Ralph Fiennes’ “Coriolanus” is not your typical toga-and-sandals Shakespeare. It’s camouflage-and-combat boots Shakespeare, it’s gritty, it’s graffitied. Although the actor and first-time director is faithful to the Bard’s text, setting his tale of usurpation and political upheaval in the city-state of Rome, it looks more like Bosnia, or Beirut.Slabs of grim modernist architecture, the rubble and debris of poverty and conflict, TV monitors reporting news of rioting and war ― Fiennes’ “Coriolanus

Friends Like Us By Lauren Fox(Knopf) As I read Lauren Fox’s new novel, I dog-eared the pages with witty lines, or impressively bitter ones, or ones that made me laugh.Please forgive me, Alfred A. Knopf, for what I’ve done to your book. I hadn’t intended to make origami out of it.Willa, her narrator, describes her parents’ marriage as “another planet, a harsh, extraterrestrial climate ― scalding mornings followed by blue-black evenings so frigid no life could possible be sustained there.”She take

City as Art ― 100 Notable Works of Architecture in SeoulBy Yim Seok-jae(Hollym)From Gyeongbokgung to the old Seoul Station, it’s easy to spot historically significant buildings in Seoul. The city boasts a long history dating back to the Three Kingdoms period (B.C. 57-A.D. 688) and served as the national capital of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897) for some 600 years. And as a result of rapid modernization and economic development in the last 60 years, Seoul also houses skyscrapers as well as other

After “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Taylor Armstrong’s husband, Russell, killed himself in August 2011, Armstrong could have pulled back from the spotlight. Instead, she sought comfort in it.Five weeks after her husband’s death, Armstrong appeared on “Dr. Phil,” speaking about allegations that later would be unleashed on the Bravo reality TV series: that Russell physically and emotionally abused her. Six months after Russell’s death, she has released a tell-all book about their marriag

Applications will soon open for this year’s grant for Korean literary translation, research and publication in overseas countries, the Daesan Foundation announced this week.The annual support fund each year selects some 25 applicants who wish to translate Korean works of literature into foreign languages, research Korean literature overseas and publish their translated work of Korean literary works in foreign countries. Applicants for Korean literary translation category must choose one piece of

Some 300 authors from 114 countries will be visiting Korea in September, including Nobel literary prize winners Orhan Pamuk, Wole Soyinka, and Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio, to attend the 78th International PEN Congress in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.A London-based international association of writers, International PEN has been hosting the congress, which consists of networking and literary events and lectures, in cities around the world. The event has been held in Korea twice before in

Austrian musical brings touching portrayal of legendary empressThere was a standing ovation, cheers and prolonged applause. Austrian musical “Elisabeth,” which kicked off its first show on Feb. 9, managed to captivate the local audience during its first week, in spite of a number of flaws.The musical, which portrays the life and death of the real-life iconic Austrian empress Elisabeth von Wittelsbach (1837-1898), is being staged in Korea for the first time. Former girl group FIN.K.L member-turne

 ISPA CEO David Baile says Korean arts scene ‘progressive’The month of June will be an exciting month for Korea’s performing arts scene as the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) Congress will held in Seoul for the first time. The six-day event will bring some of the most influential performing arts figures together here, including Sydney Opera House’s chief executive Richard Evans, New York Philharmonic Orchestra’s executive director Zarin Mehta and Singapore’s Esplanade CEO Be

Actor Cho Jae-hyun will teach at Sungshin Women’s University’s College of Convergence Arts, the school announced last week.The 46-year-old will be teaching two acting courses ― basic acting and “acting and documentaries” ― starting next month at the school’s department of acting for visual media. The Convergence Arts College was founded last year, with Son Seung-hwan, CEO of PMC Production and the producer of homegrown hit musical “Nanta,” taking charge as its president.Cho, who holds a master’s

Howling (Korea) Opening Feb. 16Crime. Thriller. Directed by Yoo Ha. Detective Sang-gil (Song Kang-ho), who is desperate for promotion, gets annoyed when he is assigned to work with an inexperienced junior Eun-young (Lee Na-young) for what looks like a suicide case. Eun-young finds out that it is in fact a murder case involving a giant wolf-dog. Being the only female detective in her team, socially inept Eun-young endures the low expectations, lewd jokes and even sexual harassment by her macho te

