AJ Four Ways: Text Only (by date) | headlines only
DANCE
IDEAS
- Good Morning:
Here are today’s AJ highlights. The Booker Prize remains a career rocket booster, but then what? An analysis from the Bookseller (UK) tracks the long arc of post-prize pressure. Publishing can’t quit its chase for the instantly “buzzy,” argues The Walrus, diagnosing an industry addicted to speed over depth. And the media ecosystem continues its own implosion as Dr. Phil’s flagship network unravels, a fall charted by the Los Angeles Times (MSN).
Onstage and on tour, strain shows. Kristin Chenoweth’s Queen of Versailles will close far early after bruising reviews, reports Entertainment Weekly. And in Canada, Ballet Jörgen’s touring Nutcracker lost its entire set in a truck theft, according to CBC—a very 2025 twist on seasonal fragility.
The rest of today’s stories below.
- St. Louis Symphony Orchestra seeks Chief Philanthropy Officer
Aspen Leadership Group is proud to partner with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in the search for a Chief Philanthropy Officer.
Reporting to the President and CEO, the Chief Philanthropy Officer will serve as a key leadership team member and a trusted partner in developing strategic direction for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. The CPO will sustain and build on a culture of philanthropy, serving as a critical thought partner to the CEO to define and drive the strategic direction for philanthropy, engaging the Board and Advisory Council, and leading the team and volunteers to grow contributed revenue that advances the SLSO in delivering on its mission.
The CPO will excel in forging relationships that build the organization’s visibility, impact, and financial resources. The CPO will design and manage a comprehensive plan that aligns and leverages staff and volunteer relationships with current and prospective donors, deepening relationships and driving philanthropic revenues. They will lead and manage a comprehensive philanthropy strategy, using research and metrics to engage new foundations, corporations, and individual donors, and to secure increased investment from current donors. The CPO will lead all donor communications strategies, crafting a compelling case for support, in alignment with the SLSO brand, and ensure consistent messaging across all donor communication platforms.
Celebrated as one of today’s most exciting, innovative, and enduring orchestras, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) is the second-oldest in the country, marking its 146th year with the 2025/26 season and its eighth with Stéphane Denève, The Joseph and Emily Rauh Pulitzer Music Director. Widely considered one of the leading American orchestras, the Grammy® Award-winning SLSO maintains its commitment to artistic excellence, educational impact, and community collaborations—all in service to its mission of enriching lives through the power of music. Today, the SLSO is redefining what it means to be an American orchestra in the 21st century. The opening of Powell Hall at the newly created Jack C. Taylor Music Center in September after a two-year renovation and expansion represents the most transformational moment in SLSO’s 146-year history and launched a new era for the SLSO. The Jack C. Taylor Music Center is more than a building—”it’s a place where we all come together, and where everyone belongs.” A new brand, All Together Now, embodies the organization’s dynamic spirit and artistry, along with its commitment to make music accessible to all.
Tracing its roots to 1880, the SLSO is celebrated for its warm and engaging sound, prolific and acclaimed recording history, national and international touring activities, and commitment to education and community engagement. For 146 years, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra has been woven into its community’s story as a source of joy, inspiration, reflection, comfort, and healing. SLSO is dedicated to creating a space where all people feel welcome—celebrating their differences, sharing their passion for music, and ensuring everyone can experience the power of live orchestral music. Through the music on stage, recruitment and support of a talented team, and connection with their broader community, SLSO’s goal is to make music inclusive and accessible to all. With a $37M operational budget, the SLSO boasts a large endowment ($278M), which generates a draw that covers one third of its annual budget. With two recently completed campaigns, a 2025-2030 Strategic Plan approved by the Board in June 2025, and the reopening of the hall in September, it is poised to build capacity towards the organization’s 150th anniversary in the 2029-2030 season.
A bachelor’s degree and at least 15 years of direct experience, including leadership of a major, comprehensive fund development program, at a comparable scale and scope of responsibility and 10 years of supervisory experience, is required. An advanced degree and knowledge of orchestral music and performing arts is preferred. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra will consider candidates with a broad range of backgrounds. If you are excited about this role and feel that you can contribute to the SLSO, but your experience does not exactly align with every qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply. All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and résumé. Cover letters should be responsive to the mission of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and the responsibilities and qualifications specified in the position prospectus.
