Author: Douglas McLennan

UNIVERSITY PRESS

The president of McClelland & Stewart, donates 75 percent of the company’s shares to the University of Toronto. He says he made the extraordinary donation in order to avoid a sale that would see the legendary publishing house – one of Canada’s largest publishers – broken up into smaller pieces. – CBC

  • AN ASTONISHING THING TO DO: Gift has “astonished, befuddled and ultimately impressed the Canadian publishing community.” – National Post (Canada)
  • MANEUVERING BEHIND THE GIFT: For years, regulations have made it legally impossible for a foreign firm to buy majority control of a Canadian-owned publishing company. The theory is that Canadian culture flourishes best in institutions owned by Canadians, and M&S has been the spectacular proof: Many foreign firms operate here, but not one of them has ever approached the contribution of M&S to Canadian literature. The new arrangement does not violate the rules, but it uniquely allows Random House to play a part in the company’s future. That opens the deal to criticism that it violates the spirit though not the letter of the regulations. – National Post (Canada)

STILL MOZART TO DISCOVER

At the age of 69, after a full career, Alfred Brendel could certainly afford to ease up a bit. But he’s just discovered Mozart. “He still plays around 90 concerts a year – 90 repetitions of the experience he once described as ‘the sudden burst of sweat in a spasm of anxiety’. Last year saw him performing in 53 towns and cities from Tokyo to Minnesota, from New York to Plush, Dorset.” – The Guardian

ENDANGERED SPECIES

The National Trust for Historic Preservation releases a list of 11 places it calls “most endangered, including the summer home in Washington where Abraham Lincoln drafted the Emancipation Proclamation. ‘We either save them now or we lose them forever.'” – CNN

MEXICAN ART TAKES HIT

Last month the Museo de Monterrey – one of Mexico’s leading art museums – closed when the industrial group FEMSA announced that it was pulling its support. The consensus in Mexico is that a new generation of corporate leaders is abandoning its predecessors’ commitment to arts and cultural institutions.” – San Antonio Express-News

AFTER ALL THAT FUSS —

— about rating TV shows for violence and content, new studies show that parents aren’t using the ratings. “Two in five parents have a V-chip or other form of technology to block out objectionable programming, one study found, and half of those with the devices use them. But the researchers found that awareness of the age and content ratings put on shows, such as TV-G (suitable for all ages), to be used in conjunction with the V-chips, has dropped from 70% in 1997 to just 50% this year. Furthermore, nine out of 10 parents couldn’t accurately identify the age ratings for a sample of shows their children watched.” – Los Angeles Times

MEXICAN ART TAKES HIT

Last month the Museo de Monterrey – one of Mexico’s leading art museums – closed when the industrial group FEMSA announced that it was pulling its support. The consensus in Mexico is that a new generation of corporate leaders is abandoning its predecessors’ commitment to arts and cultural institutions.” – San Antonio Express-News

BUYING ART UNSEEN

There has been much conjecture in traditional gallery circles that collectors were not likely to buy works of art over the internet without first seeing them in person. But surprise – that’s not proving to be the case. “‘That we would be selling works in the $20,000, $30,000, and $40,000 range is a surprise,” says the president of Sothebys.com, which was launched by its Manhattan auction-house parent in January” – Business Week