AJ Four Ways: Text Only (by date) | headlines only
DANCE
IDEAS
- Dolly Parton Has Died At 80
“Known for her curvy physique, massive blond wigs and skin-tight outfits that served her self-deprecating wit, she was among the most beloved personalities in music and beyond — the rare celebrity whose appeal transcended generations, geography and politics.” – AP
- The Arts Job That’s Really A Rental
Good Morning,
New York’s incoming arts commissioner wants to keep the city’s culture scene affordable (Gothamist). That’s a useful admission about where the leverage actually sits: the binding constraint on urban culture is rent and space, not programming.
A federal judge blocked the auction of more than 100 Titanic artifacts (Washington Post), courts rather than curators holding the line on what counts as heritage. Florida voters flipped the school board at the center of the state’s book-ban fights (Yahoo News). And Kennedy Center revenue cratered after Trump’s name went on the building (Washington Post) — an audience voting the way an audience can.
Two ideas stories worth your time when you have some: solarpunk cities where the tech follows nature’s lead (Aeon), a future that isn’t just the present running faster. And Australia’s recording industry has banned AI-generated tracks from the ARIA charts (Variety), quietly conceding that a chart was always a trust instrument, not a scoreboard.
Also: a landmark South LA theater reopens after 15 years of renovation (Los Angeles Times), and playing Lumière turns out to require a seven-pound flaming candle strapped to each hand (Yahoo Entertainment).
All our stories below.
- Seaside Towns In Brittany Are Fed Up With Parisian Tourists
“The anger is running high across Finistère, where local populations swell to triple their normal size every summer, and heatwave conditions in the south of France have added to the influx this year. … Hostile messages have been scratched on car doors, and holidaymakers from Paris have had insults hurled at them on the street.” – The Telegraph (UK) (MSN)
- Can Poetry Help Make People More Ecologically Aware?
Researchers have argued that eco-poetry can influence how we experience a place, what we notice and what it might become in the future. They suggest that by “sounding” environmental change, speculative poetry offers us a tangible way to engage with, interpret and navigate the uncertainty of the climate crisis. – The Conversation
- Performing An Entire Disney Musical With A Seven-Pound Flaming Candle On Each Hand
“There’s an entire team at work behind the scenes and a good-natured actor who doesn’t mind flames, sweating and being unable to use his hands for the entire run time (of Beauty and the Beast). Making it work is a show unto itself.” – Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)
ISSUES
- Judge Halts Auction Of Titanic Artifacts
A controversial plan to auction off artifacts recovered from the wreck of the Titanic must be put on hold, a federal judge ruled Monday, after the U.S. government and preservationists raised concerns about the sale and the company’s care of the artifacts. – Washington Post
- Report: Museum Heists In Europe Are Becoming More Violent
The report highlights a concerning rise in violent and forceful tactics, alongside a growing focus on high-value items such as precious metals, gemstones, and culturally significant artefacts. – Insight EU
- Russian Drone Strikes Hit Art Museum In Kherson
“According to a report by United24, the Ukrainian government–run platform, the fire destroyed the museum’s historic plasterwork, parquet flooring, furniture, and books, as well as the building’s electrical and heating infrastructure.” No human casualties were reported. – ARTnews
- Smithsonian Considers Workaround For National Latino Museum
On Aug. 31, the Smithsonian will consider whether to give the Latino Museum its Arts and Industries Building, which was built in 1881 and is on the National Mall between the Smithsonian’s Castle and Hirshhorn Museum. – The New York Times
- Does AI Really Belong In A Museum?