The target salary for this position is $200,000. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra offers a robust benefits package, excellent medical, vision, and dental coverage, flexible spending accounts, retirement, short- and long-term disability coverage, Employee Assistance Program, Basic Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance, generous PTO and holidays, a wellness reimbursement, and free and discounted concert tickets.
If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or participating in the selection process, please contact Kim Farr at kimfarr@aspenleadershipgroup.com.
To apply for this position, visit: https://apptrkr.com/6751919.
- How Does Winning A Booker Prize Affect An Author’s Career Long-Term?
Yes, of course a Booker leads to soaring sales of the book that wins, but what about an author’s subsequent works? – The Bookseller (UK)
- Why Publishing Can’t Get Over Its Addiction To “Buzzy” Stories
Publishing, argues Isen, was once an industry that offered room for experimentation and long bets; now it’s haunted by the tyranny of short-term judgment. – The Walrus
- This Countertenor Happily Goes Back And Forth Between Vivaldi And Sarah Vaughan
“For John Holiday, being true to himself means weaving together the loose strands of opera, gospel, R&B, jazz and pop that make up his musical life and inheritance.” – The New York Times
ISSUES
- Why The Record Sale Price For The Frida Kahlo Painting Is Nothing To Celebrate
In the rush to map cultural issues like gender disparity onto high-level financial trading, we’re forgetting that this has nothing to do with gender at all, and even less to do with art. – Artnet
- The Taj Mahal Has Become A Flashpoint Of Controversy
The symbol of love is now a flash point in India’s historical antagonism between Hindus and minority Muslims, a battle between historians — a battle over truth, identity and power. – Washington Post
- One Big Beautiful Bill: Architecture Is No Longer A Professional Degree
Under the terms of the One Big Beautiful Bill, the provision of student loans in the USA will be overhauled starting 1 July, 2026, with borrowing amounts set to be determined by whether a degree is considered professional or not. – Dezeen
- Four More Suspects Arrested In Louvre Jewel Theft Case
“The two men and two women in custody are from the Paris region and range in age from 31 to 40, said the prosecutor. … Her statement didn’t say what role they’re suspected of having played in the Oct. 19 theft. Police can hold them for questioning for 96 hours.” – AP
- Inside The Portland Art Museum’s New $116 Million Campus
“The project involved integrating two neighboring buildings, adding almost 100,000 square feet of public and gallery space, and uniting the structures with a 21,000-square-foot, multilayered glass pavilion named for (Mark) Rothko,” who grew up in Portland. – ARTnews
MEDIA
- Federal Court Rules Unconstitutional Trump’s Dismantling Of Institute of Museum And Library Services
“A U.S. District Court (in Rhode Island) ruled in favor of 21 state attorneys general suing Donald Trump over the dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services and several other small federal agencies.” – Book Riot
- The Real Origins Of Disneyland
So perhaps it’s more accurate to say that, with Disneyland, it all started with a holiday to Chicago. – Los Angeles Times
- Education Before AI Was Still Highly Problematic
We “blame everything wrong with education on generative AI rather than acknowledge deep and justifiable concerns we have had for a while. Course Hero, Chegg and other providers had industrialized academic dishonesty before ChatGPT was launched.” – InsideHigherEd
- Why Artists Shouldn’t Be Running Arts Organizations
Arts schools, almost by definition, assume the centrality of the art itself. They reinforce the idea that the work is intrinsically valuable and that the public simply needs help recognizing that value. This is one of the most persistent and damaging assumptions in our field. – ArtsAnalytics
- How To Figure Out If Your New ‘Favorite Artist’ Is Just Software, Or An Actual Artist
Some hints, but nothing is certain: “AI ‘singers’ often sound a little slurred. Consonants and plosives (hard sounds like ‘p’ and ’t’) aren’t quite right. You might hear ‘ghost’ harmonies, where backing vocals appear and disappear at random.” – BBC
MUSIC
- How Does Winning A Booker Prize Affect An Author’s Career Long-Term?
