Articles on Art and the Arts

A Gentile’s Philip Roth: An Appreciation - Miles eulogizes his friend and literary giant Philip Roth (March 19, 1933 – May 22, 2018). Published in Commonweal, May 29, 2018.

A once unimaginable scenario: No more newspapers - Miles and Douglas McClennan look to the future of publishing news, from the Washington Post's World Post, March 21, 2018.

Rape, New Criticism and the Humanities Core Course - Miles looks at rape in literature and the intended effects of the authors in light of the old theory of New Criticism, from UCI's website, February 2, 2017.

Poetry as Nonfiction - How to classify poetry, with some help from Pope, published in Poetry magazine November 20th, 2007.

Better Living Through Art - Russia's economy is in shambles, and its social system is controlled by criminals; some are proclaiming that Russia is finished as a force in the world. Russian art, on the other hand, after a difficult decade, seems to be doing better and better. Can Russia-the-country learn some lessons from Russia-the-art? By Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan, from Arts Journal's Arts Watch, published June 6, 2001.

In Country - The Battle for National Cultures - Canadian support for their own culture may seem impressive from the outside, but take away the loaded deck and what's left? Are cultural subsidies the only way to preserve national cultures? By Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan, from Arts Journal's Arts Watch, published May 9, 2001.

Global Crossing - Countries around the world struggle to shore up their local cultures in the face of pervasive and seductive American popular culture. Are Americans the bad guys? Part I - The Movies. By Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan, from Arts Journal's Arts Watch, published April 27, 2001.

The Next Big Thing? - Some critics say there's no such thing as digital art. Some museums and curators say different. Now that digital has hit the Whitney and SFMOMA, can artworld credibility be far behind? By Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan, from Arts Journal's Arts Watch, published April 18, 2001.

Going Off-Script - What if TV and movie writers go out on strike and no one notices? Fact is - no one will. If last summer's Screen Actors Guild strike was any indication, viewers aren't likely to care - or even notice - if movie writers go out on strike next month. Nothing against writers, but movies are about a lot more than the script. By Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan, from Arts Journal's Arts Watch, published April 13, 2001.

The Dance Problem - Archaeologists suggest that dance may be the oldest art form. But of all the major arts, dance seems to struggle the most to survive. Is it somehow a lesser art? By Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan, from Arts Journal's Arts Watch, published April 6, 2001.

Pantheon is Dead, Long Live Pantheon - an article about the publisher. From the Los Angeles Times, published March 18, 1990.

The Politics of Saving Art - The urge to conserve works of art is powerful (witness worldwide outcries over the Taliban's destruction of art). But increasingly the question has to be asked: Conserve what? And for what? Conservation often has more to do with the present than the past. By Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan, from Arts Journal's Arts Watch, published April 4, 2001.

Portrait of the Artist as an Iconoclast - In the art world, irreverence sells, but reverence sells better, published on Beliefnet April, 2001.

Thankless Jobs - Who wants to head up an arts organization these days? Really. Do it poorly and the world dissects your mistakes. Do it well and it can be even worse. By Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan, , from Arts Journal's Arts Watch, published March 30, 2001.

Silencing the Great Violins - Violins aren't just musical instruments, they're also - unfortunately for musicians - art. Increasingly, only banks and investors can afford to own them. Are musicians just out of luck? By Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan, from Arts Journal's Arts Watch, published March 23, 2001.

The Thundering Herd - The fiberglass art animals are taking over. From a humble exhibit on the streets of Zurich in 1999, the artist-decorated Animals-on-Parade concept has swept the US. Why? Some say it's because the public has fallen in love with them. Others contend it's for the money (Chicago raised $3 million selling its cows) But maybe someone should take a hard look at the Swiss. They may appear harmless, but... By Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan, from Arts Journal's Arts Watch, published March 20, 2001.

Biting Back at Toothless Critics - Why the thumbs up/down review has damaged critics' power to set agendas. By Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan, from Arts Journal's Arts Watch, published March 14, 2001.

The Slow-Motion Revolution - For some time now e-publishing has been the hype and hope of the publishing industry. But lately the revolution has seemed to sputter. Is it because the technology isn't there yet or is it the way publishing's power structure is set up? By Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan, from Arts Journal's Arts Watch, published March 9, 2001.

The Essential Napster - Wondering about the fuss over Napster? Check out ArtsJournal's annotated primer on the subject. It should surprise no one that the issue is neither about the sacred principle of intellectual property rights nor about the need for fair compensation to artists. It's about who gets to keep the profits of a lucrative worldwide multi-billion-dollar business. By Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan, from Arts Journal's Arts Watch, published March 2, 2001.

A Cure for Blockbusteritis - If museums get tangled up in themselves chasing the next blockbuster show, maybe a New World Order for museums is called for. Maybe something French perhaps? By Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan , from Arts Journal's Arts Watch, published February 28, 2001.

Is Classical Music Dying? For some time now, the classical music press has been holding a virtual deathwatch. But what does the evidence really say? By Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan, from Arts Journal's Arts Watch, published February 23, 2001.

Blockbusteritis - Museums seem more and more obsessed by the blockbuster show, the need to program "event" exhibitions designed to pull in the crowds to prove their success. It's long been a question whether such shows serve art. But do they even serve the institutions themselves? By Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan, from Arts Journal's Arts Watch, published February 21, 2001.