Five letters by Lewis Carroll have been discovered in an English castle. “We think it is quite exciting because the final letter was written so close to his death and was actually signed Lewis Carroll as opposed to his real name, Charles Dodgson.” – The Age (Melbourne) (AFP)
Tag: 08.23.00
ABOARD THE E-BOOK TRAIN
A few years ago most publishers were skeptical about e-publishing. Now? “Give the industry five or 10 years and you’ll see all bestsellers published simultaneously in electronic and traditional form. And in 25 years? Who knows . . . but the electronic format will probably be well ahead.” – The Age (Melbourne)
WRITERLY RETIREMENT
Dancers, athletes and musicians retire. But what about writers? “Computer keyboards are not retired. Career best-seller records do not lead to teary stadium send-offs. The creative force that drives writing may still burn, but the energy to promote a book fades like the pitching arm of a middle-aged hurler. In some ways, mulling a writerly finale seems a bit morbid. – New York Times
NO DANCING IN NY
New York’s cabaret law bans dancing in nightclubs that lack a cabaret license. “The law was originally designed to crack down on Prohibition-era speakeasies and Harlem jazz clubs, but had lain dormant for over 70 years. That was until Giuliani’s administration dusted it off about four years ago and began enforcing it against legal nightclubs.” – Village Voice
LIVE-IN.THIS
- The Dot-commies are making it so expensive to live in San Francisco that artists can’t afford it any more. Thousands have lost their work/live spaces and arts organizations are being prices out of the city. But protesting won’t change things – time to act and use some of the city’s policies to alleviate the squeeze. – SF Weekly
KENNEDY CENTER AWARDS —
— are announced: dance Mikhail Baryshnikov, tenor Plácido Domingo, actress Angela Lansbury, rock ‘n’ roller Chuck Berry, and the actor/director Clint Eastwood. – New York Times 08/23/00
- POPULAR CHOICE: “Though the Kennedy Center has been questioned for giving people a legendary status when their careers were brief or obscure, or saluting artists with highbrow appeal but little in the way of broad popular impact, this year’s honorees have had long, influential careers. In many cases, even their clunkers have been hailed as bold experiments.” – Washington Post 08/23/00
NEW ART OR MORE OF SAME?
The hottest thing in Hollywood right now is the internet. “The lures are obvious: Internet greed, and the chance to pioneer a whole new art form, to be both D.W. Griffith and Louis B. Mayer. It’s an all-star game. The world’s best pitchers, catchers and home-run hitters, people like Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard, want in. The only problem is, no one has invented baseball yet.” – LA Weekly
SUIT OVER ARTS FUNDING
“The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, founded in 1988 to support illegal aliens and homosexuals, established an arts program in 1990. It is suing the city because it claims the city council’s decision in 1997 to eliminate taxpayer funding for its arts program was political.” – Newsmax 08/23/00
AMERICAN BULLDOZER
It’s hardly been a summer to remember at the movie box office in America. Nonetheless, American movies have clobbered French films in French theatres. “After eight weeks, the battlefield is strewn with corpses, le Parisien said yesterday. Only one film – Destinées Sentimentales is expected to survive the season.” – The Times (UK)
CYBER-ACTING
- The technology is here to allow producers to use digital actors instead of live ones. Does that mean real actors will be out of work? “Producers and directors who think virtual actors will be easier to work with than their human counterparts are also deluding themselves. The truth is that instead of one creative temperament or sensibility to deal with, you have 50. It’s simply better and cheaper to use a real actor.” – Backstage