It is unclear how much ViacomCBS, which has owned the publisher for more than 25 years, might fetch from the sale. Book publishing is no longer a growth business but its revenue has been relatively stable in recent years. Simon & Schuster has some of the world’s most recognizable authors, including Mary Higgins Clark, Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough. – Los Angeles Times
Blog
Calls To Cancel SXSW; Concert Industry Shudders
This was going to be one of the busiest summers ever for festivals and stadium shows, so any disruption is going to have an impact,” said Dave Brooks, senior director of live and touring for Billboard. “If there are cancellations, and if it’s a down year for the industry, [top concert promoters] Live Nation and AEG could probably weather it, but it could be a death knell for some independent promoters.” – Los Angeles Times
A Plague Of Curators
“It’s used because it sounds fashionable. It sounds like it’s for … the aesthetically conscious.” As zeitgeisty as other oddly specific and much hashtagged words like “wanderlust” or “journey” or “empower,” “curate” is spreading. The word’s overuse has left it almost devoid of meaning, and curators themselves — the traditional, museum-dwelling kind — are up in arms. – The New York Times
How Quickly Rome Collapsed Under Coronavirus
“I had not noticed anything strange, but then I walked through the historic center, and it hit me: in the past few weeks, as the virus spread, the city emptied out. The crowds lining up to enter the Colosseum or visit the Forum have thinned; the mobs throwing coins in the Trevi Fountain or climbing the Spanish Steps have all but vanished; restaurants and bars usually overflowing with patrons are almost vacant. It is customary, of course, to lament the phenomenon of mass tourism in Italy; even the tourists themselves grumble and dream (as I do) of how nice it would be to visit the Sistine Chapel in solitary splendor. But the actual effect of the emptying out, at least for the current reason, is terrifying.” – The New Yorker
Publishers Pull Out Of Emerald City ComicCon In Seattle Over Coronavirus Fears
The event drew 98,000 attendees last year and, as COVID-19 spreads in Washington state, many are worried that a large public setting such as ECCC may be a breeding ground for infection. Notably, in 2009, PAX, a video gaming convention in Seattle, spread H1N1 virus, or swine flu, to at least 100 attendees. Washington’s Department of Health has already advised people, especially people over 60, to stay away from large gatherings. Yet, ECCC is still happening. – The Stranger
The Show Must Go On – How Performers Are Adapting During Coronavirus
While the coronavirus has taken a big toll on the arts world in terms of closed venues and canceled events, it has also spurred plenty of show-must-go-on creativity in some of the hardest-hit areas, as performers and organizations have tried to adapt to trying circumstances. – The New York Times
How Do Prop Masters Make The Best Blood And Gore For Theatres?
“From cat brains to dismembered tongues, the teams behind theatre’s bloodiest shows reveal how they made audiences shriek with horror and delight.” – The Guardian
When Presidents Write Books
In the 19th century, politicians increasingly turned out memoirs as campaign books. The writing shifted from ideas and policies to character and personality. The writings of Andrew Jackson, a colorful veteran of wars and duels, exemplified this change. – Washington Post
Everything You Always Wanted To Know (Or Have Forgotten) About The Theremin
“The story of the theremin and its inventor has it all: drama, suspense, geopolitics, and, above all, tragedy. It’s a wonder Hollywood hasn’t yet made a movie about it.” – Quartz
Why Would Anyone Open A Record Shop Now?
It’s beautiful, but then there’s the obvious question … who in their right mind would open a record store now? There is no money in it. Even on this gentrified street there are empty shops, the rents are extortionate and landlords are keen to turn properties over to property developers. What about profit? “What about artistic profit, creative profit, intellectual profit?” replies Thurston Moore. – The Guardian