Tag: 03.24.07

What Makes A successful First Novel?

“Getting a first novel published – and publicised – is harder than ever before. Once upon a time, a first novel could afford to be a dress rehearsal, a proving ground. That is no longer true. As Juliet Annan, founding editor of the Penguin imprint Fig Tree, says: The world of booksellers is such that you have to make an impact from the word go.”

Astonishing Abu Dhabi’s New Art Capital

“The new Guggenheim is designed by Frank Gehry, the new Louvre by Jean Nouvel, who modernised the Louvre in Paris, and the performing arts museum by Iraqi-born British architect Zaha Hadid. The Hadid building is like a reptile head; the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi resembles fallen-over cereal boxes; the Louvre Abu Dhabi is a shallow dome with geometric openings that cause patterns of light to be thrown around the interiors like a geometric reference to Impressionism. But how real can this Paradise be?”

Britain’s Only Gay Bookstore Threatened

The shop has seen declining numbers of visitors and sales. “With reserves depleted, a board meeting heard last month that, if the shop carried on making losses at the current level, it would have to close within two months. A decision had to be taken on whether to shut down or go public and hope that saviours would ride to the rescue. They chose the latter route.”

The Limits Of Multitasking

“Several research reports, both recently published and not yet published, provide evidence of the limits of multitasking. The findings, according to neuroscientists, psychologists and management professors, suggest that many people would be wise to curb their multitasking behavior when working in an office, studying or driving a car.”

High School Play Canceled For “Balance”

Students in a Connecticut high school wrote their own play about the war in Iraq. “They compiled reflections of soldiers and others involved, including a heartbreaking letter from a 2005 Wilton High graduate killed in Iraq last September at age 19, and quickly found their largely sheltered lives somewhat transformed. But even as 15 student actors were polishing the script and perfecting their accents for a planned April performance, the school principal last week canceled the play, titled ‘Voices in Conflict,’ citing questions of political balance and context.”

Sould Horror/Violence Be Regulated On Screen?

“The Federal Trade Commission is putting the final touches on a follow-up to its September 2000 report on the marketing to children of violent movies, music and video games. The first such assessment in three years, it will examine the selling practices of a mainstream entertainment industry that in the interim has become increasingly dependent on abductions, maimings, decapitations and other mayhem once kept away from studio slates.”

Viacom Attorney Makes Case For Suing YouTube

“Is it fair to burden YouTube with finding content on its site that infringes others’ copyright? Putting the burden on the owners of creative works would require every copyright owner, big and small, to patrol the Web continually on an ever-burgeoning number of sites. That’s hardly a workable or equitable solution. Under the law, the obligation is right where it belongs: on the people who derive a benefit from the creative works and are in the position to keep infringement out of their businesses.”

British Vs. American Actors – Who’s Better?

It’s really not a fair question. “The conspicuous presence of British actors at the Academy Awards a few weeks ago marks the latest episode in a long history of adulation for U.K. performers at the expense of their American counterparts. Yet seemingly oblivious to the serious shortcomings of the Oscars as a barometer of thespian talent, the media have been trumpeting claims about the superiority of British actors.” But really, there are as many ways to becoming an actor as there are actors.