It’s not like most of these flyers were ever going to be high art anyway. Still, the issue nags at me constantly, whenever I pass one of these synthetic images plastered over the real world. – The Atlantic
MEDIA
- Seaside Towns In Brittany Are Fed Up With Parisian Tourists
“The anger is running high across Finistère, where local populations swell to triple their normal size every summer, and heatwave conditions in the south of France have added to the influx this year. … Hostile messages have been scratched on car doors, and holidaymakers from Paris have had insults hurled at them on the street.” – The Telegraph (UK) (MSN)
- Report: Revenue Cratered At The Kennedy Center After Name Change
Ticket sales had already dropped in the10 months following Trump’s takeover, but both ticket sales and donations plunged after the Trump-led board of trustees voted in December to rename the center after him and put his name on the front of the building, according to the records. – Washington Post
- Historic LA Performing Center Reopens After 15-Year Renovation
After a 15-year renovation, South L.A.’s historic Vision Theatre Performing Arts Center is reopening, marking a major milestone for Leimert Park and a $40-million investment in Black arts and culture. – Los Angeles Times
- Elections Flip Control Of Florida School Board At Center Of Book Bans And Culture Wars
“Two Democratic-backed candidates beat out conservatives in Tuesday’s school board election in Sarasota, Florida, flipping the board’s majority. Helmed for the past year by a co-founder of Moms for Liberty, … the board is moving in a new direction, the winners said.” – The Washington Post (Yahoo!)
- LinkedIn Added An AI Slop Button, And People Are Clicking It A Whole, Whole Lot
Since July 30th, more than a million people have clicked on the button accessible on each post. – The Verge
MUSIC
- Can Poetry Help Make People More Ecologically Aware?
Researchers have argued that eco-poetry can influence how we experience a place, what we notice and what it might become in the future. They suggest that by “sounding” environmental change, speculative poetry offers us a tangible way to engage with, interpret and navigate the uncertainty of the climate crisis. – The Conversation
- UK Looks Headed For Record Year In Print Book Sales
According to NielsenIQ BookScan, sales of print books across the British consumer market have passed £1 billion at the earliest point in the calendar year since records began. – The Bookseller (UK)
- In A Country With Almost No Actual Murders, Writers Have To Make Mysterious Deaths Believable
The authors’ “plots have to be built on buried grudges and horrifying secrets hidden in the fog and the fjords. Otherwise, how else could they convincingly kill off their characters?” – The New York Times
- This Small Publisher Will Now Only Accept Pitches By Phone
The strategies to defeat AI are getting, well, old-school: “We’re re-humanizing the process with a dedicated hotline (which has the added benefit of weeding out supposed reporters who aren’t in the habit of ringing up strangers.” – Nieman Lab
- California Has The Publishing Rizz Right Now
But it’s a bit nervewracking: “I feel like for a small press you really need to, not just catch a break, but catch a break every time, … if you want to last.” – Los Angeles Times (MSN)
PEOPLE
- Dolly Parton Has Died At 80
“Known for her curvy physique, massive blond wigs and skin-tight outfits that served her self-deprecating wit, she was among the most beloved personalities in music and beyond — the rare celebrity whose appeal transcended generations, geography and politics.” – AP
- The Arts Job That’s Really A Rental
Good Morning,
New York’s incoming arts commissioner wants to keep the city’s culture scene affordable (Gothamist). That’s a useful admission about where the leverage actually sits: the binding constraint on urban culture is rent and space, not programming.
A federal judge blocked the auction of more than 100 Titanic artifacts (Washington Post), courts rather than curators holding the line on what counts as heritage. Florida voters flipped the school board at the center of the state’s book-ban fights (Yahoo News). And Kennedy Center revenue cratered after Trump’s name went on the building (Washington Post) — an audience voting the way an audience can.
Two ideas stories worth your time when you have some: solarpunk cities where the tech follows nature’s lead (Aeon), a future that isn’t just the present running faster. And Australia’s recording industry has banned AI-generated tracks from the ARIA charts (Variety), quietly conceding that a chart was always a trust instrument, not a scoreboard.
Also: a landmark South LA theater reopens after 15 years of renovation (Los Angeles Times), and playing Lumière turns out to require a seven-pound flaming candle strapped to each hand (Yahoo Entertainment).
All our stories below.
- Seaside Towns In Brittany Are Fed Up With Parisian Tourists
“The anger is running high across Finistère, where local populations swell to triple their normal size every summer, and heatwave conditions in the south of France have added to the influx this year. … Hostile messages have been scratched on car doors, and holidaymakers from Paris have had insults hurled at them on the street.” – The Telegraph (UK) (MSN)
- Can Poetry Help Make People More Ecologically Aware?
