The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is not only losing its books editor, but also film critic Eleanor Ringel Gillespie to a buyout. “Not only is the paper poised to lose a Who’s Who of senior talent, but about half the remaining staff have been bounced from their current positions and forced to compete for newly created jobs or vacancies.”
Tag: 04.18.07
Atlanta J-C Cuts Books Editor
Following a major restructuring of its newsroom, the Atlanta Journal Constitution has eliminated the books editor position formerly held by Teresa Weaver.
Protests Over Michican Arts Funding Cuts
Michigan artists protest in “the capitol in Lansing to protest Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s moratorium on $7.5 million in state grants and a $3.6 million funding cut approved by the Senate that would slice state support for arts and culture to its lowest level in decades. If the Senate cuts stand, the budget for arts grants would drop to $6.5 million — down 73% from its recent peak of $24 million in 2000. Meanwhile, the grant freeze, which took effect two weeks ago, has robbed arts groups of 75% of the $10 million awarded by the state arts council.”
Games – The Next Way Forward?
Jane McGonigal “designs games for a living, and she believes they point the way toward civilization’s next step forward. Her games are sprawling extravaganzas that suck in thousands of players and force them to pool their talents to become, essentially, one big networked brain. In the young and burgeoning genre of alternate reality games, otherwise known as ARGs, the players’ collective intelligence is applied to cracking codes, solving puzzles, and completing complex tasks doled out by almighty ‘puppetmasters.’ McGonigal is one of the people who pulls the strings.”
Anatomy of A Dance Company’s Collapse
The folding of the Orange County, California-based Ballet Pacifica was a long time coming, as a series of mistakes and bad decisions made the collapse almost inevitable. “As the board of directors struggled to fulfill its fiduciary responsibilities, it canceled repertory performances, cut short the professional dancers’ contracts, and even gave away its new choreography workshop.” It was a classic example of an arts group being run like a for-profit business, and it failed to take into account public attitudes.
Crafting A Regional Lineup
What do America’s big regional theatres consider when they’re putting together a season?
NBC Has Worst Ratings Week Ever
“The network, which dominated television in the late 1990s and earlier this decade, averaged only 6.8 million viewers in prime time last week, according to Nielsen Media Research. That’s believed to be lowest weekly average that NBC has recorded during a TV season since the advent of Nielsen’s “people meters” 20 years ago and likely ever.”
Interactive Theatre – Should The Audience Vote?
“Since we live in the age of interactive TV and instant blogging, should the principle be extended? In the majority of cases, I doubt whether audience voting is relevant. But audiences are changing. With the development of a new kind of forensic, factual drama, such as that pioneered by the Tricycle, it is perfectly legitimate to have a vote.”
Pope’s Book A Hit On First Day
“Pope Benedict XVI’s new book sold more than 50,000 copies on its first day on sale Monday – the pontiff’s 80th birthday – said the Italian publisher Rizzoli, which has decided on another printing. Rizzoli said yesterday the new edition would bring the printing to 420,000 copies. The 448-page book was published in German, Italian and Polish. An English-language edition is due on May 15 and translations are planned for 16 other languages.”
Why We Need Lit Prizes
“What gets read should not be determined solely by the size of publishers’ promotion budgets or the muscle of bookshop chains. Literary awards are a vital, and equalising, means of alerting readers to rewarding books.”