“There’s always a fair bit of Canadian talent represented on the stages of New York and London, but over the next few months, the figures are more than usually impressive. London’s West End opens its arms to welcome a pair of Toronto productions on two successive nights this month.” Then there’s…
Tag: 01.05.04
Iraq: Freedom Of Expression – The Bad With The Good
The demise of Saddam Hussein’s authority has opened the floodgates of artistic expression, outspoken media and religious liberty. Painters, writers, academics and spiritual leaders are all finding new voice. But many Iraqis fear that the new freedom of expression is leading some to go overboard. They are concerned that pornography and other vices typically associated with Western societies are beginning to seep into their culture.”
Non-Profit Blues
The stock market might be up and the economy shaking off the doldrums, but America’s non-profits won’t be seeing much relief any time soon. “The non-profit sector tends to lag the rest of the economy; it is slower to show the distress of a recession or the benefits of a recovery. Analysts say the sector could continue to be weighed down for years, largely by fiscal woes of state governments, including Illinois’, and the multiyear budgeting used by many foundations.”
Hollywood’s Down Year
Hollywood didn’t have as good a year as it had hoped for in 2003. “When adjusted for inflation, admissions appear to be down as much as 4 percent this year for 2003, and domestic box office revenue is down for the first time in more than a decade. The domestic box office gross for 2003 is expected to be about $8.9 billion, compared with last year’s 2002’s record-breaking $9.3 billion.”
Study: Lawsuits Dampen Music Downloading
New studies say that music download has declined in the past few months. Recording industry analysts say record company lawsuits against downloaders seem to be having an impact. “Usage of Kazaa fell 15 percent from November 2002 to November 2003, according to comScore. Other peer-to-peer music-sharing sites also experienced usage declines. The drop at BearShare was 9 percent, while WinMX lost 25 percent of its audience and Grokster plunged 59 percent.”
Publishing Where Books Are Fun
How did a company named after a Marx Brothers movie get to be the biggest publisher in Canada? “The company was really based on whimsy. We would publish or distribute what we wanted to and what sometimes gave us a laugh and sometimes seemed clever or worthwhile. The Marx Brothers were always able to do that, they did everything on their own terms, but were always whimsical and funny. And we continue to do that.”
Literature – A Battle For Hearts And Minds
“On the streets of Washington and across America, a war is being waged between popular novels and literary fiction. In this increasingly aliterate society – acrawl with people who can read but don’t – the battle for readers is a high-stakes campaign.” Publishers – and writers – are caught up in definitions of literary success…
Scot Finds Lost Renaissance Painting In Louvre
Sir Timothy Clifford, director of the National Galleries of Scotland, has found what he believes is a work by the 16th century artist Francesco Maria Mazzola, known as Parmigianino in the vaults at the Louvre in Paris…
Bill McGlaughlin – A Voice Not For Radio
Bill McGlaughlin has a new five-day-a-week radio show devoted to composers and their music. The popular “St. Paul Sunday” host says he almost didn’t get into radio, early in his career: “I went to Temple University in Philadelphia, and I had some friends who were involved in the university radio station. It was all pretty much student-run in those days.” The station needed to fill a music slot and McGlaughlin overheard someone proposing him for the job. He also heard the quick response, ‘Nah, nah, that’s not a radio voice.’ “I didn’t think it was. I knew I didn’t sound like any of the classic announcers.”
Why sorting Out Your Semis From Your Colons
Why did Lynne Truss’s book on punctuation become such a major hit in the UK? “Among the legions of the surprised are the executives at her publishing house, Profile Books, who ordered a modest initial printing of 15,000 books, but now have 510,000 in print; and Ms. Truss’s friends and family.” But why is it such a phenomenon? “Maybe Ms. Truss has indeed touched a nerve of latent pedantry in a world in which, as she writes, increasing numbers of people ‘don’t know their apostrophe from their elbow’.”