From Our Blogs

It’s a quintessential American narrative. A picture rises from humble beginnings on the streets of Los Angeles to become a pop culture icon -- and later gains entry to one of the nation’s leading art museums.

That’s the trajectory of Shepard Fairey’s portrait of Barack Obama, which will soon be hanging in the National Portrait Gallery.

The museum announced Wednesday that it has added a collage version of the picture -- which evolved from a piece of street art into the symbol of Obama’s presidential campaign -- to its collection. The work was donated by Heather and Tony Podesta.

The Portrait Gallery is better known for its collection of Gilbert Stuart paintings of George Washington than for street art, but curator Carolyn Kinder Carr said museum leaders felt that they had to have it.

“We all fell in love with it,” said Carr, who is the deputy director and chief curator. “We always like portraits that reflect a particular moment in history, and we like the fact that it is an image that resides in popular culture.”

Fairey’s collage will likely be on view at the Portrait Gallery by Jan. 17.

-- Kate Linthicum

From: Culture Monster: All the arts, all the time

For more, go to: latimes.com/culturemonster

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IDOL TRACKER

Sanjaya to release memoir, album

Of all the many paths across the Idol Nation, none has run over rockier terrain than that taken by Season Six antihero Sanjaya Malakar. Initially a not-implausible mid-range contender with a nice voice, when his talents ebbed in the upper reaches his behavior became stranger and often seemed in outward defiance against the machine. Eventually Sanjaya ended up hijacking Season Six as Idol haters rallied around his exotic name and appearance and wacky behavior.

Sanjaya’s post-Idol career has also been the source of much rumor and speculation. He has been publicly trashed by at least one of his Season Six comrades, mocked himself in an insurance ad and been reported missing by concert organizers wanting to hire him.

Well, now at last the complete Sanjaya story -- or his version of it -- will be told, in word and song! On Jan. 20 Sanjaya will release both a memoir and an album, both titled “Dancing to the Music in My Head: Memoirs of the People’s Idol.” Amazon has samples of a few tracks up for preview.

-- Richard Rushfield

From: Idoltracker: What you’re watching

For more, go to: latimes.com/idol

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BABYLON & BEYOND

Problems with election posters

Baghdad’s concrete blast walls make the perfect blank canvas for election posters, though candidates and their supporters have apparently started ripping down posters from the competition.

Judge Qasim Hasan Abodi, head of Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission, said several candidates and political parties have been warned about defacing posters -- as well as putting them in areas off-limits for posters, including government buildings and security checkpoints.

“We did put a fine on some political entities and we’re going to penalize more,” he said.

Breaking the rules can result in a fine ranging from $90 to $44,500.

Although many candidates are campaigning in person, posters seem to be the message delivery method of choice. It seems just about every blast wall, building and billboard in Baghdad is covered with posters and campaign promises.

The Madaniyoon group, which means “civilians,” announces its slate number, 460, on multiple posters and slogans. Among them:

“Vote for Madaniyoon 460 who will serve retirees and widows.”

“Madaniyoon list number 460: Our objective is to make sterilized water reach every house.”

-- Kimi Yoshino in Baghdad

From: Babylon & Beyond: Observations from Iraq, Iran, Israel, the Arab world and beyond

For more, go to: latimes.com/babylon

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BOOSTER SHOTS

Does bad flu season loom?

Flu season is underway in the United States, and it’s too early to predict whether the season will shape up to be mild or severe. But the verdict in Britain is in, and it’s bad.

The United Kingdom is having its worst flu season since 1999-2000, according to a story in the Daily Mail. The culprit is an H3N2 flu strain known as A/Brisbane/10/2007. As usually is the case with flu, the elderly are most at risk for life-threatening complications. But even large numbers of young and middle-aged adults are falling ill, in part, doctors say, because they are the least likely to have gotten a “jab,” or a flu shot.

Trends over the last 30 years show that when an H3N2 strain circulates, the influenza season tends to be more severe, according to Dr. Carolyn Bridges of the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The good news is that the Brisbane strain is one of three strains targeted by this year’s flu vaccine, in the United States as well as in Britain.

It’s not too late to get a flu shot, Bridges said. It takes about two weeks after a shot for the body to develop antibodies, but flu season doesn’t usually peak until February.

Unlike in previous years, there is an ample supply of vaccine this year.

-- Mary Engel

From: Booster Shots: Oddities, musings and some news from the world of health

For more, go to: latimes.com/boostershots