AJ Four Ways: Text Only (by date) | headlines only
DANCE
IDEAS
- The Trump Administration Is Dismantling Support For Social Science Research
If the National Science Foundation does stop funding social scientists, experts told me, our 5,000-foot-view of American life will get foggier. The NSF, through the SBE division, is the primary funder of the “big three” social-science surveys, which have enabled the work of several generations of academics, economists, and policy wonks. – The Atlantic
- The World Is Becoming Automated Around Us. Are Humans Losing Autonomy?
Computers talk to computers, producing information to train computers to sound more like humans or to better engage them. Humans type into the box, scroll, and wait. – The Atlantic
- A Dancer Helping To Redefine What A Ballet Body Is
Ballet has a reputation for upholding rigid body standards. In recent years, though, the art form has been rethinking its relationship to diversity in areas like race and body type. – The New York Times
- How Alice Walton Culturally Transformed A Corner Of Arkansas
It’s impossible to miss the scope of transformation that’s happened in Bentonville, population 63,000. – Fast Company
- Just What Does “American” Architecture Look Like In 2026?
A new book makes the case that when it comes to evolving forms and styles in American architecture, a new generation of firms is drawing inspiration from not just place and local architectural heritage, but the place a building like the Girls Inc. Youth Farm will play in the community. – Fast Company
ISSUES
- Just What Does “American” Architecture Look Like In 2026?
A new book makes the case that when it comes to evolving forms and styles in American architecture, a new generation of firms is drawing inspiration from not just place and local architectural heritage, but the place a building like the Girls Inc. Youth Farm will play in the community. – Fast Company
- A Trio Of Prominent Art Critics Has Just Retired. Here’s What We’ve Lost
The trio were not only the most influential, but also the most gainfully employed—two factors that have everything to do with each other. – ARTnews
- Over The Weekend, The British Museum Was Evacuated After Staff Found A ‘Suspicious’ Package
“The museum said it had also received what it described as ‘malicious communications’ before the evacuation.” – ARTnews
- Museum Gift Stores Have Always Been A Little Special, But They’ve Leveled Up
“Rather than an exit point, this new wave of merchandising is quickly turning museum gift shops into a desirable entry point. Curated edits … are now beginning to treat them as a stand-alone shopping destination, marking a shift from cultural institution to cultural retailer.” – The Guardian (UK)
- The Serious Business Of Creating Illustrations For Children
“For years, illustrators have been overlooked, seen as people who come in and do the decorating after the house has been built. But this couldn’t be further from the truth.” – The Guardian (UK)
MEDIA
- The Trump Administration Is Dismantling Support For Social Science Research
If the National Science Foundation does stop funding social scientists, experts told me, our 5,000-foot-view of American life will get foggier. The NSF, through the SBE division, is the primary funder of the “big three” social-science surveys, which have enabled the work of several generations of academics, economists, and policy wonks. – The Atlantic
- How Alice Walton Culturally Transformed A Corner Of Arkansas
It’s impossible to miss the scope of transformation that’s happened in Bentonville, population 63,000. – Fast Company
- Not So Fast: Interior Secretary Won’t Commit To Removing Trump Name From The Kennedy Center
Secretary Burgum’s hedging came as Trump attacked the decision and the judge behind it on social media Friday and Saturday. – Time
- A Deeper Dive Into How That Book About The Problems Of AI Was Partly Created By AI
Um, ouf? “He doubled down on his personal commitment to AI, noting that he still uses it every day. … I asked him whether he would rather stop writing than stop using AI in his writing process. ‘Yeah,’ he answered.” – Wired
- Even If Trump’s Name Comes Off The Kennedy Center, He Might Still Destroy It
“When the history of Trump’s second administration is written, the whole sorry Kennedy Center chapter will be key to understanding the chaos, cruelty and grotesque egotism of the president, as well as the bravery and determination of those who resisted and persevered.” – Washington Post (Yahoo)
MUSIC
- What We Need To Do To Get America Reading Again
Teaching people to read and building a world where they can do so are different problems. Throwing our phones in the lake can’t bring about that world, but designing the conditions for reading will. – The New York Times
- Facebook Whistleblower Forced To Stay Silent On Hay Festival By Meta
Sarah Wynn-Williams, whose bestselling memoir, Careless People, details her years working at Facebook, was due to appear in conversation with the investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr and academic Tim Wu. Instead, Wynn-Williams sat on stage for the hour-long discussion without speaking or responding. She was unable even to nod or shake her head. – The Gaurdian
- If We’re Really In A Reading ‘Crisis,’ Here Are Some Solutions
It’s not about the phones. Instead, as a society, we have to remove structural barriers – and build new libraries. “A democracy needs its people to read, and it is society’s job to make that possible.” – The New York Times
- Sometimes, You Have To Turn Your Back On Your TBR Pile And Simply Reread
“You take yourself with you, right? The image becomes mirrored: Who you were and what you took from a book the first time is reflected in who you are and what you take from the book now.” – Reactor Mag
- All Over The World, Poetry Fans Are Celebrating Allen Ginsberg’s 100th Birthday
Lawrence Ferlinghetti explained, years ago, that “‘Howl’ knocked the sides out of things, just the way rock music in the ’60s knocked the sides out of the old music world.” – NPR
PEOPLE
- The Trump Administration Is Dismantling Support For Social Science Research
If the National Science Foundation does stop funding social scientists, experts told me, our 5,000-foot-view of American life will get foggier. The NSF, through the SBE division, is the primary funder of the “big three” social-science surveys, which have enabled the work of several generations of academics, economists, and policy wonks. – The Atlantic
- The World Is Becoming Automated Around Us. Are Humans Losing Autonomy?