Yes, of course a Booker leads to soaring sales of the book that wins, but what about an author’s subsequent works? – The Bookseller (UK)
- Why Publishing Can’t Get Over Its Addiction To “Buzzy” Stories
Publishing, argues Isen, was once an industry that offered room for experimentation and long bets; now it’s haunted by the tyranny of short-term judgment. – The Walrus
- The Man Who Helped Determine The American Literary Canon
Determining what the nation did and did not read was the through line of Malcolm Cowley’s career. He was a great discoverer and nurturer of talent: Jack Kerouac, John Cheever, and Ken Kesey were among the writers he championed, and, of the critics he commissioned to produce reviews at The New Republic. – The New Yorker
- The Words English Speakers Use Only In Highly Specific Circumstances
Diametrically together? Bode excellently? – Mental Floss
- More Than Half Of The Novelists In Britain Think That Software, AKA AI, Will Replace Them
“Many participants reported that their work had already been used without their permission to train large language models, and more than a third (39%) said their income had fallen as a result of generative AI. A large majority also expected their earnings to decline further.” – The Guardian (UK)
PEOPLE
- Good Morning:
Here are today’s AJ highlights. The Booker Prize remains a career rocket booster, but then what? An analysis from the Bookseller (UK) tracks the long arc of post-prize pressure. Publishing can’t quit its chase for the instantly “buzzy,” argues The Walrus, diagnosing an industry addicted to speed over depth. And the media ecosystem continues its own implosion as Dr. Phil’s flagship network unravels, a fall charted by the Los Angeles Times (MSN).
Onstage and on tour, strain shows. Kristin Chenoweth’s Queen of Versailles will close far early after bruising reviews, reports Entertainment Weekly. And in Canada, Ballet Jörgen’s touring Nutcracker lost its entire set in a truck theft, according to CBC—a very 2025 twist on seasonal fragility.
The rest of today’s stories below.
- St. Louis Symphony Orchestra seeks Chief Philanthropy Officer
Aspen Leadership Group is proud to partner with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in the search for a Chief Philanthropy Officer.
Reporting to the President and CEO, the Chief Philanthropy Officer will serve as a key leadership team member and a trusted partner in developing strategic direction for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. The CPO will sustain and build on a culture of philanthropy, serving as a critical thought partner to the CEO to define and drive the strategic direction for philanthropy, engaging the Board and Advisory Council, and leading the team and volunteers to grow contributed revenue that advances the SLSO in delivering on its mission.
The CPO will excel in forging relationships that build the organization’s visibility, impact, and financial resources. The CPO will design and manage a comprehensive plan that aligns and leverages staff and volunteer relationships with current and prospective donors, deepening relationships and driving philanthropic revenues. They will lead and manage a comprehensive philanthropy strategy, using research and metrics to engage new foundations, corporations, and individual donors, and to secure increased investment from current donors. The CPO will lead all donor communications strategies, crafting a compelling case for support, in alignment with the SLSO brand, and ensure consistent messaging across all donor communication platforms.
Celebrated as one of today’s most exciting, innovative, and enduring orchestras, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) is the second-oldest in the country, marking its 146th year with the 2025/26 season and its eighth with Stéphane Denève, The Joseph and Emily Rauh Pulitzer Music Director. Widely considered one of the leading American orchestras, the Grammy® Award-winning SLSO maintains its commitment to artistic excellence, educational impact, and community collaborations—all in service to its mission of enriching lives through the power of music. Today, the SLSO is redefining what it means to be an American orchestra in the 21st century. The opening of Powell Hall at the newly created Jack C. Taylor Music Center in September after a two-year renovation and expansion represents the most transformational moment in SLSO’s 146-year history and launched a new era for the SLSO. The Jack C. Taylor Music Center is more than a building—”it’s a place where we all come together, and where everyone belongs.” A new brand, All Together Now, embodies the organization’s dynamic spirit and artistry, along with its commitment to make music accessible to all.
Tracing its roots to 1880, the SLSO is celebrated for its warm and engaging sound, prolific and acclaimed recording history, national and international touring activities, and commitment to education and community engagement. For 146 years, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra has been woven into its community’s story as a source of joy, inspiration, reflection, comfort, and healing. SLSO is dedicated to creating a space where all people feel welcome—celebrating their differences, sharing their passion for music, and ensuring everyone can experience the power of live orchestral music. Through the music on stage, recruitment and support of a talented team, and connection with their broader community, SLSO’s goal is to make music inclusive and accessible to all. With a $37M operational budget, the SLSO boasts a large endowment ($278M), which generates a draw that covers one third of its annual budget. With two recently completed campaigns, a 2025-2030 Strategic Plan approved by the Board in June 2025, and the reopening of the hall in September, it is poised to build capacity towards the organization’s 150th anniversary in the 2029-2030 season.
