Lynne Truss’ surprise grammar bestseller Eats, Shoots and Leaves has revived the financial fortunes of its small publisher, earning £5 million. “The book has now sold more than 480,000 copies after an initial print run of just 15,000. It seems there are more sticklers for grammar than we first thought.”
Blog
Saratoga Cancels City Ballet Residence
After almost 40 years as summer residence of New York City Ballet, Saratoga, in upstate New York, has pulled out of the deal. “It was a cost-cutting measure. We hope to continue to work with the company but not in a residency situation.”
Shock Of The New – Aussie TV Audiences Want Only The Familiar
Yes, Australians seem to have caught the reality TV bug. But they also seem scared off of any show that is new and unfamiliar. “Every new series launched for the ‘official’ ratings year so far has fallen well short of programmers’ expectations, while the tired and true get stronger.”
Open Source As Guiding Principle
The open source movement isn’t just for computers anymore. Numerous businesses and intellectual projects are adopting the open source model, and enjoying good results. “Open source draws on some of these collaborative traditions but remains a highly distinctive phenomenon. It has come of age thanks to global electronic networks that make exchanging information cheaper than ever before, at a time when the market for information-based products, whether software, music or opinion, is larger than ever.
In Europe, Public Broadcasters Under The Gun
Public broadcasting has a long and respected history in Europe. “But lately, public broadcasters have been thrust into the harsh glare of their own klieg lights. At the BBC and at a French public television network, France 2, top executives have resigned after journalists were cited for mistakes in reporting. In Italy, the government of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has moved to increase its oversight of the public broadcaster RAI, raising concerns about independence of news and other programming. The new concerns come at a particularly bad time for broadcasters…”
Study: American Participation In The Arts Is High
A new study of audiences for the performing arts in America confirms a high rate of participation and consumption of the arts. “Approximately three-quarters of those participating in the newest survey reported attending one live professional performing arts event within the past 12 months. While this ranged from a high of 78% for Boston respondents to a low of 71% for those in Sarasota, the numbers nevertheless represent a significant level of continuity across a broad swath of the nation.”
So Who Needs Libraries?
“Only now in the bright light of the Google Era do we see how dim and gloomy was our pregooglian world. In the distant future, historians will have a common term for the period prior to the appearance of Google: the Dark Ages.”
The Battle Over Your DVD Player
The struggle for what will be the next generation of DVD is underway. “The DVD is one of the success stories of the electronics industry of recent years. In the US alone, more than half of all homes have a DVD player. And it is now rare to find a computer that does not come with a DVD drive. The successor to the current discs are unlikely to be in the shops before 2005 but the tussle to become the standard for a multimillion dollar industry is already well under way.”
City Ballet’s Star In The Making
New York City Ballet has a new star in the making – 20-year-old Megan Fairchild, who made her debut last week in Coppélia. She’s only been at City Ballet for less than a year-and-a-half. “Once in the company, she stood out almost immediately for her appeal and her technical prowess; she’s extraordinarily swift, strong, clear, and daring.”
The Rehabilitation Of Franz Welser-Most
When conductor Franz Welser-Most led the London Philharmonic Orchestra in the early-90s, he was not liked by his musicians, who dubbed him ‘Frankly Worse than Most.” He was soon run out of the job. A decade later he is the much-loved leader of the Cleveland Orchestra. So how did musicians and critics get Welser-Most wrong the first time around?