That's what facts are, says Terry Teachout. Here are some stubborn facts:
- Over the last ten years, no one read or bought very much Shakespeare.
- For the last ten years, the most important writing was for pre-teen and teen audiences.
- No one should be worried about the reach of female writers or minority writers because the top sellers for the last ten years were mostly women and minorities.
That's what I learned here. And the rejoinder is right underneath it. Go ahead. Scroll down.
Not all of those things there are false, obviously. But they don't present a clear picture. Nothing that Teachout wrote is false, but it isn't the full picture. Rob Weinert-Kendt is on the case, though and makes the same basic case. Only better. So go over there and read him.
*Title edited due to a dumb typo. Stupid sausage fingers!
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Oh those stubborn facts. Like the rather important one he omits, which is that this survey is of TCG's (fabulous) membership, which explains why "none is a musical." Teachout's subsequent implication that those who like musicals are "know-nothing neanderthals" is troublesome to me. There are many "artful, thoughtful and well-written" musicals out there, and they are being produced at a good clip, despite the usually higher costs involved. I'm also willing to bet money that there were more productions of "Joseph" (not so much with the artful and thoughtful, but I've returned to my original argument about the survey participants)last year than of "Intimate Apparel."
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