And some of them are earning $100,000 a month. In the Amazon self-publishing universe where authors earn a share of revenue based on how many people are reading, scammers have so gamed the system that quality legitimate books are being edged out, and money is going to clickbait. – The Guardian
Tag: 03.28.19
After General Manager’s Ouster, WBUR Radio Considers Separating From Boston University
“Discussions began immediately after the group, known as WBUR’s Board of Overseers, learned that General Manager Charlie Kravetz” — credited with building the station into a public radio powerhouse that distributes numerous programs nationally — “would no longer oversee daily operations of the station and would leave, officially, at the end of June. Members of the board, which has no direct decision-making authority, say they felt blindsided by the decision and ignored by BU when they protested.” – WBUR (Boston)
Arts And Culture Add More Than $800 Billion A Year To U.S. Economy: Report
That adds up to more than 4% of the entire nation’s GDP. “That figure is based on detailed data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (part of the Department of Commerce) and the National Endowment for the Arts, summarized in a report released earlier this month. The report tracks the aggregate performance of 35 key arts-and-culture fields, including broadcasting, movies, streaming, publishing, the performing arts, arts-related retail, and more.” – CityLab
Sing-A-Long Musicals Are Becoming A Thing
Of course, in your traditional theatre experience, you go to listen to the performers. But just as audiences have been joining in for showings of Rocky Picture Horror and Sound of Music, they’re now coming to musicals to join in with the cast singing. So what’s the appeal? – The Guardian
Charges Of Mismanagement Of Control Of Balanchine’s Ballets
Unlike a painting or the written score of a symphony, a dance is uniquely fragile because there is no foolproof way to preserve it and steps are easily forgotten. Even a complete work can be changed in subtle ways so that its vivacity is flattened. The petition raises a thorny question: Who is truly in charge of this peerless treasury of artworks for the next decades? – Washington Post
Books Make Money, And Anyone Who Says They Don’t Is Lying In Order To Stiff Employees
Or at least that’s the claim a book editor is making: “In publishing circles, you often hear the phrase ‘I put up with it because I love my job so much’ – we accept the shortcomings and remind ourselves to be grateful for the privilege of working in an industry so seemingly fragile. However, contrary to popular belief, the industry is not at risk of dying – far from it.” – The Guardian (UK)
Architects Need To Choose The Planet First
This piece is a fine, furious, anguished, specific call for action. “Our civilisation faces its end date. Cities are expanding refugee camps for a species in crisis. Every particle matters.” Yet architecture firms cut and paste specifications, not using green developers or materials when they could. That must change. – Dezeen
The Major Cinema Chains Are Badly Exploiting Their Cleaning Staffs
This is bad: “The major chains — AMC, Regal Entertainment and Cinemark — no longer rely on teenage ushers to keep the floors from getting sticky. Instead, they have turned to a vast immigrant workforce, often hired through layers of subcontractors. That arrangement makes it almost impossible for janitors to make a living wage.” – Variety
Why Are We Still Talking (And Making Documentary Art) About This Man, Jailed For Murdering His Ex-Girlfriend?
Yes, if you’ve listened to all (or even most) of NPR’s wildly popular true-crime podcast Serial, you might not be ready for an HBO special on Adnan Syed. But would you be if the story concerned Hae Min Lee, the murdered girl at the center of the case? For director Amy Berg, that’s the point. – The New York Times
How To Pick The Perfect Seat In The Movie Theatre
You’ll know the worst seat – i.e., the front row. “The existence of a worst, then, must suggest its opposite: The ideal seat. The perfect focal point that maximizes your visual and aural experience. Does it exist?” It’s science, y’all. – Popular Science