“A self-published author has beaten names including Lee Child, James Patterson and Stieg Larsson to become the bestselling ebook author on Amazon.co.uk for the last three months of 2011, the online retailer said on Wednesday.”
Month: February 2012
Opposition To Amazon Mounts Among Booksellers
“The cold war between north American booksellers and Amazon has hotted up this week, with the booksellers joining together to announce that they will not be selling any of the titles published by the online retailer.”
Why Is It Taking So Long For Women Composers To Be Heard?
“For some reason, it’s taking a lot longer than in literature and the visual arts to reach equilibrium. It was deemed (just about) acceptable by the 19th century for female writers to be published, yet it’s only in the last couple of decades that female composers have really emerged, blinking, out of their garrets and into publishing houses and record label offices; so, without a little helping hand, there might be a long way to go yet. So wherefore the imbalance?”
Pop Art – Just An Expensive Way Not To Think?
“When, then, did pop art become mind candy, bubblegum, an uncritical adoration of bright lights and synthetic colours? Probably when money got involved, and Warhol was shot, never again to be as brave as he was in the 60s, or when Jeff Koons gave Reaganomics its art, or when Damien Hirst made his tenth million. Who knows? The moment when pop art sank from radical criticism to bland adulation is impossible to pinpoint.”
Is The Art Market Out Of Control? (At Least It Needs Some Supervision)
“As the art business continues to globalise, its growth depends upon making scholarship reliable and accessible. Because, in the end, the experts are the only candidates who can provide the adult supervision the market desperately craves.”
Hungarian Government Cracks Down On The Arts
“The government, led by Viktor Orban, stands accused of systematically replacing key figures in cultural institutions, staging pro-government exhibitions, rethinking permanent museum displays and replacing historic statues to fit its political agenda.”
Canadian Movie Box Office Down Slightly In 2011
“Gross box-office revenue in Canada for the year totalled $1.001-billion, a 3 per cent decline from 2010. Canadian films accounted for about 3 per cent of that, grossing $28.3-million in total, down 16 per cent from the $33.5-million tallied in 2010.”
Your Brain: Jolted Into Remembering
“Researchers have found that sending an electrical jolt to a part of the brain that plays a key role in memory improved people’s ability to learn — and remember — their way across an unfamiliar landscape.”
How Science Fiction Has Changed The Real World
“If the scientific community wants to engage and inform the public, science fiction is an excellent strategy. Stories captivate people, they survive the test of time, and they become part of the popular culture.”
Battles At Miami City Ballet Over Villella’s (Apparently Forced) Retirement
The company “is being split by controversy over founder and artistic director Edward Villella’s earlier-than-expected retirement, announced last September in a way that shocked company members and the dance world. … [Some] board members, major donors and dancers are questioning the decision and contend he was forced out at the apex of his career.”