Blog

Study: Writers Hit Their Peak At 50

A study has pinpointed the average writer’s peak. “The average age of writers who topped the hardback fiction section of the New York Times Bestseller List from 1955-2004 was 50.5 years. Of the 350 authors who saw their novels reach the number one spot over the past 50 years, Francoise Sagan was the youngest with Bonjour Tristesse, published at the age of 19 in 1955. By comparison, Agatha Christie was the oldest author to top the list, with her novel Sleeping Murder, published shortly after her death at the age of 85.”

Belgium – Crossroads Of Stolen Art?

“Belgium is known to be a key transit point of stolen art in Europe. And its bad reputation for tackling the problem has yet again been slammed in ‘La Collection egoiste’ (The Egoist’s Collection), by Liberation journalist Vincent Noce. Noce highlights just how active the ‘art mafia’ is in the country, French-language daily La Libre Belgique reported on Thursday.”

The Motherlode Of Hamlet (Online)

It’s taken a team of scholars 10 years to “compile every piece of scholarship and criticism about Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and then to link it, line by line, to the text in an online database. The mammoth project, supported by some $1-million in grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, is nearing completion — although editors plan to add to it as they find more material.”

UK’s Regional Theatre Movement

It wasn’t too long ago that British theatre meant London’s West End. No more. “Regional theatre is becoming bigger, bolder and better, led by some extremely talented artistic directors, making use of the extra £25m pumped into regional theatre as a result of the Arts Council Theatre Review. Over the last few years, visionary artistic directors working at regional theatres have actually set the agenda for national theatre as a whole, and have done so with huge box office success.”

Canada’s Music Brain Drain

Calgary’s best music students aren’t staying in Canada for school. Instead they’re being recruited by music schools in the US, who are offering scholarships. “Yes, it means we are losing our best and brightest, but it is the only way they can achieve recognition on a worldwide basis.”

Oklahoma Legislature Votes To Move “Gay” Books To Adult Library Section

Oklahoma’s House of Representatives has passed a “nonbinding resolution calling for gay-themed children’s books and other age-inappropriate material to be moved to the adult section of public libraries.” The measure was introduced “after complaints from the parents of a 6-year-old who had checked out “King and King,” a book about two young princes who fall in love, from a library in the Oklahoma City suburb of Bethany.”

Aussie Orchestras Await Funding Fate

Will Australian states agree to demands by the federal government in order to qualify for funding for orchestras? “Only South Australia’s Government has confirmed it will meet the new benchmarks, ensuring the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra’s financial future. The federal funding also could be withheld if orchestras baulk at implementing industrial relations reforms recommended in businessman James Strong’s review – but that is not expected.”

The Art Of Giving Up Stuff

A Corcoran student stands outside the gallery with nothing. It’s a performance piece: “The piece began in January when Melissa Ichiuji started giving up things: coffee, television, soda and medication, followed in February by fast food and alcohol. As the seasons changed, she gave up cosmetics and chocolate, meat and magazines. Since the beginning of May, she’s had: no newspapers, no music, no mirrors, no cell phone, no e-mail, no driving, no sex, no books, no family or friends or running water. No appliances, no speech, no clocks, no shoes, no food, no shelter. The idea is to let go of things that matter to the woman as a meditation on what matters most to the artist and, by extension, the audience.”