“EMI tells us it will begin doing what it should have been doing all along — signing fewer acts, developing the ones with potential, then marshaling its resources to market their records and ensure they’re properly compensated.”
Tag: 01.16.08
Is America’s Obsession With Happiness Hurting Its Art?
“We are eradicating a major cultural force, the muse behind much art and poetry and music. We are annihilating melancholia. A recent poll conducted by the Pew Research Center shows that almost 85 percent of Americans believe that they are very happy or at least pretty happy.”
The Essential Older Dancer
“Classical ballet may idealise a very youthful type of body beautiful but it can’t do without age and experience. Within the studio it’s the older members of the profession who have the longest memories in the teaching of repertory and technique. And they’re a necessity on stage too.”
How Free Newspapers Are Killing Reading
“I can remember a time when people read books on the tube. True, around the release of certain films these tend to be written by Rowling or Tolkien – but you could still see people reading real books, filling their heads. The crapsheet, though, just takes the world, puts it through a crazy-colour blender, removes all the nutrients, and then spews it back in your face.”
A Great Era For Poetry
“About 15 years ago, I think, the word ‘mainstream’ gained new currency in the discussion of poetry. As tends to be the case, the momentarily convenient term became an imprisoning category, with mainstream used to corral poets who wrote for the page rather than performance, and whose work was not self-consciously avant-garde.”
China’s Giant Publishing Industry Overwhelms
“Along with the UK and the US it publishes around 200,000 new titles and new editions a year, well ahead of the nearest rivals, Japan, Russia and Germany. It is by far the largest publishing market by volume – officially about 6bn units a year, but many more when pirated copies are taken into account.”
Why Did You Guys Come Back, Anyway?
So much was made of the January return of several late-night talk hosts in the midst of the writers’ strike that it seems fair to ask who’s actually winning this strange TV battle? David Letterman doesn’t appear to be benefiting much from having a writing staff, Jay Leno still can’t see more than one way to do a late night show, and Jon Stewart just looks like he’s having no fun at all…
Bafta Nominees Unveiled
The UK’s Bafta Film Award nominees were unveiled today, with Golden Globe winner Atonement leading the field. “Amid fears that a writers’ strike could jeopardize this year’s Oscars ceremony, the red carpet BAFTA show at London’s Royal Opera House on Feb. 10 could attract plenty of Hollywood glamour.”
Oscars Might Not Be Broadcast
Hollywood continues to insist that the Oscars will not be canceled, regardless of whether the writers’ strike is still ongoing. But there is a very real risk that the ceremony could be severely scaled back, and even pulled off television entirely.
The Inherent Contradictions of Sundance
“The Sundance Film Festival is always the most paradoxical of events, and this year’s edition is shaping up as no exception… [It] celebrates independence, but it has become known as a site for celebrity swag.” And for a fest that is known for launching unknown films and filmmakers, it sports an unusual number of high-profile movies with famous names attached.