Not so long ago, the Indian literature section of your average Delhi bookstore “would be a half-hearted affair, seemingly there more out of duty than joy, and usually it would be hidden away at the back of the shop.” No more: “A newly buoyant middle-class, better travelled, more curious and with more disposable income, has been devouring books like never before” and Indian authors can now aim at an audience of compatriots instead of writing for export.
Tag: 07.17.09
Tossed From Tonys, Journos Can Change Their Rules, Too
“[I]n the end, the Tonys are run by and for the commercial theater. They’re marketing tools, and any hue and cry about ‘integrity’ is beside the point. If the producers don’t want journalists around, well, it’s their party. Which is not to say the press shouldn’t take its revenge.” Here are a few ways to do it.
University Presses To Study e-Book Publishing
“The coalition of presses plans to study how to bring together a wide variety of university presses of different sizes–a minimum of ten presses at launch–in an e-book publishing program that would launch with at least 10,000 e-book titles and add five to 10 new UPs each year over 5 years.”
Are Uncomfortable Seats Keeping People Away From The Theatre?
“People are not coming to the theatre as often as they would like to, or as often as they can afford to, because the experience is not magical. Frankly, it is inconvenient and deeply uncomfortable at the best of times.”
The Next Women Playwrights
“While the newest generation of female playwrights is not following a well-beaten path, at least it’s not a journey without maps. Women have led the way for some time in fusing the political with the personal, falling neither into the “art for art’s sake” fallacy nor the “agitprop” fallacy, so succinctly outlined by Ferdinand Mount in the Guardian a few weeks ago.”
Study: Movie Industry Shouldn’t Cut Back In Bad Times
“The bigger the slate, the better the odds for profit. The five-film slate had a net loss of $94 million. The 10-film slate had almost $140 million in profit, while the 15-film slate had $466.4 million in profit. The study, which used a time frame of 12 years to determine the results, assumed 8% in distribution costs and 10% profit-participation and also included video and television revenues.”
Video Game Sales Plunge
“Marking the sector’s fourth consecutive monthly decline, sales of video games and consoles in the U.S. fell 31% last month to $1.2 billion, down from $1.7 billion in June 2008, according to a report released Thursday from market research firm NPD Group Inc.”
DVD Rentals Dramatically Up, Sales Down
“Movie rental revenue rose 8% in the first half of the year — a remarkable uptick for a business that many in Hollywood had thought peaked. At the same time, sales of DVDs have taken a shellacking, falling 13.5% for the period.”
Lower Manhattan Performing Arts Center Could Be Relocated
“Switching to the Deutsche Bank site could let it move ahead more quickly, since it would be less encumbered by competing interests, and since the bank building, which has not yet been demolished, has a structural foundation that could be reused, saving on construction costs, people with knowledge of the proposal said.”
This Year’s Emmy Nominations Bypass Veteran Series
“Despite critical accolades, high-profile guest stars and expanded finales loaded with resolutions, none of the dramas nabbed a major nomination Thursday.”