“‘I turned a page and ‘I’ walked into a restaurant,’ she says. ‘It described my husband too. I said, ‘We just walked into a restaurant in the book that I’m reading!’ I was stunned.’ But popping up as an avatar in random fiction is about as irksome as celebrity gets for her. Indeed Julianne Moore illustrates perfectly Diane von Furstenberg’s theory that stars are only as famous as they want to be.”
Tag: 01.23.10
Kiri Te Kanawa To Head Judges On BBC Reality Opera Show
“The Radio 2 Kiri Prize will be announced this week as part of the BBC’s attempt to open opera up to a wider audience. The winner will perform with Dame Kiri at the BBC’s Proms in the Park in September, launching their opera career in front of an audience of thousands.”
‘Here We Speak English,’ A Bookstore Orders Its Employees
“Especially in recent years, New Haven has gone out of its way to distinguish itself as a place welcoming to immigrants, regardless of their legal status. Atticus,” an independent bookstore and café in a Yale building, “appeared to fit comfortably, even enthusiastically, into this mosaic.” Then came the news of its English-only policy for employees.
Authors Rally Against Google Books Deal
“Science fiction writer Ursula Le Guin has gathered almost 300 signatures in her fight against a Google scheme to digitize books.”
China Fines Pop Singers For Lip Syncing
“Two Chinese pop singers have fallen foul of a lip-synching ban, facing fines of up to $12,000 (£7,400) for allegedly miming at a concert. Miming was banned in China after a girl was revealed to have lip-synched at the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony.”
How To Top The Amazon Kindle’s Bestseller List
“More than half of the “best-selling” e-books on the Kindle, Amazon.com’s e-reader, are available at no charge. The hope is that customers who like what they read will go on to obtain another title for money.”
Pianist Earl Wild, 94
“Earl Wild, an American pianist and composer who was renowned for his performances of the virtuoso showpieces of the grand Romantic tradition but whose enormous repertory included everything from Baroque works and Mozart concertos to contemporary scores, died Saturday at his home in Palm Springs, Calif.”
Will The Tablet Save The Publishing Industry?
“The tablet – or the iSlate or the iPad as it may become known – is regarded as a possible saviour for newspapers, magazines and textbooks… Publishers hope the unquestioned design talents of Apple will ensure that its latest product is the vehicle that enables them to transform their business models.”
Canada’s National Ballet Gets A New Star
“The ruggedly handsome Jiri Jelinek, who has been praised all over the world for his powerful stage presence and strong partnering skills, is the latest coup for National Ballet artistic director Karen Kain as she carefully crafts the company of her dreams.”
The Toll On Art From The Haiti Earthquake
“Since the quake, gallery owners have been trying to pull together a list of artists killed, injured or missing. They’d accounted for about half of those they represented. Untold is the toll in artworks, with their wild colors and real-life portrayals; their lions, tigers and bears, though those animals don’t exist in Haiti; their echoes of voodoo traditions and the nation’s African roots.”