“From humble and idealistic beginnings a decade ago, open-access scientific journals have mushroomed into a global industry, driven by author publication fees rather than traditional subscriptions. Most of the players are murky.”
Tag: 10.04.13
Meet Walt Disney’s First African-American Animator
Floyd Norman: “The idea of my color, I never even gave it a second thought. And I don’t think anybody there did either, because what they were concerned about was, How well can you draw? How well can you paint? What talents do you have? … Walt Disney was the same way.”
Citizen Grand Juries In Kansas Try To Indict A Sculpture
“The bronze sculpture, installed in the Overland Park Arboretum, shows a headless, bare-breasted woman photographing herself. Artist Yu Chang may have intended it as a criticism of sexting, but the American Family Association of Kansas and Missouri sees his work as obscene.” And since citizens can have grand juries empaneled in Kansas, the AFA has had one convened (it returned no indictment) and is trying for another.
Muti, And Chicago, Are Winning At Orchestra – But How?
“In these cautious, anxious times for classical music, fraught with labor unrest and declining subscriber rolls, the Chicago Symphony is thriving. Mr. Muti, an elder statesman with a heavy Italian accent, has been an unexpectedly galvanizing hit.”
The Pastor Strays, But Churchgoing Readers Pay – For More Than A Million Books
“As much as [Roby’s] novels traffic in Mr. Black’s sins — living large and cheating on two wives while presenting himself as the symbol of moral authority — they also depict in knowledgeable and even tender ways black Christianity’s deep sense of community and a fabric of meaningful ritual. It is precisely because Mr. Black serves so valuable a tradition that his failings hit with such impact.”
Why Is Widowhood So (Suddenly, Very) Popular In Fiction, Movies, TV Shows … Etc.
“At a time when nearly half of marriages end unceremoniously in divorce, and relationships are too often disposable, widowhood offers a get-out-of-jail-free card – a chance to start over without the stigma of failure. There is an innocence in it, a sense of blameless rebirth.”
Verdi At 200: A (Long, Playful, Thoughtful) Appreciation
“I can’t explain to you why you should like Verdi, because I can’t believe you won’t hear it for yourself. It’s hardest for us to teach, or explain, the things that come most naturally to us, and for me Verdi has always made perfect sense. Something about his work accords with my sense of how life works, and how stories can be told and experienced.”
Where Same-Sex Dance, Or Maybe Dance Equality, Means The Tango
“Here there are no expectations that a dominant man lead and a passive woman follow, said organizer Mariana Docampo. ‘Everyone can dance the role they want with the partner they want.'”
Can You Train Yourself To Become A Creative Person?
Aside from Ben Franklin’s advice for “air baths” (that is, being naked) and the three-martini lunch (that was a bygone era, friends), what’s the best advice out there – and how well does it work?
A Netflix For E-books (FINALLY!)
“On the readers’ side we want a simple value proposition where they pay a flat monthly fee and they can read whatever they want. On the publisher’s side … we made it fit their traditional models where they get paid every single time someone reads a book.”