“Possibly the most noble and eloquent poetry-kvetch in the history of the art in English is Ben Jonson (1572-1637). … In his angry denunciations of the stupid audiences, ignorant critics, dumb fads, inept rivals, and general decay of poetry and taste in his time, Jonson sometimes hurled Classical allusions.”
Tag: 12.01.09
Are E-Readers The Eight-Tracks Of Publishing?
“[B]uyers may be sinking cash into a technology that could become obsolete. … E-reader technology is changing fast, and manufacturers are aiming to address the devices’ drawbacks.”
Oleanna To Fold Earlier Than Announced
The decision to close Sunday rather than Jan. 3 “underscores the fact that while big-name tuners and star-vehicle plays can count on an influx of tourist biz to boost sales during holiday frames, many plays (as well as medium-range musicals) can get left out of the cold.” Stars Bill Pullman and Julia Stiles have not “proven a major draw for playgoing auds.”
Seeing How Dickens Edited A Christmas Carol
“It is an enduring mystery of English literature: What secrets lie entombed beneath the thick scribbles that Charles Dickens made as he wrote, and rewrote, the 66 pages of A Christmas Carol in 1843?” See for yourself: the Morgan Library has “agreed to allow The New York Times to photograph and display the entire handwritten manuscript online.”
Peter Zumthor Working On Major Makeover For LACMA
“The dream of razing four of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s oldest buildings – or at least radically reconfiguring the dreary, closed-in quadrangle they occupy – is being resurrected.” Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, winner of this year’s Pritzker Prize, is working with museum leaders on “a long-range plan for getting rid of the problematic buildings and plaza, and replacing them with a more open and inviting structure.”
Strictly Come Dancing Tour Stealing UK Companies’ Audiences: Nunn
“Michael Nunn, one half of high-profile dance duo the Ballet Boyz, has criticised the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing live tour, claiming the show deprives professional dance companies of ticket sales and audiences.”
Loneliness May Be Contagious
“A new study suggests that feelings of loneliness can spread through social networks like the common cold. ‘People on the edge of the network spread their loneliness to others and then cut their ties,’ says [a co-author of the new study]. … ‘It’s like the edge of a sweater: You start pulling at it and it unravels the network.'”
After One Year, Durham PAC Reaches 250K Attendance Mark
Having opened a year ago this week, in the midst of perhaps the most precarious period in memory for US arts groups, the center has exceeded expectations in both attendance and revenue. In fact, DPAC’s first-year earnings were four times what was originally forecast.
Now At City Opera: Better Acoustics
“George Steel, who took over as City Opera’s general manager and artistic director in February, when things looked bleak, has rallied the company and made many good calls. Particularly gratifying was his decision to remove the dreaded sound-enhancement system that had been in use for a decade. … Opera at the Koch Theater is again a performing art for natural singing in an unamplified space.”
Will YouTube Start Streaming TV Shows For A Fee?
“Sources say the site’s negotiations with the networks and studios that own the shows are preliminary. … The biggest stumbling block may be consumers,” because YouTube would be streaming the shows “instead of letting consumers download them to their computers.”