Author Robin Stevens on writing for kids: “What book changed your life? What stories made you think about the world? I couldn’t tell you much about what was in most books I read last month but I can tell you every character in Howl’s Moving Castle. Eva Ibbotson’s morality has become mine, Diana Wynne Jones has influenced how I write, the way Terry Pratchett talks about society helped me think about all those things.”- The Guardian (UK)
Tag: 07.31.20
When The American Museum Of Natural History Reopens, It Will No Longer Be Pay As You Wish
The planned reopening date is September 9, but of course not if infections start to crest again in New York. And, of course, “when it reopens, it will limit capacity to 25% and reduce its operating days to five instead of seven.” Then there’s the little matter of paying what the museum wishes, not what you wish. – Hyperallergic
Canada’s Prominent Black Filmmakers Call Out Racism And Inequity In The Film Industry
“These systemic barriers – no one seemed to notice, no one seemed to care, and so we felt like we had to say something,” says Jennifer Holness, who adds that even as the most senior Black filmmaker in the country, it’s hard to get any funding for projects. – CBC
The Shutdown Kills A Young Cabaret Theatre Near Indianapolis
Though the theatre tried hard to attract smaller, socially distanced crowds as it reopened in June, no one was ready to return to an indoor space, and tickets didn’t sell. The now common refrain for small arts venues: “Founder Chris Tompkins said that paying the lease and other bills for upkeep was impossible with no income.” – Indianapolis Star
Booker Nominee Arrested For Supporting Another Arrested Writer In Zimbabwe
Tsitsi Dangarembga, an activist and award-winning writer who was just chosen for the Booker longlist, has been arrested in Zimbabwe while she was protesting the arrest and imprisonment of investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono. “Dangarembga, 61, and another protester were bundled into a police lorry while carrying placards. The government has warned that participation in Friday’s demonstration is regarded as insurrection.” – BBC
The Many Side – Now Main – Hustles Of Broadway Workers
Plush toymaking, giving dancing lessons (via Zoom, of course), selling skincare products … stagehands, costume designers, actors, and everyone associated with Broadway are trying to figure it out, piece it together. But many are considering leaving the city, and the arts, forever. – Time
Coronavirus Prevention Measure: Intermission
In China, some areas of the country can require movie theatres to give an intermission in the middle of movies that are more than two hours long. Hurray for bathroom breaks? “There is not yet official clarity as to how long the break should be and whether facilities must be disinfected again during that time frame.” – Variety
Greek Theatre On The Rocks
Even before the pandemic, Greece’s theaters were in trouble. Years of austerity saw government spending on the arts slashed, with subsidies for the largest theaters cut in half, or withdrawn altogether for some smaller venues. As a deep recession hammered the economy, tens of thousands of businesses closed down, leaving little prospect of support from the private sector. Dozens of theaters closed; others survived only by cast members covering the costs of performances themselves. – The New York Times
Director Alan Parker, 76
He was nominated for the best-director Oscar for the 1978 film “Midnight Express” and again 10 years later for “Mississippi Burning.” – The New York Times
Salzburg Festival Will Happen This Year, And Here’s How They’ll Do It
“A sprawling, 44-day anniversary program has been mostly postponed until next year. It has been replaced with a reduced, 30-day schedule, through Aug. 30, of concerts, plays and two (instead of seven) staged operas.” Artistic director Markus Hinterhäuser says “we have measures for cultural institutions — which are 200 percent necessary — that respect the health of the people working and the audience.” And those measures, it turns out, were designed partly by a baritone-otolaryngologist. – The New York Times