Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.trends From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: trends Wed, Mar 18 1992 Date: Wed, 18 Mar 92 05:44:27 EST Message-ID: 03-18 0000 DECISIONLINE: Trends & Marketing USA TODAY Update March 18, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network MULTICULTURALISM HITS KID LIT: A new wave of multiculturalism has swept the world of children's literature, bringing critically acclaimed books by talented new writers and illustrators. And a healthy dose of controversy: Should white authors write books about Hispanic or Asian or black children? Should children's books enter historical minefields? Is multiculturalism really a heartfelt attempt to include minorities? (For more, see special Books package below.) VW SALES ARE DOWN: Volkswagen of America will cut its U.S. workforce 25% this spring, about 300 of its 1,200 workers, because of weak sales. Layoff notices go out April 1, with cuts to take effect by May 1. Volkswagen also will close three of its eight regional sales offices in the USA. Volkswagen's U.S. sales peaked at 440,000 a year in the 1960s but dropped to 96,723 last year. `TREK' KEEPS GOING AND GOING: The USA is nostalgic for the future. "Star Trek" has been seen in a number of incarnations, including two TV shows and six movies. Now it's the focus of two major museum shows. Exhibitions at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland, Ore., both spotlight the show. And both are drawing record crowds. CONVENTION TO DRAW THOUSANDS: Star Trek: The Next Generation 5th Season Anniversary Celebration Convention in Los Angeles features appearances by the principal actors on the TV spinoff, including Patrick Stewart and LeVar Burton. More than 10,000 are headed for the convention. Daily tickets for Friday and Saturday are $30 each. Sunday is sold out but three-day packages are available. Call 818-409-0960. SPINAL TAP IS BACK: The parody rock band Spinal Tap, spotlighted in 1984's "This is Spinal Tap," is resurfacing with a new album. "Break Like the Wind" is in stores this week. Things are looking up for the band, including kind album reviews, a tour in May and a TV special this summer. PEPPERS MAY KEEP SNIFFLES AWAY: Hot food is becoming increasingly popular. But now it appears the stuff may be medically correct. Red hot chili peppers may be used to stop runny noses. What causes the peppers' burning sensation - a chemical called capsaicin - can desensitize nerves in the nose that cause running, sneezing and congestion. Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center is exploring putting it in nose sprays. ANOTHER HAMBURGER OPTION: Red meat has suffered during the growing emphasis on healthy eating. But the stuff appears to be holding its own. PepsiCo wants to expand on its number one ranking as world's largest restaurant operator. It plans to open the first of 100 Hot-n-Now hamburger outlets by early April. The first will open in Charleston, South Carolina, and others will open in mid-summer in six other markets. MID-SIZE PICKUPS PICK UP: Ford is looking into the possibility of building a mid-size pickup truck, according to Automotive news. That could be competition for Chrysler, which right now is the only one selling mid-size trucks in the USA. Not only is Ford looking onto the vehicles, Toyota plans one for the 1993 model year. SHARON'S BACK: Actress Sharon Stone's career is back on track. After she was discovered by Woody Allen and cast in his "Stardust Memories," which came out in 1980, her career fizzled. But her comeback began when she played Arnold Schwarzenegger's kickboxing wife in "Total Recall." Now, she's playing opposite Michael Douglas in the erotic thriller "Basic Instinct." SPECIAL PACKAGE ON BOOKS: IT'S A `RAINBOW EFFECT': The new wave of multiculturalism is "a rainbow effect we have in children's literature today," says Anita Silvey, editor in chief of "The Horn Book," the bible of children's lit. "Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, it's the entire range, not just a single group," she says. Works recently chosen as 1992 Children's Books of Distinction by "The Hungry Mind Review" reflect the diversity. DEMOGRAPHICS GET NOTICED: "We wanted the books to be sensitive to cultural differences and to gender differences," says editor Bart Schneider of the St. Paul-based "Hungry Mind Review." Silvey notes that her readers - primarily teachers and librarians, who buy the majority of kids' books - are keenly aware of demographics. By the year 2056, there will be more children of color than white children in the USA. FIELD IS BOOMING: "There is a specific demand for books on multicultural issues," says Diane Roback, the children's books editor of Publishers Weekly. Moreover, the entire field is booming, Roback says. Children's books is the fastest growing area of trade publishing: Sales topped $1 billion in 1991 for the first time. The growth in multicultural books is much more recent. (End of package.) Trends & Marketing Editor: Beth Mann. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM