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AJ Four Ways: Text Only (by date) | headlines only

DANCE

    IDEAS

    • Voting for real life experiences (enthusiastically!)

      Good Morning,

      Two threads running through today’s stories. First: the craft behind finished products keeps getting harder to see. Lit Hub argues that AI in contemporary publishing is really a labor story: editing time compressed, care squeezed out (LitHub). Variety walks through the small army of artisans required to build a single synthetic pop star for Mother Mary (Variety). And the Guardian pokes fun at our odd hunger to believe actors improvise their best lines, a preference for accident over something planned and rehearsed (The Guardian).

      The second thread cuts the other way: audiences are increasingly voting with their feet for real life experiences. Indie bookstores opened 422 new shops in 2025, a 31% jump (The Guardian). Hollywood is “screenmaxxing” to pull people back to PLF screens (The Guardian). And the NYT walks through the paradox of museums trying to be porous and heist-proof at the same time (The New York Times).

      All of our stories below.

    • It’s Getting Harder To Spot AI In Contemporary Publishing

      And, frankly, it’s a labor issue: “The more time an editor has to edit a particular book, the more care they can put into it.” – LitHub

    • Very Short Concerts Aren’t A Scam

      OK: “The beauty of the less-than-an-hour show is that it ends before 10. You can get a drink or even dinner or hustle home.” – Washington Post (Yahoo)

    • Chains Dominate Retail, But Indie Bookstore Numbers Are Way Up

      “About 422 new indie bookshops opened in 2025, according to the American Booksellers Association, a 31% rise from 2024.” What the heck? – The Guardian (UK)

    • It Is Physically Painful To Write This, But Hollywood Is ‘Screenmaxxing’ Now

      “Screenmaxxing is big business for an imperiled theatrical exhibition industry. … PLF screens seem to be an effective way to lure them out of the house, and charge a little (or a lot) extra for the assurance that they’re seeing a version of the movie that goes above and beyond.” – The Guardian (UK)

    ISSUES

    MEDIA

    MUSIC

    PEOPLE

    • Voting for real life experiences (enthusiastically!)

      Good Morning,

      Two threads running through today’s stories. First: the craft behind finished products keeps getting harder to see. Lit Hub argues that AI in contemporary publishing is really a labor story: editing time compressed, care squeezed out (LitHub). Variety walks through the small army of artisans required to build a single synthetic pop star for Mother Mary (Variety). And the Guardian pokes fun at our odd hunger to believe actors improvise their best lines, a preference for accident over something planned and rehearsed (The Guardian).

      The second thread cuts the other way: audiences are increasingly voting with their feet for real life experiences. Indie bookstores opened 422 new shops in 2025, a 31% jump (The Guardian). Hollywood is “screenmaxxing” to pull people back to PLF screens (The Guardian). And the NYT walks through the paradox of museums trying to be porous and heist-proof at the same time (The New York Times).

      All of our stories below.

    • It’s Getting Harder To Spot AI In Contemporary Publishing

      And, frankly, it’s a labor issue: “The more time an editor has to edit a particular book, the more care they can put into it.” – LitHub

    • Very Short Concerts Aren’t A Scam

      OK: “The beauty of the less-than-an-hour show is that it ends before 10. You can get a drink or even dinner or hustle home.” – Washington Post (Yahoo)

    • Chains Dominate Retail, But Indie Bookstore Numbers Are Way Up

      “About 422 new indie bookshops opened in 2025, according to the American Booksellers Association, a 31% rise from 2024.” What the heck? – The Guardian (UK)

    • It Is Physically Painful To Write This, But Hollywood Is ‘Screenmaxxing’ Now

      “Screenmaxxing is big business for an imperiled theatrical exhibition industry. … PLF screens seem to be an effective way to lure them out of the house, and charge a little (or a lot) extra for the assurance that they’re seeing a version of the movie that goes above and beyond.” – The Guardian (UK)

    PEOPLE

    • Voting for real life experiences (enthusiastically!)

      Good Morning,

      Two threads running through today’s stories. First: the craft behind finished products keeps getting harder to see. Lit Hub argues that AI in contemporary publishing is really a labor story: editing time compressed, care squeezed out (LitHub). Variety walks through the small army of artisans required to build a single synthetic pop star for Mother Mary (Variety). And the Guardian pokes fun at our odd hunger to believe actors improvise their best lines, a preference for accident over something planned and rehearsed (The Guardian).

      The second thread cuts the other way: audiences are increasingly voting with their feet for real life experiences. Indie bookstores opened 422 new shops in 2025, a 31% jump (The Guardian). Hollywood is “screenmaxxing” to pull people back to PLF screens (The Guardian). And the NYT walks through the paradox of museums trying to be porous and heist-proof at the same time (The New York Times).

      All of our stories below.

    • It’s Getting Harder To Spot AI In Contemporary Publishing

      And, frankly, it’s a labor issue: “The more time an editor has to edit a particular book, the more care they can put into it.” – LitHub

    • Very Short Concerts Aren’t A Scam

      OK: “The beauty of the less-than-an-hour show is that it ends before 10. You can get a drink or even dinner or hustle home.” – Washington Post (Yahoo)

    • Chains Dominate Retail, But Indie Bookstore Numbers Are Way Up

      “About 422 new indie bookshops opened in 2025, according to the American Booksellers Association, a 31% rise from 2024.” What the heck? – The Guardian (UK)

    • It Is Physically Painful To Write This, But Hollywood Is ‘Screenmaxxing’ Now

      “Screenmaxxing is big business for an imperiled theatrical exhibition industry. … PLF screens seem to be an effective way to lure them out of the house, and charge a little (or a lot) extra for the assurance that they’re seeing a version of the movie that goes above and beyond.” – The Guardian (UK)

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