“As banks struggle and businesses collapse, the science fiction writer Alastair Reynolds is making his own contribution to the flagging UK economy, signing an unprecedented ten-book deal with Gollancz worth £1m. Reynolds, who has published eight novels with the Orion imprint Gollancz since his 2000 debut, Revelation Space, said he was ‘amazed and thrilled’ to commit himself to the same publisher for the next decade.”
Tag: 06.22.09
Broward Center To Fill A Classical Void
“The Broward Center for the Performing Arts will launch a new classical series this fall, partly filling the void left by the demise of the Concert Association of Florida earlier this year. The lineup of artists will include Joshua Bell, Dame Kiri te Kanawa, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Houston Symphony Orchestra.”
West End Is Recession-Resistant? Not On Close Inspection.
“Drama’s apparent side-stepping of the recession is not quite what it seems: in fact, the true nature of this renaissance is deeply depressing. … At the moment, there is not a single play in the West End being staged for the first time. Crucially, given that this theatrical busyness is being billed as resistance to the financial crisis, the economics underpinning it are highly suspect.”
Skylight Opera’s Firing Fiasco Didn’t Have To Be One
Skylight Opera Theatre’s decision to eliminate the position of artistic director, in the process jettisoning its beloved and creatively successful a.d., Bill Theisen, has been a public-relations debacle. Even worse, if the company’s intent all along was to merge the artistic- and managing-director jobs, “reduce fixed personnel cost and … streamline the flow chart,” that could have been accomplished “without poisoning their own well.” Here’s how.
New York And Frank Gehry – A Tale Of Missed Opportunities
“New York and Frank Owen Gehry should have made a perfect match. What better way to express the city’s exceptionalism than through architecture of overweening flamboyance? Over the years, New York has been tantalized by Gehry projects, tossing away the best and keeping a paltry scattering of seed pearls.”
NY’s Power Husband-And-Wife Arts Philanthropy Couple
He’s the chairman of the board of the Museum of Modern Art. She’s chair of Lincoln Center…
Report: Email Patterns Can Predict Disaster
“Email logs can provide advance warning of an organisation reaching crisis point. That’s the tantalising suggestion to emerge from the pattern of messages exchanged by Enron employees.”
University Presses: In A Death Spiral?
The reality is that “university presses aren’t just being hurt by the bad economy, but by changes in reader habits. While many continue to discuss the primacy of the printed book, some see grave danger for university presses holding on to the print model — with one speaker going so far as to predict a ‘death spiral’ for presses if they don’t move within the next few years to an online, free model.”
San Francisco College Lets Donors Name Courses When They Donate
The cash-strapped City College of San Francisco is deep in the red and having to slash classes. So it’s soliciting donors. And they can designate their money to underwrite specific courses. “If you want to pay for one class at City College, it’s $6,000. And if you designate it for that class, we’ll make sure the class is reinstated, and we’ll put your name on it.”