“The owner of the East Village’s famed Kim’s Video store is putting his vast collection up for sale. Facing declining revenues, Yongman Kim is making all his 55,000 films available but has imposed strict conditions. The buyer must purchase the collection in its entirety, house it in 3,000 square feet of space and allow access to those who used to rent films at the store….”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
The Unexpected Booker Winner: A Daring Selection?
“Did anyone expect The White Tiger to win? Certainly, it struck me as a choice that came from way out of leftfield. I’d also suggest that the consensus in the publishing world seemed to be bemusement as much as disappointment….”
British Library Gets Hughes Archive
“Hundreds of unpublished poems, letters and notebooks by former Poet Laureate Ted Hughes have been acquired by the British Library. The archive focuses on the poet’s final collection, Birthday Letters, which explored his tragic marriage to Sylvia Plath, who committed suicide in 1963.”
Colin Powell Does Hip-Hop In London
“Ex-US Secretary of State Colin Powell has joined a hip-hop band on stage in London to dance and sing in a celebration of African culture. America’s former top diplomat took centre stage along with Nigerian group Olu Maintain at the Africa Rising Festival in the Royal Albert Hall.”
This Day In Acoustical History
When McKim, Mead & White designed Boston’s Symphony Hall, which opened on Oct. 15, 1900, they “did something unprecedented: They hired Wallace Clement Sabine, a young assistant physics professor from nearby Harvard, to act as acoustical consultant. For the first time ever, scientifically proven acoustical principles were applied to concert-hall design.”
A Bad Situation Gets Worse For TV Networks
“The television networks are up against a perfect storm: Ratings stink; piracy is rampant, as viewers migrate to the web; and now, thanks to this little credit crisis, advertisers are expected to cut ad spending or cancel buys.” Meanwhile: “Network television is underperforming the GDP (gross domestic product) the most it has in nearly five decades.”
Seattle’s Ticket Window Closes
“Ticket Window, a local ticketing agency, and its sister company, half-price ticket vendor Ticket/Ticket, have gone out of business.”
Batman Composer Neal Hefti Dies At 85
“Neal Hefti, a former big band trumpeter, arranger and composer who worked with Count Basie and Woody Herman and later composed the memorable themes for the movie ‘The Odd Couple’ and the campy hit TV series ‘Batman,’ has died.”
Patrons, Arts Groups React To Economy In Real Time
“Tickets for the Oct. 4 Boston Symphony Orchestra concert featuring André Previn were sold at half price – and they threw in a free drink. This isn’t the first time the BSO has slashed prices for a slow-selling show. But it is a sign of the economic times.”
London Impresarios See Good Times Ahead
“People will always want entertainment, even if times are hard. That’s the message coming from London’s top impresarios and producers, who remain bullishly upbeat as the credit crunch crunches ever harder. … There have been no early closing notices in London to match the sudden spate of closures on Broadway.”