“Poet, playwright and scientist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe has been voted the greatest German of all time in a new poll, beating runners-up chancellor Konrad Adenauer and physicist Albert Einstein.”
Tag: 08.30.11
Is Book Publishing Done?
It’s different, if not necessarily better or worse. “The party’s still on. It’s not quite the same party, the drink’s a good deal cheaper and we’ve got crisps, not caviar. But there are more people invited, and some of them look pretty groovy. I’ll not get my coat just yet.”
First-Ever Kashmir Book Festival Called Off Because Of Fears Of Violence
“With many authors voicing their concerns about possible violence during the festival due to the heightened nature of the debate, and a call for protest at the venues, we neither have the desire to be responsible for yet more unrest in the valley nor to propagate mindless violence in the name of free speech.”
Brooklyn’s Williamsburg Neighborhood Is Pricing Out Artists
Monster Island “arts centre has been home to artists, musicians and retailers, but the building is scheduled for demolition in November. Rumour has it that Whole Foods supermarket may open a branch in its place. Demand for property in Williamsburg has been steadily rising.”
Record Ticket Sales For Edinburgh Fringe
“The Fringe Society say that an estimated 1,877,119 tickets were issued this year. A rise of 2.6% on last year’s equivalent figures, it does not include attendances at the fringe’s increasing number of free events.”
Movie Theatre Owners Fear Ticket Discounts Could Hurt Business
“In theory, theaters stand to benefit from promotions if they bring in more customers who buy lots of popcorn, soda and other high-profit concessions. Even so, some exhibitors fear the heavy marketing of low-priced tickets through discount services such as Groupon, LivingSocial and DailyCandy will erode their business by encouraging moviegoers to wait for a bargain before trekking to the megaplex.”
Detroit Science Center CEO Suddenly Resigns
Kevin “Prihod’s sudden resignation on Friday and news that the Science Center faces revenue shortfalls and has fallen behind on mortgage payments on its $5 million in real-estate debt, raises complex questions about Prihod’s vision for the museum. Is the Science Center suffering from entrepreneurial overreach, poor management, the financial hangover of the recession or a combination of factors?”
How Much Damage Did Tropical Storm Irene Do To Broadway’s Box Office?
With all 23 productions currently on Broadway having shut down for the weekend, the Broadway League reported that ticket sales were down 42% from the previous week, with attendance down 40%.
Seiji Ozawa, Ailing Again, Pulls Out Of China Concerts
The Japanese conductor, who over the past two years has dealt with esophageal cancer and major back surgery, had just begun a comeback at the Saito Kinen Festival. But after two performances, he reportedly contracted pneumonia and has withdrawn from the festival orchestra’s appearance in China this week.
Singing The Blues To Rumi And Omar Khayyam
“It’s very hard to take classical Persian poetry and make it sound like Al Green or Billie Holiday,” says Iranian-American singer Rana Farhan. But that’s just what she’s been doing since an odd sequence of serendipitous events six years ago. The combination has made her a star in Iran, and now the international jazz world is catching on.