Musicians’ Union Accuses Fund Director of Embezzlement

The American Federation of Musicians has fired the executive director of its Sound Recording Special Payments Fund, which doles out money to unionized musicians around the country in payment for commercial recordings, and is accusing him of having embezzled more than $400,000 from the union. According to the AFM, no determination has been made as to whether a criminal complaint will be filed against Enex Steele, but the union has issued a formal demand that Steele immediately return the full amount he is charged with having taken. [Editor’s Note: The link for this story is to a formal press release from the AFM, and not to an objective and independent news source.]

Donor Demands Princeton Return $525 Million

A donor who gave Princeton’s business school $525 million to help train talent for the US government, is demanding the money back. “Princeton has known for decades that the goal of our foundation is to send students into federal government, and they’ve ignored us. Princeton has abused the largest charitable gift in the history of American higher education, and that’s embarrassing. They will lose the money.”

Japan’s Cartoon Culture

Why is it that “a nation with one of the world’s highest literacy rates would become so obsessed with cartoons” Men and women of all ages can be seen on the subway, in coffee shops, or at racks in convenience stores, poring over thick, bound comic books. And Japanese TV is filled with anime shows. Can’t get enough of ’em. And it’s not just the shows and books. Animation pervades the entire society.”

Rome’s New Globe

Rome is getting a replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. “It has been built in only four months in one of Rome’s public gardens. It is a gift to the city of Rome from a builder, and will be used for performances not only of Shakespeare’s works but also for other playwrights and poets of different nationalities. Concerts will also take place inside the circular theatre, which can hold more than 1,200 spectators.”

100 Books In 30 Days… And The Winner Is?

A judge of this year’s Booker Prize reflects on the practicalities of trying to find the best book published this year. “Theoretically, the chance to read 100 of Britain and the Commonwealth’s finest at the rate of three a day (I am a fast reader and I resolved not to hang about with this particular task) ought to prompt all kinds of informed judgments about the state of British fiction here in the foothills of the 21st century. In fact it does nothing of the sort.”

Laban Center Wins Stirling

The new Laban dance center in South London has won this year’s Stirling Prize for architecture. “The Laban centre, designed by the Swiss team Herzog & de Meuron – who gave Bankside power station a new lease of life as Tate Modern – has brought glamour to an old London district which for many years has been in need of cultural or indeed any kind of investment.”

Patriot’s Chilling Effect On E-Book-selling

Is the Patriot Act inhibiting online bookselling? “Compared with companies that sell their wares only in stores, online businesses – particularly those engaged in selling so-called expressive materials like books, music and videos – are good candidates for law enforcement requests under the Patriot Act. While off-line customers can avoid creating an audit trail by paying cash for their purchases, consumer anonymity is hard to achieve online, where transactions typically involve credit cards and shipping addresses.”

The National Writers Union’s Bold Gamble

“The National Writers Union, founded on the premise that freelance writers can organize and demand better treatment from the industry, always seems to be tangled in one internal struggle or another. But this year, as dire economic realities set in, elected officials have been forced to make decisions that will either ensure the union’s long-term survival—or cause it to self-destruct, depending on whose side you line up on.”

Pierre Wins Booker

DBC Pierre has won this year’s Booker Prize for his first novel. “Pierre, 42, is the third Australian to win the prize in its 35th year, following in the footsteps of Peter Carey and Thomas Keneally. The chairman of the judges, Professor John Carey, said his team chose Pierre by a margin of four to one.”

The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Little Deficit Problem

The Philadelphia Orchestra had a deficit of $1 million on a $35 million budget last season. Not too bad, considering. “But look a little deeper, and the real problem becomes obvious. Since 1999, the orchestra has racked up a total of roughly $14 million in deficits, and only about $8 million of that has been paid off – through bequests from, among others, Gretel Ormandy, the widow of Eugene Ormandy, the orchestra’s fourth music director. The orchestra has covered the rest, about $5 million, by borrowing from its endowment.”