Cheap e-books are devaluing literature, says crime writer Mark Billingham. If they cost “less than half the price of a cup of tea,” readers don’t value authors or books.
Author: ArtsJournal2
Mihaela Ursuleasa, 33, Classical Pianist
“Ms. Ursuleasa, who was performing internationally by the time she was a teenager, was known for her large tone, fleet fingers and eclectic programming, though she was perhaps most closely associated with Romantic composers like Prokofiev, Chopin and Schumann.”
Jacqueline Du Pré and Monty Python Comedian Screwed Out Of English Heritage Blue Plaque By Budget Cuts
“The number awarded each year has been reduced by a quarter, while plans to grant plaques to dozens of famous names – which had already been given initial approval – have been scrapped, among them Graham Chapman, the Monty Python comedian, Sir Barnes Wallace, the scientist who invented the ‘bouncing bomb’ used by the RAF during the ‘Dambusters’ raid and Jacqueline du Pré, the cellist.”
The Law, The Market, And Artworks Of Dubious Authenticity
“What previous rulings show, however, is that while judges and experts consider the same evidence — provenance, connoisseurship and forensic analyses — they tend to value it differently. For example judges tend to give added weight to the signature of an artist on the work, Mr. Spencer said, whereas experts rely more heavily on the connoisseur’s eye.”
Hey Theatre: You Can Do A Better Job Welcoming Black Audiences
“The theatre industry should take a closer look at understanding the bigger picture. Black audiences should feel included rather than targeted: Increasing the appearance of all-black casts, reevaluating the notion that black casts are only limited to traditional casting, and dismissing the mindset that Black audiences are less reluctant to go to the theatre, are all great starting points. Otherwise, the attempts at attracting Black audiences will remain at the surface.”
Gene Smith, 83, Biographer Of Presidents
“Recently, Mr. Smith wrote a brief obituary of himself, in third-person singular. It says, ‘He used to muse that if there was an afterlife — granted a long shot, he said — he’d love it for the opportunities offered to interview people he studied in life.'”
We Mean It This Time – Hollywood Is Figuring Out Social Media At Last
“After several years of experimenting, studios have thrown themselves deeply into a medium which is still barely understood. They are now developing elaborate social media campaigns early on, sometimes as soon as a film gets greenlit. Researchers are conducting deep numerical analysis on posts and tweets to guide marketing decisions, sometimes predicting box office revenue with pinpoint accuracy. They’re looking not just at opening movies, but sustaining their word-of-mouth through subsequent weeks. And they are getting more surgical about targeting their ever-fickle, ever-elusive core audience of young people.”
Too Much Like: Twitter And Tumblr Are Destroying Literary Criticism
“If you spend time in the literary Twitter- or blogospheres, you’ll be positively besieged by amiability, by a relentless enthusiasm that might have you believing that all new books are wonderful and that every writer is every other writer’s biggest fan. It’s not only shallow, it’s untrue, and it’s having a chilling effect on literary culture, creating an environment where writers are vaunted for their personal biographies or their online followings rather than for their work on the page.”
Is The Music Too Loud At The Olympics? Organizers Say Turn It Up
The London Olympics organizing committee worked with Universa Music “to divide 2,000 plus songs into five distinct playlists that are themed to provide the most appropriate soundtrack to each sport.” But has that music been too loud? They don’t think so.
A Dancer Faces The Music, And Becomes A Producer Instead
“Dancing was where my body and soul were happiest. My highest career aspiration was to become a professional dancer/choreographer. But what do you do when you realize fairly early that you may not have the talent in such a competitive arena?”