“[I]n an Academy of almost 6,000 voting members, it takes fewer than 100 votes to secure [an Oscar] nomination in every category except best picture and the four acting categories.” In some branches, like costume design and cinematography, two or three dozen would be more than enough.
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
Officer, This ‘Jazz’ Sounds Like Contemporary To Me
“Spain’s pistol-carrying Civil Guard police force descended on the Sigüenza Jazz festival to investigate allegations that [the] music was not, well, jazz. Police decided to investigate after an angry jazz buff complained that the Larry Ochs Sax and Drumming Core group was on the wrong side of a line dividing jazz from contemporary music.”
HarperCollins Signs On To E-Book Delays
“HarperCollins, which has already delayed the e-book of its No. 1 best seller Going Rogue, by Sarah Palin, will start to ‘window’ e-book editions this winter, starting with five to 10 titles per month, a spokeswoman said.”
Flexing The Brain By Reading Strengthens Ability To Read
According to a new study, some intensive reading programs “improved the integrity of fibers that carry information from one part of the brain to another,” a change of brain structure that correlated with improved reading ability.
In Issuing Visas, ‘Culturally Unique’ Is Subjective
“[I]mmigration law gives an anonymous group of government bureaucrats a lot of cultural clout: They can decide which foreign ballerinas, musicians and artists qualify as ‘outstanding,’ or special enough to deserve a visa to enter the U.S. Ultimately, most applications are approved,” but some complain “that official judgments of artistic merit are often arbitrary.”
Talking Batons With Michael Tilson Thomas Et Al
“Small and soundless, the baton goes unnoticed by most concertgoers but can be an obsession to conductors. Born out of necessity centuries ago, when rooms were lit by candles and the conductor’s gestures needed to be seen by musicians, the baton serves unseen roles.”
Smithsonian, Ex-Worker Settle Asbestos Lawsuit
“The worker, Richard Pullman, 54, has settled a lawsuit with the institution for $233,000, according to records obtained by The Post this month from the Department of Labor under the Freedom of Information Act.” Meanwhile, an outside consultant has recommended changes to the Smithsonian’s asbestos procedures.
New Mexico Raises The Stakes On Hollywood
“With the support of a $10-million economic development grant from the state, developers are about to break ground on a major production studio just outside of Santa Fe, the state’s capital. The $25-million project” is the latest enticement from a state that’s already doing well at luring films and television shows.
Seattle’s Elliott Bay Book Co. Moving To New Neighborhood
“Hurt by the recession and ongoing issues in Pioneer Square, Elliott Bay Book Co. is leaving after 36 years for an old Ford truck-repair center on Capitol Hill. … Bookstore owner Peter Aaron said he expects sales to improve immediately and in a big way.”
NEA Survey: Increasingly, Audiences Are Migrating Online
“While many adults still like the intimacy of live theater, particularly musical theater, over the past year an estimated 47 million of them chose to watch or listen to music, theater or dance performances online at least once a week.” According to the NEA’s 2008 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, “the mode of delivery is rapidly changing.”