Author: ArtsJournal2

A (Contested) Study Finds Slightly More Diversity Among First-Time TV Directors

Good news? Or … not really? “A greater number of minority and female directors with their first gigs is no guarantee, however, that more of them will go on to become established directors. The study also tracked the careers of directors before and after their first directing jobs. It found that 66 percent of new directing hires had already been affiliated with the series for which they directed. Of this group, only 40 percent were subsequently hired by other series. Membership in the pipeline is no guarantee of future success.”

New York’s New Orchestra Moderne Focuses On The Issues Of The City

This month, for the inaugural concert, that means immigration. The orchestra’s founder and conductor: ” want people to leave the concert hall with the idea that orchestras can connect to current events. This is a perfect opportunity for classical music to shake the dust off its programming and become an active, viable part of the community. By taking a stance on social justice and doing a program on immigration, I hope we’ll encourage other orchestras to be movers and shakers.”

Life As A Professional Extra

You get paid extra for bringing props, driving your own car, and – if you’re lucky – getting membership in a professional union. Now, of course, the industry needs more extras than ever: “As streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon double down on original programming, filming for television shows is no longer relegated to a standard nine-month network television schedule—meaning jobs like mine can be available year-round.”

A Mother’s Command Led To The Establishment Of What’s Now The Oldest Black Press In The U.S.

Long before Haki Madhubuti established Third World Press – now turning 50 – on Chicago’s South Side, he was a 14-year-old living in Detroit. “His mother gave him a firm order: Go down to the public library and check out ‘Black Boy’ by Richard Wright.” That changed the course of his life, and of publishing for African Americans.

France’s Most Famous Writer Led A Life Worthy Of His Books

Alexandre Dumas’ life included more than a hundred mistresses, fleeing regime change in France, and much more – for instance, “In 1846, Dumas used the money he earned from his wildly successful The Count Of Monte Cristo to build a palatial estate he named Château De Monte-Cristo, which included a writing studio elsewhere on the grounds. However, Dumas only lived there for two years. Having blown through his money, as was his custom, he had to sell the place.”

Romance Books Are Thriving, And That’s Because They’re Part Of The Resistance

Booksellers say romance’s mostly female readers are reaching out, sometimes in despair or exhaustion, looking for what they might call a safe space for women. And then there’s this: “Interest in politically minded heroes and heroines is on the rise and we expect to see an entire wave of books featuring characters who are fighting back and resisting in their communities.”

Si Newhouse, Owner Of Conde Nast And The New Yorker, Has Died At 89

David Remnick: “He owned the operation, paying the salaries and the rent, but he did not touch the magazine’s pages; he never suggested a story, he never revealed his political inclinations, he never gave advance instructions or retrospective criticism of an issue. When he mentioned that he had liked something in The New Yorker, he did so shyly, reluctantly, as if he were overstepping.”