“Amid all the dismal reports about the death of fiction, here’s a refreshingly bold act of optimism: a new bimonthly magazine called Electric Literature. And it’s not just MFA kids self-publishing their diatribes against Mom and Dad. The first issue sports stories by such heavyweights as Pulitzer Prize-winner Michael Cunningham and National Book Award finalist Jim Shepard.” To contributors, Electric Literature “pays real money: $1,000.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
The Elation And Devastation Of Pina Bausch’s Work
Pina Bausch could “take you to a higher place that you didn’t even know existed. Not all the time and not every time, but she could do it. How? One way was by demanding that her performers dig deep within their own memories and feelings; famously, Bausch said that she was not interested in how people move, but in what moves them.” A clip-by-clip guide to her work.
Michael Kaiser: Dangerously Wrong Decisions Imperil Arts
“While arts funding only fell 6% last year, many arts organizations are making drastic cuts to their programming. Many have canceled performances, eliminated educational programming, shortened seasons, or closed altogether. Others are ‘dumbing down’ their product; there is a widespread call to make programming more accessible (read boring). Still more are cutting their marketing dramatically; after all, they argue, who will notice if we spend less on communicating our (reduced) programming?”
Fired Over Wolverine Review, Columnist Sues For $5 Million
“Gossip columnist Roger Friedman wants more than $5 million in lost wages and damages from Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. for firing him after he reviewed the company’s ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ based on a pirated copy of the movie. In a suit filed in New York State Supreme Court on Monday, Friedman says he was fired from his $250,000-a-year job (no, that’s not a typo) as a columnist and contributor to Fox News illegally.”
MOCA Curator To Direct Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum
“Ann Goldstein, a 25-year veteran of Los Angeles’ Museum of Contemporary Art and its senior curator since 2001, has been appointed general artistic director of the Stedelijk Museum, a leading modern and contemporary art institution in Amsterdam. … Goldstein said that the Los Angeles museum’s financial troubles played no part in her decision to move to Amsterdam.”
When Film Producers Want Your School For A Set
“Los Angeles Unified schools made $1.756 million last year from filming, led by the 48 days at Birmingham High in Van Nuys, 47 days at University High in West Los Angeles and 34 days at Le Conte Middle School in Hollywood, according to FilmLA, the nonprofit that coordinates on-location permits for the city and much of Los Angeles County. … But El Segundo High holds a special place in the hearts of filmmakers,” whose frequent presence in the area is angering the neighbors.
High School Musical Stars Find A New York Stage
“[T]he recent rise to prominence of several actors recognized by regional theaters for their high school-era performances is lending regional theaters credibility” even as “television shows like ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ and ‘American Idol’ have also directed attention to young people in the performing arts.” Into this milieu step the Jimmy Awards, named for producer James M. Nederlander and honoring high school musical theatre performers from across the country.
As Richard & Judy Sign Off, Book World Prepares To Mourn
“There’s a certain thread running through a lot of novels that have sold well in the UK in the last few years. They share nothing so exact as a genre or type, but they have exotic titles, a powerful story and a literary bent. Oh, and a badge. A badge that says ‘Richard and Judy’.” Now the daytime-TV duo’s show is ending. What’s the publishing industry to do?
Do Critics Matter? Well, Yes And No.
“The critics spoke last Friday. ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ is a Hindenberg of a movie. The audience responded: So freakin’ what? They forked over $215 million (and counting) to see the widely panned sequel about shape-shifting robots.” So Post critics in film, theatre, books, TV and pop music consider the question: Do their judgments matter? (Book critic Ron Charles: “When I want to feel more relevant, I lie and say I’m a haberdasher.”)
Illinois A.G. Reaches Deal With Ticketmaster Subsidiary
“Ticketmaster unit TicketsNow has agreed to curb deceptive tactics and pay $50,000 for consumer-fraud enforcement and education in an agreement with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan after her investigation into the unit’s marketing practices. … As part of the deal with Ms. Madigan’s office, TicketsNow will stop operating Web sites that have misleading domain names or other deceptive tactics.”