AJ Four Ways: Text Only (by date) | headlines only
DANCE
IDEAS
- Good Morning
Today’s AJ highlights: In Washington, the debate over the Kennedy Center’s business model has reached a point of absurdity, with critics warning that corporate aesthetic preferences are determining what counts as art at the nation’s premier center (Washington Post). This tension between commerce and culture is mirrored in the film industry, where Netflix is reportedly pushing for action movies that restate their plots multiple times in dialogue to keep phone-distracted viewers engaged (Variety).
The existential impact of Artificial Intelligence is being felt across the culture. Researchers argue that AI is a tool being used with “astonishing alacrity” to hollow out democratic institutions (Gary Marcus) , while others question if the next wave of technology will fundamentally change the nature of human attention (Big Think). The line between human and machine is further blurred by the rise of AI “singers” like Sienna Rose, whose synthesized tracks are built from refined white noise (BBC).
Travel bans and visa pauses are currently stymying international musicians, creating a logistical mess for U.S. audiences and producers (The New York Times). And we look at the Poverty of the Novelist, where even accomplished authors earn mere fragments of a living wage (The Guardian).
All our stories below.
- The Trump-Kennedy Center Regime’s Odd Notion Of An Arts Business Model
The notion that unstated corporate aesthetic preferences should determine what the public encounters as art — indeed, what counts as art at the nation’s art center — is absurd. It’s why we don’t (yet) have touring musicals about a young couple discovering the bold, zesty flavor of Cool Ranch Doritos. – Washington Post
- The Playboy Publisher Who Published The Greats And Shaped American Literature
Toward the end of his life, the versatile Bennett Cerf — believing that growth was essential — acquired rival publishing house Knopf. A few years later, he arranged for Random House to become a subsidiary of the RCA Corporation, then an electronics and communications leviathan. This move, Cerf soon recognized, was a mistake. – Washington Post
- We Think Time Always Moves Forward. This Is A Relatively New Concept
This picture of time is not natural. Its roots stretch only to the 18th century, yet this notion has now entrenched itself so deeply in Western thought that it’s difficult to imagine time as anything else. And this new representation of time has affected all kinds of things, from our understanding of history to time travel. – Aeon
- What If AI Changes The Very Nature Of Our Attention?
What if the next wave of artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t designed to feed that addiction — but to fundamentally change it? What if the future of AI demands young people’s attention, curiosity, and creativity in ways we haven’t experienced before? – Big Think
ISSUES
- A New Show Shares ‘A Gush Of Affection’ For A Giant Of Art History
Meyer Schapiro “was one of the most important figures in the evolution of art history as an academic field. He combined close formal analyses of artworks with an understanding of how style related to social conditions. … He introduced a lot of complexity.” – Washington Post (MSN)
- What’s Going On With A Proposed Audit Of The Houston Airport’s Public Art Program?
In November, the mayor of Houston said, “Quite frankly I like art, but I like parking at the airport and access and picking up the baggage more than I do art.” – Glasstire
- More Of The Met’s Employees Vote To Unionize
“The exact size of the bargaining unit is still being determined because museum officials challenged the eligibility of more than 100 employees; the union said it could ultimately represent nearly 900 people, about half of the museum’s entire work force.” – The New York Times
- One Art Student Hung An AI-Generated Show As His Own, And Then Another Art Student Ate Some Of It
The student who ate some of the show was then arrested and charged. One Bluesky post about the event said, “Look for the helpers.” – Art News
- Buildings Of The Past Are Underused Tools For Dealing With Climate Change
During Britain’s “little Ice Age,” builders used common-sense tricks that could still keep houses warmer – or cooler – today. – BBC
MEDIA
- The Trump-Kennedy Center Regime’s Odd Notion Of An Arts Business Model
The notion that unstated corporate aesthetic preferences should determine what the public encounters as art — indeed, what counts as art at the nation’s art center — is absurd. It’s why we don’t (yet) have touring musicals about a young couple discovering the bold, zesty flavor of Cool Ranch Doritos. – Washington Post
- What Happens When Art Attacks Power
Beginning in 1933, propagandistic art exhibitions were mounted throughout Germany. These “Schandausstellung” (modern art shame exhibitions) included the titles, “Art in the Service of Decay,” “Art Which Has Not Come from Our Soul,” “Horror Chambers of Art” and “Reflections of Degeneration in Art.” Artists themselves also faced pressure. – LMU