Computers talk to computers, producing information to train computers to sound more like humans or to better engage them. Humans type into the box, scroll, and wait. – The Atlantic
- A Dancer Helping To Redefine What A Ballet Body Is
Ballet has a reputation for upholding rigid body standards. In recent years, though, the art form has been rethinking its relationship to diversity in areas like race and body type. – The New York Times
- How Alice Walton Culturally Transformed A Corner Of Arkansas
It’s impossible to miss the scope of transformation that’s happened in Bentonville, population 63,000. – Fast Company
- Just What Does “American” Architecture Look Like In 2026?
A new book makes the case that when it comes to evolving forms and styles in American architecture, a new generation of firms is drawing inspiration from not just place and local architectural heritage, but the place a building like the Girls Inc. Youth Farm will play in the community. – Fast Company
PEOPLE
- The Trump Administration Is Dismantling Support For Social Science Research
If the National Science Foundation does stop funding social scientists, experts told me, our 5,000-foot-view of American life will get foggier. The NSF, through the SBE division, is the primary funder of the “big three” social-science surveys, which have enabled the work of several generations of academics, economists, and policy wonks. – The Atlantic
- The World Is Becoming Automated Around Us. Are Humans Losing Autonomy?
Computers talk to computers, producing information to train computers to sound more like humans or to better engage them. Humans type into the box, scroll, and wait. – The Atlantic
- A Dancer Helping To Redefine What A Ballet Body Is
Ballet has a reputation for upholding rigid body standards. In recent years, though, the art form has been rethinking its relationship to diversity in areas like race and body type. – The New York Times
- How Alice Walton Culturally Transformed A Corner Of Arkansas
It’s impossible to miss the scope of transformation that’s happened in Bentonville, population 63,000. – Fast Company
- Just What Does “American” Architecture Look Like In 2026?
A new book makes the case that when it comes to evolving forms and styles in American architecture, a new generation of firms is drawing inspiration from not just place and local architectural heritage, but the place a building like the Girls Inc. Youth Farm will play in the community. – Fast Company
THEATRE
VISUAL
- The World Is Becoming Automated Around Us. Are Humans Losing Autonomy?
Computers talk to computers, producing information to train computers to sound more like humans or to better engage them. Humans type into the box, scroll, and wait. – The Atlantic
- Oakland Creatives Are Having A (Possibly Long Overdue) Heck Of A Year
“The Town has seen its homegrown talent reach new levels of success on the global stage, from figure skater Alysa Liu earning Olympic gold in Milan to filmmaker Ryan Coogler winning four Oscars for his blockbuster Sinners and R&B powerhouse Kehlani receiving two Grammy Awards.” – San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
- Saying No To New Gadgets Might Make Us Happier
Just in case you’ve missed multiple strains of philosophy, ethics, and “happiness studies” over the years, not to mention Buddhist thought, well: “When we encounter something new, we get a dopamine hit. … But sometimes novelty seduces us without offering anything meaningful.” – Fast Company
- The Biggest AI Writing Tell
The prose – whether in a text or fiction submission – is “perfectly clean, without a stray comma; uniform in length, with evenly paced paragraphs and a distinctive tone that is simultaneously breezy and grandiose.” – The Atlantic
- Looking At 100s Of Thousands Of College Essays: AI Flattens Creativity
This seems to be especially true for students. A.I.’s smooth sentences, elegant transitions and rich vocabulary give the illusion of expansive creativity and individuality. But the underlying ideas often converge into a few homogenized categories. – The New York Times
