“Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is taking personal charge of progress in the development of the country’s film industry as chairman of the government council on the progress of domestic cinematography, unveiled Monday. Putin will ‘personally supervise’ government initiatives to support the film industry, according to the Russian federal press service.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
Buying British Vs. The Universality Of Theatre
“Unlike McDonald’s hamburgers…, plays from different cultures don’t appear in identical form when they are produced in another country.” But the abundance of American plays on London stages has some Brits riled up. “When it comes to theatre paid for at least in part by the UK taxpayer, does there remain an onus on artistic directors and producers to ‘buy British’?”
Genius Book! Full Disclosure: The Author & I Are ThisClose
“In this season of lists and holiday recommendations, I had planned to submit my books of the year to the blogosphere today,” Robert McCrum writes. “But I’ve bumped into one or two inhibitions.” The charge of logrolling, for example. So: “For full transparency, I will … score my relationship with each author on a 10-point scale.”
Architects At Play: What Might Presidio Museum Look Like?
“The saga of Donald Fisher’s quest to build a museum in the Presidio took quite a turn last week: Park officials said they want the museum to be reduced in size and moved a block from Fisher’s desired site, and the Gap founder indicated he’s willing to give it a try. … Ten of our most creative architectural firms are displaying their own schemes for the Contemporary Art Museum at the Presidio that the Fisher family wants to build and endow.”
Milwaukee Shakespeare Holds Its Own Wake (BYOB)
“The end came so suddenly for Milwaukee Shakespeare, we didn’t get closure. So the company is throwing a wake for itself next Sunday in its empty rehearsal hall…. In a widely distributed e-mail, the company said, ‘This is a BYOB event. Sorry, but if we had any money we’d be doing shows!’ Everyone is invited, but attendees are advised to bring their own furniture.”
Art, Not Money, Was The Focus Of Art Basel Miami Beach
Art Basel Miami Beach wasn’t the scene this year that it was in the past, and sales were down. But a strange thing happened: People found themselves paying attention to the art.
Bring Back The Federal Writers Project
“Barack Obama sounds like he wants to reach back to the New Deal’s Works Progress Administration to jump start the economy with an economic stimulus proposal featuring infrastructure repair. If so, it may be time for the man who would be FDR to take a look at another successful–but largely forgotten–jobs program from the Depression era: the Federal Writers Project.”
Good News In Bad Economy: Canadian Book Sales Are Up
“While not immune to fears of a general economic downturn, publishers and retailers in the Canadian book business are cautiously optimistic at the start of this year’s crucial holiday selling season, heaving a collective sigh of relief that 2007’s toxic climate has lifted.”
Marc Mayer Named Director Of National Gallery of Canada
“The long-rumoured appointment of Marc Mayer as director of Ottawa’s National Gallery of Canada has been officially approved by the Department of Heritage and the Prime Minister’s Office, according to NGC board member Donald Sobey.”
Which Part Of TMI Don’t You Understand?
“Oversharing, of course, is the default setting in modern American letters.” But even if writers feel the need to publish the most intimate details of their lives, exposing others along the way, do we really need to know these things?