Nureyev Vs. The KGB

In 1961 Rudolf Nureyev defected to the West. “The KGB wanted him back. His celebrated teacher, Alexander Pushkin, and his devoted student friend, Tamara Zakrzhevskaya, were ordered to write pleading letters; his father, a loyal communist, was pressed to fetch him; and Soviet sympathisers in Paris tried to destroy his confidence by pelting him with missiles and catcalls on stage.”

Oxford Library’s Controversial Expansion Plan

“Next week the local authority will consider Oxford University’s solution, a £29m new store to hold 7.8m books, which the Bodleian estimates would not only solve the current crisis but also give it shelving space for the next 20 years. However, many in Oxford regard it as the wrong building in the wrong place and claim it could pose a threat to cherished views. They also point out that it will be sited on a flood plain.”

The Team Behind That Book

“Books are a collective endeavour. The book that you hold in your hands is stuffed full of what Jerome McGann describes as ‘the dynamic social relations which always exist in literary production’. And believe me, there have been some “dynamic social relations” going on in my office in the last week or so. Producing a text for publication is dynamic, nerve-wracking and all-consuming.”

Behind One Author’s Name, The Toil Of Many

“When Thomas Carlyle spoke of ‘the difficulties of a book, of getting it done, of reducing chaos to order’ he wasn’t kidding. Books don’t just happen. They are the result of the will to publish an individual’s writings, thoughts and ideas. It’s the backroom boys who make this happen, who – in short – get it right. And in getting it right, they erase themselves from the book.”

Canadian Film Library In Peril Of Deteriorating

“Canada’s film board risks losing large swaths of its vast library because it lacks the technology to digitize the aging collection, a newly released document says. Much of the National Film Board’s library of more than 13,000 films is in peril because the agency’s catalogue is ‘largely non-digitized’ and could deteriorate, says an internal audit obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act.”

Fox Responds To Emmy Censorship Charges

Fox TV execs said they censored Sally Field and two others on Sunday’s Emmy telecast because of hazy FCC rules against obscenity. “That very murkiness led Fox to err on the side of caution, executives said. But that explanation didn’t fly with many critics, who noted that the show was laced with racy innuendo.The censorship of Field was one of three such incidents on Sunday. The network also cut away when comedian Ray Romano made a sexually suggestive remark and when Katherine Heigl uttered a profanity in response to her win as supporting actress on a drama series.”

Warner Head Says Music Biz Due For Rebound

“Our business is poised to rebound because the demand for music is as strong as it has ever been and our determination to meet that demand has never been greater. While it may take some time for the rise in all the new revenue streams to overtake the short-term effect of the decline in the CD, there is no doubt in my mind that the mid-to-long-term future for Warner Music is very bright indeed.”