- Travel Bans From The US Administration Have Stymied Artists, Keeping Them From North America
This isn’t great for U.S. audiences either – or the producers and promoters trying to bring international artists. “It’s an unbelievable mess, … and no one can provide an answer.”- The New York Times
- To The Mayor Of San Francisco, The Demise Of The California College Of The Arts Is Nothing At All To Celebrate
“Learning about the end of California College of the Arts was a sad day. And it’s in moments like these that we should rekindle the debate over what kind of city we want to be going forward. Simply put, San Francisco without artists is a dystopia.” – San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
- In An Attempt To Beat AI, Matthew McConaughey Trademarks His Phrase
“McConaughey has had eight trademark applications approved over the past few months, and the actor said in an email ..r that he wants to, quote, ‘create a clear perimeter around ownership with consent and attribution the norm in an AI world.’” – NPR
MUSIC
- The Private Museums Grappling With America’s Real History
The Legacy Museum, which opened almost eight years ago, is perhaps the closest thing America has to a national slavery museum. Crucially, however, it is completely privately funded, receiving no state or federal financial support. – The Atlantic
- The Poverty Of Being A Novelist
I’m a novelist, and I was paid £1,000 and £500 respectively for my last two books. The latter was shortlisted for an international literary award. That’s £1,500 earned in 10 years. – The Guardian
- In Praise Of The Boarding School Novel
“Because they distill and contain all the pain and pleasure of being young into one crucible, … they are such rich source material for novelists. Fiction thrives on change, and what bigger, more painful transformation is there than becoming a teenager?” – LitHub
- In The US, We Write Essays, And Often Think, Backwards
We think we already know what we want to find, and that enables LLMs to “hElP” with predictable, middling, brain-anesthetizing results. “But a chief delight of being human is witnessing the world’s capacity to surprise.” – The Atlantic
- Wikipedia Makes Licensing Deal With Big AI Companies
Wikipedia’s human traffic dropped 8% year-over-year, according to data the Wikimedia Foundation published in October 2025. Research from Profound analyzing 680 million AI citations found that Wikipedia accounts for 47.9% of ChatGPT’s top-10 most-cited sources. – Shelly Palmer
PEOPLE
- Good Morning
Today’s AJ highlights: In Washington, the debate over the Kennedy Center’s business model has reached a point of absurdity, with critics warning that corporate aesthetic preferences are determining what counts as art at the nation’s premier center (Washington Post). This tension between commerce and culture is mirrored in the film industry, where Netflix is reportedly pushing for action movies that restate their plots multiple times in dialogue to keep phone-distracted viewers engaged (Variety).
The existential impact of Artificial Intelligence is being felt across the culture. Researchers argue that AI is a tool being used with “astonishing alacrity” to hollow out democratic institutions (Gary Marcus) , while others question if the next wave of technology will fundamentally change the nature of human attention (Big Think). The line between human and machine is further blurred by the rise of AI “singers” like Sienna Rose, whose synthesized tracks are built from refined white noise (BBC).
Travel bans and visa pauses are currently stymying international musicians, creating a logistical mess for U.S. audiences and producers (The New York Times). And we look at the Poverty of the Novelist, where even accomplished authors earn mere fragments of a living wage (The Guardian).
All our stories below.
- The Trump-Kennedy Center Regime’s Odd Notion Of An Arts Business Model
The notion that unstated corporate aesthetic preferences should determine what the public encounters as art — indeed, what counts as art at the nation’s art center — is absurd. It’s why we don’t (yet) have touring musicals about a young couple discovering the bold, zesty flavor of Cool Ranch Doritos. – Washington Post
- The Playboy Publisher Who Published The Greats And Shaped American Literature
Toward the end of his life, the versatile Bennett Cerf — believing that growth was essential — acquired rival publishing house Knopf. A few years later, he arranged for Random House to become a subsidiary of the RCA Corporation, then an electronics and communications leviathan. This move, Cerf soon recognized, was a mistake. – Washington Post
- We Think Time Always Moves Forward. This Is A Relatively New Concept
This picture of time is not natural. Its roots stretch only to the 18th century, yet this notion has now entrenched itself so deeply in Western thought that it’s difficult to imagine time as anything else. And this new representation of time has affected all kinds of things, from our understanding of history to time travel. – Aeon
- What If AI Changes The Very Nature Of Our Attention?
