Matt Trueman: “There’s no doubting the influence and importance of international work. The question is: does it fall within the National’s remit? I’d say yes.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Brick-And-Mortar Bookstores See Rise In Customers
“[The] initial weeks of Christmas shopping … have yielded surprisingly strong sales for many bookstores, which report that they have been lifted by an unusually vibrant selection; customers who seem undeterred by pricier titles; and new business from people who used to shop at Borders.”
Utah’s Ballet West Loses Its Ballet Master To Cancer
Mark Goldweber, a former stalwart of the Joffrey Ballet who became ballet master at the Salt Lake City company and directed its young-dancer troupe, died last week of cancer at the age of 53.
Ireland’s Arts Funding Takes Another Hit
“Next year’s budget allocation for the Irish Arts Council will fall by 3.2% to €63.1 million (£53.8 million) as the country seeks to curb public spending in response to continuing economic difficulties. The announcement … follows a 20% reduction in arts council funds over the past four years.”
Strike Could Spell End Of New York City Opera (That’s The Point)
“If an agreement isn’t reached, the unions – which say their new contract would basically turn them into freelancers earning just a fraction of what they used to take home – are pledging not just to strike, but to do everything in their power to put the opera out of business.”
Money, Lawyers, and (Non-Existent) Sex Abuse: Battle Over Malcolm Arnold’s Estate
The English composer, known for his symphonies and film scores (Bridge on the River Kwai), left much of his estate to his caregiver of 22 years. Arnold’s two children (who abandoned him when he hit an alcoholic bottom) are battling to get that inheritance, and they’ve gone to eyebrow-raising lengths in the process.
Troubled Virginia Quarterly Review Gets New Publisher, Deputy Editor
Having gathered plaudits, subscribes and National Magazine Awards over the previous seven years, VQR was sent reeling in 2010 by the suicide of a longtime deputy editor and the resignation of two staffers following accusations of bullying by the top editor. Now the University of Virginia has hired two new officers to help stabilize the journal.
Damien Hirst On His Tireless Commercialism
“You also have to ask yourself as an artist, ‘What would be more appealing … to have made the Mona Lisa painting itself or have made the merchandising possibilities – putting a postcard on everyone’s walls all over the world? Both are brilliant, but in a way I would probably prefer the postcards – just to get my art out there.”
Eternal Life: The Staying Power Of The Jesus Musicals
“Before Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar first hit off-Broadway and Broadway, respectively, 40 years ago … who but the most prescient or devout would have laid odds on any musical that ended with a crucifixion? But both shows have been entertaining audiences ever since. And there’s no sign of either of them wearing thin.”
Those We E-Mail The Most, We Know The Least: Study
“Email has also profoundly influenced the kinds of people we interact with. … [We] exchange the highest volume of email with those people we know the least. Perhaps it’s a new colleague, or a friend of a friend, or a total stranger writing out of the blue: Email makes these exchanges possible.”