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.
