“While university presses grapple with the economic and technological challenges now affecting how we publish our books — the subject of a thousand and one AAUP conference sessions, e-mail-list debates, and news articles — discussion of what we publish seems to have taken a back seat. And understandably so. Why obsess about content if books as we know them are about to become obsolete in favor of some yet-to-evolve form? Has creative destruction spelled the end of books?”
Tag: 07.12.09
What Will Become Of Pina Bausch’s Work?
“Unlike the American choreographer Merce Cunningham, 90, whose company recently outlined a detailed plan under which it would fold but a trust would maintain its choreographer’s work, Ms. Bausch did not see any immediate need for such a plan.”
Opera Houses Cast Years In Advance, Then Hope For The Best
Opera companies have to case roles years in advance. But the singer you book might not be the one you get by the time the production rolls around.
Small Wisconsin Museum Makes A Name From Outside
“A small, off-the-beaten-path museum an hour north of Milwaukee, it has been building a reputation in the art world for exhibiting so-called outsider or self-taught art with the kind of single-minded passion and depth of vision typically associated with the artists themselves.”
NY Philharmonic Preps For The Alan Gilbert Era
At age 42, Mr. Gilbert is nearly four decades younger than Mr. Maazel, who led the Philharmonic for seven years and ended his tenure last month. The orchestra is already considering new directions: an Asian tour this fall, with its first visit to Vietnam, and a possible trip to Cuba in October, which would be another first for the orchestra.
More African American Plays On Broadway
“Playwrights and theater observers say both Obama’s election and more open theaters and audiences have helped bring more stories of black culture to the New York stage this year. Both on Broadway and off-Broadway, plays and musicals about black culture or issues of race are being praised and more productions are in the works.”
What Makes A Well-Written Movie
“To call a movie well written is far more than a question of dialogue — in fact, most filmmakers agree that dialogue is the least of it. Instead, good movie writing comes down to what defines good writing in general: a command of structure, voice and momentum, all in the service of a story that grabs spectators by their throats, then leads them along a path they simply must follow or they won’t be able to eat, sleep or lead a happy life.”
These Days You Have To Judge A Book By Its Cover
“A book’s words are private, the silent transcription of thought; the cover gives them a public face. Its design also identifies the publisher, the go-between who connects reclusive, soliloquizing writers with those who consume their wares.”
Seattle’s New Transit Line Offers Big Art
“A spirit of playful giganticism informs much of the public art along Sound Transit’s new Link light-rail route between Seattle’s Westlake Station and Tukwila.”