AJ Four Ways: Text Only (by date) | headlines only
DANCE
IDEAS
- Format confusion
Good Morning,
Nobody in the format business seems to know what people want, which hasn’t stopped some from betting big. Disney’s plan for Generation Alpha runs through vertical microdramas — shortform clips engineered for a phone held upright (Variety). Netflix, which spent years insisting games were the natural extension of its storytelling, is closing gaming studios (Los Angeles Times).
The demand side keeps answering a different question. Four of Tana French’s novels made the Times’ 50 best thrillers of the century, more than any other writer (Irish Times). A bookstore in Oxford sells romantasy and nothing else, and is doing fine (NPR). A bookstore-slash-skate-shop next to Ballerina Farm can’t keep 1973 fly-fishing guides in stock (The Paris Review).
Even today’s literacy fix isn’t technological: read out loud, together, with full-throated yawps (The New York Times). And Apple may start paying publishers when Siri’s AI uses their work — pay-as-you-go attribution, which is more than most AI companies have put on the table (Nieman Lab).
New Bedford has a new Melville statue, and his sculptor would like you to know he was a smokeshow (Boston Globe).
All of our stories below.
- Not Only Is The Rumpus Alive, But It’s Launching A Spanish-Language Literary Magazine
From the editors: “Rather than translating existing work from The Rumpus, El Alboroto will commission and publish original Spanish-language writing spanning cultural criticism, personal essays, interviews, fiction, poetry and comics.” – LitHub
- Ian Frazier Wrote A Humorous Piece About Wile E. Coyote In The New Yorker In 1990
And now, after an improbable path whose twists and turns even the Roadrunner would have a hard time navigating, it’s a feature film. – The New York Times
- Netflix Was Getting Into Gaming For A Bit There, But Now It’s Closing Gaming Studios All Over The Place
“Games on Netflix have had mixed results,” but the plan is to focus on kids and sports, or so it seems. So much for narrative synergy. – Los Angeles Times (MSN)
- Good News For News Publishers? From AI?
Well, from Apple, in any case: “The pay-as-you-go plan would see publishers paid only when Siri AI uses their content,” which is similar to the Apple News+ model for print (er, digital). – Nieman Lab
ISSUES
- Massive Art Thefts, Massive Recoveries This Week In Italy And Brazil
“The recovered works are Cézanne’s Still Life with Cherries, which authorities said was valued at about $7m (£5.2m), Renoir’s Fish, valued at $3.5m, and Matisse’s Odalisque on the Terrace.” – The Guardian (UK)
- Celebrating “Other” Washingtons
In Chicago, a lone statue of George Washington is now surrounded by “Other Washingtons,” which take the form of blue flags bearing the faces of Black Americans who bear the same last name. – CNN
- History Is Being Erased In Gaza, Iran And Ukraine
Of international bodies, Unesco is active in keeping a record of the fate of cultural heritage worldwide, but a record is just a record. Its listing of Russia’s and Israel’s devastation of their hated foes is like watching a historic tragedy unfold in real time. – The Guardian
- Eight Matisses Stolen From São Paulo Library Are Found By Brazilian Police
The Matisse illustrations, made for a limited-edition art book, were taken last December from the Biblioteca Mário de Andrade, where they were part of an exhibition presented jointly with the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art. Also stolen were five engravings by Brazilian artist Candido Portinari; they have not yet been located. – BBC
- Italian Police Recover Cézanne, Matisse, And Renoir Stolen From Private Museum
The Carabinieri have regained possession of Renoir’s “Fish,” Cézanne’s “Still Life with Cherries,” and Matisse’s “Odalisque on the Terrace,” which were stolen from the Magnani Rocca Foundation near Parma this past March. – AP
MEDIA
- Did AI Tell These Middle School Students They Now Live In ‘Venecky’ Instead Of Kentucky?
Wow: “Administrators later warned teachers there were a ‘LOT of mistakes’ on pages 19 through 36 and instructed students to tear the pages out of their planners before taking them home.”- Salon
- Visiting The Bullshit Museum In Slovenia’s Capital
“In the heart of old Ljubljana, a mannequin with a bucket on its head welcomes visitors to a new and ambitious project – a museum focusing on the varied and sometimes antagonistic humour of the former Yugoslavia.” – The Guardian
- Making A Pilgrimage To The Now-Thoroughly Commercialized Mecca
“There are few words to describe the whiplash of coming face to face with a Joe & The Juice, a Sephora and a plethora of other shops and hotels and Times Square-style billboards after going through one of the most spiritually charged experiences of my life.” – Aeon
- Former UArts Building To Become Artist Housing In Philly
The news comes after the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation awarded the VIA a $2.5 million grant for the building project and the establishment of on-site arts programming. – Hyperallergic
- UK Universities Warn Of Funding Crisis Amid Collapse Of International Enrollment
University leaders are warning of financial turmoil in British higher education after new figures suggested a collapse in international student numbers would deprive the sector of vital income and undermine its future. – The Guardian
MUSIC
- Not Only Is The Rumpus Alive, But It’s Launching A Spanish-Language Literary Magazine
From the editors: “Rather than translating existing work from The Rumpus, El Alboroto will commission and publish original Spanish-language writing spanning cultural criticism, personal essays, interviews, fiction, poetry and comics.” – LitHub
- Even In Oxford, Romantasy Books Are Taking Off
And NPR gets right down to it with the owner: What is “Monster smut,” and why is it so popular right now? – NPR
- How To Solve The So-Called Literacy Crisis, With Fun And Joy
In groups, sometimes with full-throated yawps, it’s time to take back public, communal reading. – The New York Times
- Cicero Commissioned An Ancient Roman Shorthand Writing System That We Still Use
“You can still type a symbol originally invented for Cicero nearly 21 centuries ago — at least if you configure your keyboard properly.” – Open Culture
- What It’s Like To Be The Bookstore/Skate Shop Right By A Huge Influencer’s Acreage
“Turns out the people can’t get enough fly-fishing guides from 1973.” – The Paris Review
PEOPLE
- Format confusion
Good Morning,
Nobody in the format business seems to know what people want, which hasn’t stopped some from betting big. Disney’s plan for Generation Alpha runs through vertical microdramas — shortform clips engineered for a phone held upright (Variety). Netflix, which spent years insisting games were the natural extension of its storytelling, is closing gaming studios (Los Angeles Times).
