Why The Christian Book Expo Was An Attendance Flop

In an essay that begins by noting that he didn’t go to the last day of the Christian Book Expo, publisher Michael Hyatt, who organized the event, analyzes why attendance was abysmal. “If consumers had come, this would have been an incredible show. The ‘product’ itself was superb. Programming, production, logistics, displays–everything was first class. … So then, why didn’t it work? We built it. But they didn’t come. Why?”

Love The Novel — But Our Famous Author Wants That Title

“Joanna Smith Rakoff had just turned in a major set of rewrites on her novel, Brooklyn, when her editor at Scribner broke the news to her over dinner that she would have to change its title. It seemed that Irish novelist Colm Tóibín, a Scribner author since 2000 who has been twice short-listed for the Booker Prize, wanted to use it for his forthcoming book, which was scheduled to come out this spring, just a month after Ms. Rakoff’s. Would the young debut novelist mind terribly getting out of the way?”

How Badly Does Sydney Opera House Need Renovating?

“The Sydney Opera House is in such disrepair it could be forced to close shows if it does not receive the renovation funds announced by the Premier last week but dismissed by the Prime Minister. ‘If it takes us to a point where the theatre is shut, so be it,’ the chief executive, Richard Evans, said yesterday. ‘The theatre will either be shut in a planned way or an unplanned way’.”

Wis. Chamber Orchestra Gives Musicians ‘Last, Best’ Offer

“Following more than a year of negotiations and a strike that’s lasted nearly six months, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra has issued musicians a ‘last, best and final offer.'” The contract includes fewer guaranteed performances, and the union “argues that musicians should not have to agree to fewer services without full knowledge of the orchestra’s finances.”