“Rodney Smith, a moving force in Denver’s theater world, died of a massive heart attack March 27 in San Antonio, where he was overseeing the construction of a mega arts center. Smith was general manager of the Denver Performing Arts Complex until 2006, when he became events director at the University of Denver.”
Tag: 04.03.11
European E-Book Adoption Is Lagging
“If European books remain unavailable via legitimate digital outlets, the threat of piracy will grow. Publishers, politicians and regulators need only look at the music industry to see what that means.”
Why We Don’t Do Anything About Danger
“What are the forces at work that make us deny the big threats that stare us in the face?” and “Why, after any major failure or calamity, do voices always emerge saying they’d seen the danger, warned about the risk — but their warnings had gone unheeded?”
The Essential Slang (A Dictionary)
“Can a slang dictionary possibly hope to uncover any ‘lost words’? Are there any unmentionables left to mention?”
Why Hollywood Needs To Fail Better
“During the coming weeks, Hollywood might benefit richly from the practice of “intelligent failure” — even though some of its movies could be labeled as uniquely unintelligent. Much of the output — sequels and prequels — represents an effort to replicate past success, even though some of the ventures being replicated ended up in red ink.”
Why The Music Industry Will Slap Amazon Down From The Cloud
“There are reasons why the music industry will either push Amazon for new licenses or take the legal route, and their names rhyme with Schmapple and Croogle.”
Martin Amis: Is The Long Read Dead?
“There are so many claims on our attention. Very literate people admit they can’t read books any more. And just as the literate brain is physically different to the illiterate brain, the digitally savvy brain is different again. It’s a physiological change, not just a moral one.”
How Chinese Movie-Makers Are Changing The Art
“Spurred by the advent of cheaper digital technology, these young filmmakers are stylistically daring and increasingly fearless in addressing, or at least alluding to, taboo topics such as homosexuality and the heavy social costs of China’s breakneck dash toward modernity.”
Conductor Dino Anagnost, 67
“The longtime conductor of the Little Orchestra Society, the highly regarded New York chamber orchestra that presents concerts for children and adults, died on Wednesday at his home in Manhattan.”
Reimagining Alvin Ailey
“Change is difficult, and if you’re a company with audiences as emotionally involved as the hordes who flock to see Alvin Ailey, you take a careful, creative approach when introducing a major transfer of artistic rule.”