Researchers have argued that eco-poetry can influence how we experience a place, what we notice and what it might become in the future. They suggest that by “sounding” environmental change, speculative poetry offers us a tangible way to engage with, interpret and navigate the uncertainty of the climate crisis. – The Conversation
- Performing An Entire Disney Musical With A Seven-Pound Flaming Candle On Each Hand
“There’s an entire team at work behind the scenes and a good-natured actor who doesn’t mind flames, sweating and being unable to use his hands for the entire run time (of Beauty and the Beast). Making it work is a show unto itself.” – Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)
PEOPLE
- Dolly Parton Has Died At 80
“Known for her curvy physique, massive blond wigs and skin-tight outfits that served her self-deprecating wit, she was among the most beloved personalities in music and beyond — the rare celebrity whose appeal transcended generations, geography and politics.” – AP
- The Arts Job That’s Really A Rental
Good Morning,
New York’s incoming arts commissioner wants to keep the city’s culture scene affordable (Gothamist). That’s a useful admission about where the leverage actually sits: the binding constraint on urban culture is rent and space, not programming.
A federal judge blocked the auction of more than 100 Titanic artifacts (Washington Post), courts rather than curators holding the line on what counts as heritage. Florida voters flipped the school board at the center of the state’s book-ban fights (Yahoo News). And Kennedy Center revenue cratered after Trump’s name went on the building (Washington Post) — an audience voting the way an audience can.
Two ideas stories worth your time when you have some: solarpunk cities where the tech follows nature’s lead (Aeon), a future that isn’t just the present running faster. And Australia’s recording industry has banned AI-generated tracks from the ARIA charts (Variety), quietly conceding that a chart was always a trust instrument, not a scoreboard.
Also: a landmark South LA theater reopens after 15 years of renovation (Los Angeles Times), and playing Lumière turns out to require a seven-pound flaming candle strapped to each hand (Yahoo Entertainment).
All our stories below.
- Seaside Towns In Brittany Are Fed Up With Parisian Tourists
“The anger is running high across Finistère, where local populations swell to triple their normal size every summer, and heatwave conditions in the south of France have added to the influx this year. … Hostile messages have been scratched on car doors, and holidaymakers from Paris have had insults hurled at them on the street.” – The Telegraph (UK) (MSN)
- Can Poetry Help Make People More Ecologically Aware?
Researchers have argued that eco-poetry can influence how we experience a place, what we notice and what it might become in the future. They suggest that by “sounding” environmental change, speculative poetry offers us a tangible way to engage with, interpret and navigate the uncertainty of the climate crisis. – The Conversation
- Performing An Entire Disney Musical With A Seven-Pound Flaming Candle On Each Hand
“There’s an entire team at work behind the scenes and a good-natured actor who doesn’t mind flames, sweating and being unable to use his hands for the entire run time (of Beauty and the Beast). Making it work is a show unto itself.” – Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)
THEATRE
VISUAL
- The Warnings From The Digital Age That Should Inform The AI Age
The adoption and diffusion of such technologies led to wild-eyed speculation about their possible social and political consequences, a discussion that, characteristically, ricocheted between dreams of a technological utopia and fears of an artificial state. – The Guardian
- Is The Next Gen City A Marriage Of Tech And Nature?
If the Anthropocene began when the Industrial Revolution set industry against the living world, the Symbiocene imagines what should follow: interspecies democracy, life within Earth’s limits, and ecological reciprocity. – Aeon
- The Problem(s) With Trying To Define Intelligence
What is Intelligence? simply reduces everything to physical implementations, either in AI neural networks or in the brain, and often conflates the two. – Inference Review
- Was Howard Zinn’s “People’s History” Too Simplistic?
Zinn presented his readers with genuinely admirable dissidents, from Bartolomé de las Casas to Ida Tarbell and Langston Hughes. At a moment when the country needs effective dissidents, Zinn, the scholar-activist, is in that pantheon. But A People’s History’s had flaws: It can flatten complex problems and people into apparently simple ones. – The New Republic
- Study: Language Skills Don’t Decline In Older Adults
Unless impaired by a stroke or dementia, most older people retain their language skills and may even improve them as they steadily gain vocabulary throughout their lives. A new brain imaging study from an MIT-Boston University collaboration now reveals the neural activity underlying this observation. – MIT News