“The follow-up to The Da Vinci Code sold more than 140,000 copies in its first week, setting a new benchmark according to industry magazine The Bookseller. Brown’s latest novel beat the record set by its predecessor in 2005, adding on some 16,000 sales.”
Tag: 08.04.10
Researchers: The Human Brain? Meh… Nothing Special
“Uncomfortable as it is to contemplate, it is looking increasingly likely that our brains are not something to write home about after all. One group of researchers has scrutinised the primate archaeological record and concluded that the human brain has evolved just as would be expected for a primate of our size.”
A Look At This Year’s Stirling Architecture Prize Shortlist
A gallery of projects that made this year’s list…
US Pledges To Make Artist Visas Easier To Get
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) will reduce to two weeks the processing of petitions for those coming in under visas specific to artists and athletes.
The Social Media-ization Of Movie Marketing
“We no longer simply consume marketing campaigns; we’ve become active participants in them, as can be seen in the recent trend in transmedia storytelling.”
New Director For Chicago Humanities Festival
Matti Bunzl is the organization’s new artistic director, effective at the conclusion of this fall’s festival. Bunzl succeeds Lawrence “Ren” Weschler, who after four years in the position will move into a consulting role and focus on his literary career.
New York As Cautionary Cultural Tale
“New York is the ideal city from which to explore the question of what happens to the arts when private money runs the show. As with so many other things in the city, whatever you’re seeking you can probably find it, but you have to be able to pay for it. Art here is eye-wateringly, and often prohibitively, expensive.”
Art Rising From Detroit’s Rubble, Sometimes Literally
“The latest must-go event in this gritty, left-behind city – where D.J.’s flourish among ruins, trespassing in tumbledown buildings is part of a night out, and even garage rock is bare-bones – centers on soup.”
Guangzhou Builds a Shiny, Pricey New ‘Arts Playground’
“Hong Kong has always looked down on Guangzhou as its poor mainland cousin. But while the affluent former British colony has stalled for years over plans for a massive cultural district, Guangzhou has gone ahead and built one.”
Cash-Strapped Philadelphia Orchestra Considers What Kind of Band It Wants to Be
For nearly a century, the orchestra has been one of the globe’s great classical ensembles. “Now, facing chronic red ink and houses only two-thirds full, the orchestra is suddenly unsure of what it wants to be. A new president, board chairman, and music director-designate are in place, embarking on a strategic planning process to reassess every inch of the organization.”