A bachelor’s degree and at least 15 years of direct experience, including leadership of a major, comprehensive fund development program, at a comparable scale and scope of responsibility and 10 years of supervisory experience, is required. An advanced degree and knowledge of orchestral music and performing arts is preferred. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra will consider candidates with a broad range of backgrounds. If you are excited about this role and feel that you can contribute to the SLSO, but your experience does not exactly align with every qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply. All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and résumé. Cover letters should be responsive to the mission of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and the responsibilities and qualifications specified in the position prospectus.
The target salary for this position is $200,000. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra offers a robust benefits package, excellent medical, vision, and dental coverage, flexible spending accounts, retirement, short- and long-term disability coverage, Employee Assistance Program, Basic Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance, generous PTO and holidays, a wellness reimbursement, and free and discounted concert tickets.
If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or participating in the selection process, please contact Kim Farr at kimfarr@aspenleadershipgroup.com.
To apply for this position, visit: https://apptrkr.com/6751919.
- How Does Winning A Booker Prize Affect An Author’s Career Long-Term?
Yes, of course a Booker leads to soaring sales of the book that wins, but what about an author’s subsequent works? – The Bookseller (UK)
- Why Publishing Can’t Get Over Its Addiction To “Buzzy” Stories
Publishing, argues Isen, was once an industry that offered room for experimentation and long bets; now it’s haunted by the tyranny of short-term judgment. – The Walrus
- This Countertenor Happily Goes Back And Forth Between Vivaldi And Sarah Vaughan
“For John Holiday, being true to himself means weaving together the loose strands of opera, gospel, R&B, jazz and pop that make up his musical life and inheritance.” – The New York Times
PEOPLE
- Good Morning:
Here are today’s AJ highlights. The Booker Prize remains a career rocket booster, but then what? An analysis from the Bookseller (UK) tracks the long arc of post-prize pressure. Publishing can’t quit its chase for the instantly “buzzy,” argues The Walrus, diagnosing an industry addicted to speed over depth. And the media ecosystem continues its own implosion as Dr. Phil’s flagship network unravels, a fall charted by the Los Angeles Times (MSN).
Onstage and on tour, strain shows. Kristin Chenoweth’s Queen of Versailles will close far early after bruising reviews, reports Entertainment Weekly. And in Canada, Ballet Jörgen’s touring Nutcracker lost its entire set in a truck theft, according to CBC—a very 2025 twist on seasonal fragility.
The rest of today’s stories below.
- St. Louis Symphony Orchestra seeks Chief Philanthropy Officer
Aspen Leadership Group is proud to partner with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in the search for a Chief Philanthropy Officer.
Reporting to the President and CEO, the Chief Philanthropy Officer will serve as a key leadership team member and a trusted partner in developing strategic direction for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. The CPO will sustain and build on a culture of philanthropy, serving as a critical thought partner to the CEO to define and drive the strategic direction for philanthropy, engaging the Board and Advisory Council, and leading the team and volunteers to grow contributed revenue that advances the SLSO in delivering on its mission.
The CPO will excel in forging relationships that build the organization’s visibility, impact, and financial resources. The CPO will design and manage a comprehensive plan that aligns and leverages staff and volunteer relationships with current and prospective donors, deepening relationships and driving philanthropic revenues. They will lead and manage a comprehensive philanthropy strategy, using research and metrics to engage new foundations, corporations, and individual donors, and to secure increased investment from current donors. The CPO will lead all donor communications strategies, crafting a compelling case for support, in alignment with the SLSO brand, and ensure consistent messaging across all donor communication platforms.
Celebrated as one of today’s most exciting, innovative, and enduring orchestras, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) is the second-oldest in the country, marking its 146th year with the 2025/26 season and its eighth with Stéphane Denève, The Joseph and Emily Rauh Pulitzer Music Director. Widely considered one of the leading American orchestras, the Grammy® Award-winning SLSO maintains its commitment to artistic excellence, educational impact, and community collaborations—all in service to its mission of enriching lives through the power of music. Today, the SLSO is redefining what it means to be an American orchestra in the 21st century. The opening of Powell Hall at the newly created Jack C. Taylor Music Center in September after a two-year renovation and expansion represents the most transformational moment in SLSO’s 146-year history and launched a new era for the SLSO. The Jack C. Taylor Music Center is more than a building—”it’s a place where we all come together, and where everyone belongs.” A new brand, All Together Now, embodies the organization’s dynamic spirit and artistry, along with its commitment to make music accessible to all.
