JIM FARBER'S PHOTO EXHIBIT
Get down to the Torrance Art Museum this week if you can to see the exhibit (through May 31) of Daily Breeze/Daily News writer Jim Farber's stunning and fascinating photos. It's worth the trip!
OC REGISTER ARTS BLOG
Speaking of terrific writers, have you checked out Tim Mangan's OC Register arts blog (also contributed to by theatre critic Paul Hodgins and art writer Richard Chang)? Make it a bookmark, and visit it frequently, illustrating to the bean counters at the Register that there is interest in the arts.
ADD ONE MORE TERRIFIC WRITER
The Ojai Music Festival celebrates the launch of Alan Rich’s website, “www.soiveheard.com,” with its first “Bloggers’ Night” on Thursday, June 5, the opening night of the 2008 Festival.
CITY BEAT LOSES MITTELSTAEDT
City Beat News Editor Alan Mittelstaedt is let go. LA Observed has the details.
FAMILIAR NAMES ON WASHINGTON POST BUYOUT LIST
This story details info about the more than 100 Washington Post writers and editors who took the recent buyouts. Among the familiar names is Classical Music Critic Tim Page. He's been on leave this year anyway. Not sure if his replacement, Anne Midgette, will stay on. Anyone know?
THIS AND THAT
The LA Times Readers Rep blog announces that foreign correspondent Carol J. Williams is joining the Metro staff, taking over the legal affairs beat that had been held by Henry Weinstein.
According to Cision's Navigator:
Charlotte Boechler has replaced Mindy Spar as lifestyle editor.
Salma Abdelnour, previously travel editor at Food & Wine, has joined O, The Oprah Magazine as food editor.
New York Times LA Bureau music reporter Jeff Leeds "has been laid off amid recent cuts."
Media Bistro reports Nathan Cooper's promotion to editor of C Magazine, to "oversee and contribute to all of the title's editorial content… Cooper will report directly to Jennifer Smith Hale, Founder and Editorial Director."
Also from Media Bistro, LA Times Scriptland columnist Jay Fernandez heads on over to the Hollywood Reporter “as a full-time senior film reporter, concentrating on breaking news.”
From Susan Elliott at Musical America:
Downsizing at The New York Times has hit the culture department. Among those taking the recently offered buyouts are Bernard Holland, music critic; Jennifer Dunning, dance critic; Diane Nottle, deputy editor for classical music and dance; Gwen Smith, assignments coordinator for dance and art; and Lawrence Van Gelder, senior editor.
That leaves Alastair Macaulay as the only full-time dance critic at the Times, although the newspaper uses free-lancers Gia Kourlas, Roslyn Sulcas and Claudia La Rocco as well. The two full-time music critics left are Anthony Tommasini and Allan Kozinn. James R. Oestreich, editor of classical music and dance, occasionally pitches in as well; Steve Smith and Vivien Schweitzer are Times free-lance classical critics.
Holland’s last day will be May 23. In an e-mail he writes that he has been with the newspaper for 27 years and that he “drifted” into music writing after teaching piano privately. Early training included studies at the Vienna Academy of Music and the Paris Conservatory. He writes that he’s not sure of his future plans, but adds, “We have a house on an island in Canada. No one ever heard of Mozart or The New York Times. [I'm] there until they deport me.”
Asked if Holland’s position would be filled, Oestreich responded, “Since the goal of the buyouts is to decrease the size of the newsroom, it’s not an automatic assumption that we can hire another staff critic.”
As of February, the Times newsroom had about 1330 employees; the goal has been to cut 100 of them, through attrition and buyouts. Last week, media reports indicated that there would have to be about 15 involuntary layoffs to reach 100. Like most newspapers, ad revenues at The New York Times Co., which also includes the Boston Globe and a number of other papers, have been slipping. Associated Press reports that Times Co. ad revenues dropped by 9.2 percent in the first quarter of the year.
A FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT!
Don't miss A Chorus Line at the Ahmanson!
AND FINALLY, DOESN'T VANESSA BRYANT HAVE ENOUGH PROBLEMS?
Bet you can't resist clicking on this headline: "I Got Cussed Out By Kobe Bryant's Wife"