What if the next wave of artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t designed to feed that addiction — but to fundamentally change it? What if the future of AI demands young people’s attention, curiosity, and creativity in ways we haven’t experienced before? – Big Think
PEOPLE
- Good Morning
Today’s AJ highlights: In Washington, the debate over the Kennedy Center’s business model has reached a point of absurdity, with critics warning that corporate aesthetic preferences are determining what counts as art at the nation’s premier center (Washington Post). This tension between commerce and culture is mirrored in the film industry, where Netflix is reportedly pushing for action movies that restate their plots multiple times in dialogue to keep phone-distracted viewers engaged (Variety).
The existential impact of Artificial Intelligence is being felt across the culture. Researchers argue that AI is a tool being used with “astonishing alacrity” to hollow out democratic institutions (Gary Marcus) , while others question if the next wave of technology will fundamentally change the nature of human attention (Big Think). The line between human and machine is further blurred by the rise of AI “singers” like Sienna Rose, whose synthesized tracks are built from refined white noise (BBC).
Travel bans and visa pauses are currently stymying international musicians, creating a logistical mess for U.S. audiences and producers (The New York Times). And we look at the Poverty of the Novelist, where even accomplished authors earn mere fragments of a living wage (The Guardian).
All our stories below.
- The Trump-Kennedy Center Regime’s Odd Notion Of An Arts Business Model
The notion that unstated corporate aesthetic preferences should determine what the public encounters as art — indeed, what counts as art at the nation’s art center — is absurd. It’s why we don’t (yet) have touring musicals about a young couple discovering the bold, zesty flavor of Cool Ranch Doritos. – Washington Post
- The Playboy Publisher Who Published The Greats And Shaped American Literature
Toward the end of his life, the versatile Bennett Cerf — believing that growth was essential — acquired rival publishing house Knopf. A few years later, he arranged for Random House to become a subsidiary of the RCA Corporation, then an electronics and communications leviathan. This move, Cerf soon recognized, was a mistake. – Washington Post
- We Think Time Always Moves Forward. This Is A Relatively New Concept
This picture of time is not natural. Its roots stretch only to the 18th century, yet this notion has now entrenched itself so deeply in Western thought that it’s difficult to imagine time as anything else. And this new representation of time has affected all kinds of things, from our understanding of history to time travel. – Aeon
- What If AI Changes The Very Nature Of Our Attention?
What if the next wave of artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t designed to feed that addiction — but to fundamentally change it? What if the future of AI demands young people’s attention, curiosity, and creativity in ways we haven’t experienced before? – Big Think
THEATRE
VISUAL
- We Think Time Always Moves Forward. This Is A Relatively New Concept
This picture of time is not natural. Its roots stretch only to the 18th century, yet this notion has now entrenched itself so deeply in Western thought that it’s difficult to imagine time as anything else. And this new representation of time has affected all kinds of things, from our understanding of history to time travel. – Aeon
- What If AI Changes The Very Nature Of Our Attention?
What if the next wave of artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t designed to feed that addiction — but to fundamentally change it? What if the future of AI demands young people’s attention, curiosity, and creativity in ways we haven’t experienced before? – Big Think
- Research Paper: How AI Is Destroying Institutions
If you wanted to create a tool that would enable the destruction of institutions that prop up democratic life, you could not do better than artificial intelligence. Authoritarian leaders and technology oligarchs are deploying AI systems to hollow out public institutions with an astonishing alacrity. – Gary Marcus
- The Physics Of Plur1bus
For real: How does “The Joining” work? Science has thoughts. – Wired
- Time Didn’t Used To Be Linear
Seriously: We decided it was in the 18th century. “In 1765, the scientist-philosopher Joseph Priestley, best known for co-discovering oxygen, invented what was arguably the world’s first modern timeline.” – Aeon