Tracing its roots to 1880, the SLSO is celebrated for its warm and engaging sound, prolific and acclaimed recording history, national and international touring activities, and commitment to education and community engagement. For 146 years, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra has been woven into its community’s story as a source of joy, inspiration, reflection, comfort, and healing. SLSO is dedicated to creating a space where all people feel welcome—celebrating their differences, sharing their passion for music, and ensuring everyone can experience the power of live orchestral music. Through the music on stage, recruitment and support of a talented team, and connection with their broader community, SLSO’s goal is to make music inclusive and accessible to all. With a $37M operational budget, the SLSO boasts a large endowment ($278M), which generates a draw that covers one third of its annual budget. With two recently completed campaigns, a 2025-2030 Strategic Plan approved by the Board in June 2025, and the reopening of the hall in September, it is poised to build capacity towards the organization’s 150th anniversary in the 2029-2030 season.
A bachelor’s degree and at least 15 years of direct experience, including leadership of a major, comprehensive fund development program, at a comparable scale and scope of responsibility and 10 years of supervisory experience, is required. An advanced degree and knowledge of orchestral music and performing arts is preferred. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra will consider candidates with a broad range of backgrounds. If you are excited about this role and feel that you can contribute to the SLSO, but your experience does not exactly align with every qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply. All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and résumé. Cover letters should be responsive to the mission of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and the responsibilities and qualifications specified in the position prospectus.
The target salary for this position is $200,000. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra offers a robust benefits package, excellent medical, vision, and dental coverage, flexible spending accounts, retirement, short- and long-term disability coverage, Employee Assistance Program, Basic Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance, generous PTO and holidays, a wellness reimbursement, and free and discounted concert tickets.
If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or participating in the selection process, please contact Kim Farr at kimfarr@aspenleadershipgroup.com.
To apply for this position, visit: https://apptrkr.com/6751919.
- How Does Winning A Booker Prize Affect An Author’s Career Long-Term?
Yes, of course a Booker leads to soaring sales of the book that wins, but what about an author’s subsequent works? – The Bookseller (UK)
- Why Publishing Can’t Get Over Its Addiction To “Buzzy” Stories
Publishing, argues Isen, was once an industry that offered room for experimentation and long bets; now it’s haunted by the tyranny of short-term judgment. – The Walrus
- This Countertenor Happily Goes Back And Forth Between Vivaldi And Sarah Vaughan
“For John Holiday, being true to himself means weaving together the loose strands of opera, gospel, R&B, jazz and pop that make up his musical life and inheritance.” – The New York Times
THEATRE
VISUAL
- Those Eureka Moments And Why They’re So Remarkable
You never feel as if you’re getting warmer; rather, you go from cold to hot, seemingly in an instant. Or, as the neuropsychologist Donald Hebb, known for his work building neurobiological models of learning, wrote in the 1940s, sometimes “learning occurs as a single jump, an all-or-none affair.” – Quanta
- If Machines Do Most Of Our Writing, What Will Happen To Human Writing?
If you’re more likely to read something written by AI than by a human on the internet, is it only a matter of time before human writing becomes obsolete? Or is this simply another technological development that humans will adapt to? – The Conversation
- As Our Machines Get More Intelligent, We Keep Redefining What Intelligence Is
Machine intelligence meets or surpasses humanlike abilities in many areas—but being an embodied human is complex, and our grasp of intelligence has grown significantly. – Scientific American
- Drawing A Line: As 21st-Century Pop Culture Got Stale, The Counterculture Became Right Wing
In place of the bohemian idealism of previous countercultural movements, this counter-counterculture embraced cynicism, scoffing at inclusivity and progress. – The New York Times
- The Venerated, Exploited Legacy Of Anne Frank
“It is not uncommon for a visitor to refuse to leave the Annex, convinced she is Anne Frank reincarnate. This degree of identification perplexes the director. Calling her by her first name, as some of his colleagues do, troubles him as well.” – LitHub
