It's Oscar-time! The nominations for the 78th Academy Awards are due to be announced this Tuesday, January 30th, at 8:30 am, EST. And thus will begin my interminable, month-long wait for the awards show, and requisite four hours of red carpet pre-game.
While we're on the subject of nominations, there are several awards and honors which Henry Reed merits and deserves for his contributions to poetry and broadcasting:
Icons of England. A collection of cultural national treasures. Individuals don't qualify, but specific works like The Diary of Samuel Pepys and Oliver Twist can be voted on. Surely "Naming of Parts" deserves a nod?
The Radio Hall of Fame. Includes renowned broadcasting greats like Douglas Adams and "The Goon Show." Reed should be nominated for his legacy of work with the BBC's Third Programme: Moby Dick, and the award-winning Italian dramas; his intelligent talks on literature and music; and the famously-funny Hilda Tablet plays.
Blue Plaques. This December will mark the 20th anniversary of Henry Reed's death. Reaching this milestone, Reed will at last qualify for one of English Heritage's famed memorial tablets. If they can find a place to hang it....