same publication within 150 feet of each other, is "very restrictive."
Both the Boston Phoenix and Boston's Weekly Dig have been "a springboard" for journalists from the university, BU Daily reports. Among the alums on the Beantown alt-weekly scene are Phoenix founder Stephen Mindich and senior managing editor Clif Garboden; Dig art director Tak Toyoshima and staff writer Chris Faraone; and countless others, including former Phoenix reporter Kristen Lombardi, who broke the story of Cardinal Bernard Law's protection of pedophile priests, and former Phoenix media critic Mark Jurkowitz, who is currently the associate director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism. "[BU] is a great resource for us," says Dig publisher Jeff Lawrence. "These kids come out with great energy and a sense that they want to do something different."
Smith, who wrote about dance for the Boston Phoenix, the Village Voice, and many other publications, has died, the Voice reports. A memorial will be held at a date to be determined in May.
Michael Brodeur, who replaces Matt Ashare, will start his tenure at the Phoenix on March 31. "Since Michael started writing for the Phoenix this past year, I have come to know him as someone who is tirelessly searching out new musical experiences, and someone who sees music as a vital place where pop culture defines itself," says Phoenix editor Lance Gould. Brodeur left the Dig in a Sept. 2007 restructuring.
The Phoenix is reporting that Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis has ordered a review of evidence in the wrongful conviction of Stephan Cowans, following a report last month in the Phoenix that raised questions about possible police misconduct. The head of the department's homicide unit will examine ballistics, fingerprints, and other materials from the case, which will determine whether an internal-affairs investigation will begin against officers involved in the case. Cowans was exonerated in 2004, after spending six-and-a-half years in prison for the non-fatal shooting of a Boston police officer. The Phoenix's story reported on evidence suggesting that officers may have forged fingerprint documents and concealed evidence that the officer was not shot with his own weapon, as he testified. Cowans, who received a $3.2 million settlement from the city in 2006, was murdered in his home this past October.
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