A new study prepared by a fellow at Columbia’s National Arts Journalism Program at Columbia University, takes a serious look at the evolution of the book industry in America. This is not a story of doom and gloom. “The number of new books published annually in the United States increased about 300 percent between 1975 and 2000, to 122,000 from 39,000. More people are buying better books than ever before – they’re also purchasing more books of questionable merit, but hey…
Tag: 12.15.02
A Thankless Job Ahead In Pittsburgh
Whatever brave soul volunteers to replace Gideon Toeplitz as managing director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will have a massive rebuilding job ahead. What makes the PSO situation particularly tricky is that the city is not in the habit of supporting non-profits that don’t support themselves, and that means that prospects are not good for an orchestra running a $7 million deficit with little in the way of reserves or a long-term plan.
Dance Thrives After Company Folds
When Cleveland San Jose Ballet folded two years ago, it looked like Cleveland would be dry territory for lovers of dance. Instead, the audience has turned up for other dance offerings. Audiences are growing for the region’s smaller dance companies, and the main presenter of touring dance companies has seen its subscriptions triple in the past four years.
Broadway’s Back
A year ago, Broadway was empty, shows were closing, and emergency aid was needed. “But now shoppers pack stores, hotels have raised their prices, and New York theaters, in the midst of the busiest December of openings in decades, have begun to deal with post-terrorist angst with something other than escapism.”
Down Down Down…
So why are blockbuster sales down? “One explanation is that traditional bookstores are suffering because the big supermarket chains have moved into bookselling. Another is that all the big releases were bunched together to avoid the anniversary of 11 September, and with only so many book buyers to go round it was inevitable sales would drop. Price could also be a factor, with hardback novels in the US costing $25 or more – steep in these recessionary times.”
Movie Studios Sue Companies That Edit Their Work
Eight major studios have joined to sue companies that edit parts of movies they find objectionable out the original versions and make them available to consumers. The movie studios charge that the companies are violating copyright laws. “The studios also allege the companies violate trademark law when they rent or sell an altered movie in the original packaging.”
The Problem Of Thinking Too Much…
For most of us, the problem would seem to be not thinking enough. But it can go the other way. According to one scholar, “overthinking” can sometimes be worse than not thinking at all. “The real difficulty is knowing when to stop thinking and go with your gut”…
Observing 2002’s Favorite Reads
Lots of poetry, books on war, and biographies published this year. Some two dozen critics from the pages of The Observer tick off their favorite reads of 2002.
Why “White Christmas” Is The Most Popular Song Of All Time
The most-recorded song of all-time? The biggest-selling? That would be Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas.” “It has been recorded in Dutch, Yiddish, Japanese and – perhaps most surreal of all – Swahili. Its sales have topped 125 million worldwide and its place as the all-time top single has been challenged only once, not by the Beatles, not by Presley nor Sinatra, but by Elton John’s ‘Candle in the Wind 97’ tribute to Princess Diana.”
The Getty – High Culture On The Hill
The Getty Center is celebrating its fifth anniversary atop its hillside overlooking Los Angeles. The $1.3 billion complex has attracted 7 million visitors since opening, and the complaints that chased its unveiling seem to have quieted down. “On days like this it may appear that people go to the Getty to do anything but look at art. But no, every gallery is crowded, and for each person who strolls through, there’s someone engaged with an artwork.”