When Universal Pictures hired Daniel Espinosa to direct its rogue CIA agent thriller “Safe House,” the studio knew it was rolling the dice. The Swedish filmmaker had never made an English-language feature, he hadn’t worked with stars near the magnitude of “Safe House” leads Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, and he was graduating from a $4-million Nordic drug drama to an $85-million production.None of that prepared executives for the first batch of footage Espinosa sent back to California from

Glimpse into Joseon’s royal culture Joseon Royal Court Culture Ceremonial and Daily LifeBy Shin Myung-ho(Dolbegae Publishers)Ever wondered what it would be like to be a king during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897)? According to scholar Shin Myung-ho’s intriguing historical account “Joseon Royal Court Culture Ceremonial and Daily Life,” you would very often suffer an eye disease, as you’d spend most of your time reading all sorts of documents, and no one would dare look at your face without your ap

Last fall, the Library of America released two volumes featuring authors who wrote during the Harlem Renaissance, that vague early 20th-century era when black novelists, artists, poets, musicians, essayists and even publishers pushed black culture to the forefront.The Harlem Renaissance served the purpose, awakening whites to the injustice of racism and assuring blacks that they weren‘t alone.But the stories of the time were often what is now standard fare for Black History Month in February. Di

For an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, Shmuley Boteach has a deeply unorthodox streak.The best-selling author and TV host has written books on “Kosher Sex,” “Dating Secrets of the 10 Commandments” and his relationship with the late pop star Michael Jackson.But nothing he has done in a career as one of America’s best-known rabbis has caused quite the stir of his latest book. Even before its publication this month, Boteach came under withering attack in his own Orthodox community, with critics accusing him

When Universal Pictures hired Daniel Espinosa to direct its rogue CIA agent thriller “Safe House,” the studio knew it was rolling the dice. The Swedish filmmaker had never made an English-language feature, he hadn‘t worked with stars near the magnitude of “Safe House” leads Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, and he was graduating from a $4-million Nordic drug drama to an $85-million production.None of that prepared executives for the first batch of footage Espinosa sent back to California from

Namdaemun, Seoul’s historic gateway and National Treasure No. 1 which was severely damaged by arson in 2008, will be completely restored by December, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea. Friday marks the fourth anniversary of the arson.Currently, the restoration is about 70 percent complete. The damaged gate site, which has been cordoned off with a set of fences and a curtain, will be unveiled in August, prior to the completion of restoration. The administration said its r

Translation institute’s new director Kim stresses importance of international promotion of Korean literatureMore international networking and aggressive marketing are needed to better promote Korean literature overseas, said the newly appointed director of Korea Literature Translation Institute on Wednesday.“What local critics consider as an exceptional piece of literary work here may not be regarded the same way overseas,” Kim Seong-kon told The Korea Herald in his office in Samseong-dong, Seou

Translation institute’s new director Kim stresses importance of international promotion of Korean literatureMore international networking and aggressive marketing are needed to better promote Korean literature overseas, said the newly appointed director of Korea Literature Translation Institute on Wednesday.“What local critics consider as an exceptional piece of literary work here may not be regarded the same way overseas,” Kim Seong-kon told The Korea Herald in his office in Samseong-dong, Seou

Actress Lee Na-young returns as awkward detective in director Yoo Ha’s upcoming thrillerUpcoming thriller “Howling” is, ultimately, actress Lee Na-young’s movie.Though she is paired up with Chungmuro heavyweight Song Kang-ho, and his name outshines hers, the film was always supposed to be about the female detective character. That’s what director Yoo Ha had in mind during the pre-production of the upcoming thriller, which pivots around a serial murder case involving a giant wolf-dog and underage

Film council will back small-scale production houses and distributors;office slated to move to Busan in 2013The Korean Film Council will be supporting 33 Korean-foreign joint production films this year, as well as small-sale production houses and distributors, its officials announced in a press meeting in Myeong-dong, Seoul, Tuesday.The council kicked off the 2 billion won project for the 33 joint productions on Tuesday by announcing its official call for submissions. Fifteen applications will b