The demand side keeps answering a different question. Four of Tana French’s novels made the Times’ 50 best thrillers of the century, more than any other writer (Irish Times). A bookstore in Oxford sells romantasy and nothing else, and is doing fine (NPR). A bookstore-slash-skate-shop next to Ballerina Farm can’t keep 1973 fly-fishing guides in stock (The Paris Review).
Even today’s literacy fix isn’t technological: read out loud, together, with full-throated yawps (The New York Times). And Apple may start paying publishers when Siri’s AI uses their work — pay-as-you-go attribution, which is more than most AI companies have put on the table (Nieman Lab).
New Bedford has a new Melville statue, and his sculptor would like you to know he was a smokeshow (Boston Globe).
All of our stories below.
- Not Only Is The Rumpus Alive, But It’s Launching A Spanish-Language Literary Magazine
From the editors: “Rather than translating existing work from The Rumpus, El Alboroto will commission and publish original Spanish-language writing spanning cultural criticism, personal essays, interviews, fiction, poetry and comics.” – LitHub
- Ian Frazier Wrote A Humorous Piece About Wile E. Coyote In The New Yorker In 1990
And now, after an improbable path whose twists and turns even the Roadrunner would have a hard time navigating, it’s a feature film. – The New York Times
- Netflix Was Getting Into Gaming For A Bit There, But Now It’s Closing Gaming Studios All Over The Place
“Games on Netflix have had mixed results,” but the plan is to focus on kids and sports, or so it seems. So much for narrative synergy. – Los Angeles Times (MSN)
- Good News For News Publishers? From AI?
Well, from Apple, in any case: “The pay-as-you-go plan would see publishers paid only when Siri AI uses their content,” which is similar to the Apple News+ model for print (er, digital). – Nieman Lab
PEOPLE
- Format confusion
Good Morning,
Nobody in the format business seems to know what people want, which hasn’t stopped some from betting big. Disney’s plan for Generation Alpha runs through vertical microdramas — shortform clips engineered for a phone held upright (Variety). Netflix, which spent years insisting games were the natural extension of its storytelling, is closing gaming studios (Los Angeles Times).
The demand side keeps answering a different question. Four of Tana French’s novels made the Times’ 50 best thrillers of the century, more than any other writer (Irish Times). A bookstore in Oxford sells romantasy and nothing else, and is doing fine (NPR). A bookstore-slash-skate-shop next to Ballerina Farm can’t keep 1973 fly-fishing guides in stock (The Paris Review).
Even today’s literacy fix isn’t technological: read out loud, together, with full-throated yawps (The New York Times). And Apple may start paying publishers when Siri’s AI uses their work — pay-as-you-go attribution, which is more than most AI companies have put on the table (Nieman Lab).
New Bedford has a new Melville statue, and his sculptor would like you to know he was a smokeshow (Boston Globe).
All of our stories below.
- Not Only Is The Rumpus Alive, But It’s Launching A Spanish-Language Literary Magazine
From the editors: “Rather than translating existing work from The Rumpus, El Alboroto will commission and publish original Spanish-language writing spanning cultural criticism, personal essays, interviews, fiction, poetry and comics.” – LitHub
- Ian Frazier Wrote A Humorous Piece About Wile E. Coyote In The New Yorker In 1990
And now, after an improbable path whose twists and turns even the Roadrunner would have a hard time navigating, it’s a feature film. – The New York Times
- Netflix Was Getting Into Gaming For A Bit There, But Now It’s Closing Gaming Studios All Over The Place
“Games on Netflix have had mixed results,” but the plan is to focus on kids and sports, or so it seems. So much for narrative synergy. – Los Angeles Times (MSN)
- Good News For News Publishers? From AI?
Well, from Apple, in any case: “The pay-as-you-go plan would see publishers paid only when Siri AI uses their content,” which is similar to the Apple News+ model for print (er, digital). – Nieman Lab
THEATRE
VISUAL
- Good News For News Publishers? From AI?
Well, from Apple, in any case: “The pay-as-you-go plan would see publishers paid only when Siri AI uses their content,” which is similar to the Apple News+ model for print (er, digital). – Nieman Lab
- The Neuroscience Explanation For Why We Need Concerts
For “collective effervescence” to occur organically, bodies need to be present, in the same space, dancing to the same rhythm. The function is to restore the social bonds and shared beliefs that are eroded by the drudgery of ordinary life. – The Guardian
- An Attempt To Build India’s “Most Livable” City
More than 25,000 people are working at the site on any given day, building a design by Norman Foster, the celebrated British architect. The city is laid out in grids and includes about a five-mile stretch of government buildings. – The New York Times
- Are We Close To Locating Where Consciousness Lives In The Brain?
Most discussions of AI and consciousness ask whether machines can experience anything. But maybe the real mystery is: If consciousness is not fundamentally related to higher cognition, then what kind of phenomenon is it? – Noema
- Do We Lose Our Minds In Big Crowds?
In popular culture and pop psychology, crowds are often associated with strong emotions, excessive emotional expression and the uncritical spread of emotions. Commentators often link that crowd emotion in turn with uncontrolled behaviour and, in some cases, mindless violence. – Psyche