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- Where Does All Of This ‘Odyssey’ Discourse Leave Us?
First of all, let academics write reviews of things they know about – whether you agree with their reviews or not, it jump-starts the discussion. – Vulture
- Greta Lee Is Having A Moment
Perhaps the bike-loving, gardening, SCUBA-diving actor is having what might be called another moment, a few years after Past Lives garnered her some attention. – The New York Times
- If You Need A Good Laugh
Try one of Andrew Sean Greer’s comic novel recommendations, even though he says, “nobody knows what a comic novel is. And once you start discussing it, all the fun runs out.” – The Guardian (UK)
- The Report From Interlochen Might Help Change Michigan’s Laws Around Statute Of Limitations
Current bills “would extend the civil statute of limitations for criminal sexual conduct claims, create a one-year revival window for lawsuits that are currently time-barred and eliminate the civil statute of limitations when a criminal case results in a conviction.” – Detroit Free Press
- Why Are Comedies Sneaking Into The Drama Emmys?
It’s a weird reversal of most of recent history. “Angst over the increasing prevalence of ‘dramedies’ has long been a part of the conversation, but usually on the comedy side of the debate” (See: The Bear). – Vulture
- The Firestorm Over Emily Wilson’s Review Of The Odyssey
It was a strongly worded review, and Joyce Carol Oates, for one, isn’t having it. “Oates said she would have expected a translator, whose role she described as having subjectivity, to be more tolerant.” – The New York Times
- No, Rachel Cusk’s Newest Book Is Not Dishing On Her Buddy Natalie Portman
“Life of M is a narrative hall of mirrors that only a fool would confuse with a thinly veiled roman à clef about a celebrity. To my mind, only one true mystery remains: Was Portman in on it?” – Slate
- Artists Fight To Save A Women’s Sculpture Park In London
“Of almost 1,500 monuments in London, more than a fifth [are] dedicated to named men and only 4% [are] dedicated to women, half as many as those that celebrated animals. And of all the public sculptures in London, only 13% were created by women.” – The Guardian (UK)
- A Full Leak Of The New Spider-Man Movie Was On X For Seven Hours
“During that time, it reached over 5.9 million accounts and accumulated over 143,000 likes.” Whoops. However: “The leak is unlikely to slow down the box office juggernaut, which is already shattering records.” – The Verge
- What David Hockney Learned From The Louvre
“Hockney used visibly different etching techniques in different territories of the image—soft mats of color for the window blind, meticulous linear hatching for the floor, and splotchy, translucent color for the surrounding wall.” – The Atlantic
- A Two Million Dollar Publishing Deal Just Collapsed Over Potential AI Use
“An email sent to publishers by Falade’s agents … said: ‘Jerry Falade produced an incredible manuscript that dazzled us and the top publishing professionals around the world. Unfortunately, we are no longer able to authenticate how the manuscript fully evolved from origin to completion.’”- The Guardian (UK)
- Paul Sansardo, Creator Of Dreamlike Dances And Influence On Pina Bausch, Has Died At 97
“The choreography that he and [Donya] Feuer created — like that of their contemporary Paul Taylor, in whose notorious Seven New Dances (1957) she had performed — experimented with stillness, pedestrian poses and unadorned walking. Chained to each other, they blew up a balloon with a bicycle pump.” – The New York Times
- Reorganizing the arts economy
This Week’s Highlights:
The middle of the arts economy has spent a decade being described as collapsing. This week it looked more like it was reorganizing. Performing arts centers across Australia’s “second cities” formed a network to develop major works none of them could mount alone (Limelight). Two of Dallas’s largest performing arts institutions announced a merger (KERA). A year after federal defunding, public radio stations are working out how to convert the emergency giving surge into something durable (Current). None of these are recoveries. They’re redesigns — institutions deciding that scale is something you assemble rather than something you own.
The AI fight, meanwhile, changed shape. The musicians’ union amended its suit to target Universal and Warner over their deals with Suno and Udio (Music Business Worldwide) — the artists suing their own industry. Also this week, the major music companies asked that AI songs be disqualified from the charts (The Hollywood Reporter). Rights-holders now sit on both sides of the table: selling the training data and demanding the output wear a label.
And a sad story: the Kennedy Center suspended public tours three days after the Times profiled the 84-year-old volunteer guide leading them through an empty building (The New York Times). Grrr.
All this week’s stories below, organized by topic.
- AJ Chronicles: When Selling Out Is No Longer a Business Model
The Paramount merger and Broadway and non-profit theatre are strangely arguments circling the same idea. Paramount essentially argues that there’s no such thing as the movie business anymore, only the attention business, and so its merger should not be considered in the context of other movie makers, but also to YouTube and TikTok and Netflix and Amazon. Theatre has ceased to be measured against other theatre (and even when it is, who really seems to care?) and competes inside an attention economy that lives at a scale it can’t hope to be viable in. - Kate Sheeran talks about initiatives that spark student experimentation
Kate Sheeran, Dean of the Eastman School of Music, shares initiatives that support student innovation and experimentation.
- Immediate Opening: Vice President of Marketing and Audience Development
THE POSITION:
Reporting to the President & CEO, the Vice President of Marketing & Audience Development is a key member of the senior leadership team responsible for developing and executing statewide strategies that achieve earned revenue, audience growth, patron loyalty and institutional communications objectives. The Vice President provides executive leadership for marketing, sales, audience development, communications, brand strategy, patron experience, and patron loyalty initiatives, that strengthen the North Carolina Symphony’s visibility, deepen patron engagement, and advance the organization’s long-term financial sustainability.
The Vice President leads a high-performing team in developing integrated, data-driven marketing and communications strategies that increase revenue, build patron relationships, and grow and retain audiences across the state of North Carolina. The position collaborates with senior leadership on strategic planning, budgeting, institutional messaging, technology innovation, artistic planning, pricing strategy, organizational priorities and initiatives that advance the Symphony’s mission of artistic excellence, statewide service, and music education.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Earned Income & Marketing (40%)
- Provide strategic leadership for all statewide earned revenue initiatives, achieving annual ticket revenue goals of at least $5.7 million while managing departmental budgets and maximizing return on marketing investment. Lead, mentor, and evaluate the marketing, sales, and communications team in planning and executing integrated, multi-channel campaigns using customer segmentation and analytics, dynamic pricing, targeted messaging, CRM technology, and performance analytics including regression analysis and sales pacing.
- Develop pricing, packaging, and promotional strategies that maximize attendance, revenue, and long-term patron value across subscriptions, single-ticket and special event programming. Establish and achieve annual performance goals for subscription, single-ticket revenue, paid attendance, capacity utilization, patron retention, new audience acquisition, customer lifetime value, and return on marketing investment.
Institutional Communications & Audience Development (20%)
- Develop the Symphony’s comprehensive brand, communications, and audience engagement strategy to strengthen visibility, deepen community connections, and position the organization as one of North Carolina’s premier cultural institutions. Oversee public relations, media relations, digital communications, social media, website content, videos, podcasts, email marketing, and print publications to ensure timely and compelling messaging across all platforms. Ensure cross-departmental brand consistency. Serve as the organization’s senior communications strategist for institutional announcements.
Strategic Leadership & Organizational Sustainability (15%)
- Partner with the President & CEO and senior leadership team to develop and implement long-range strategies that strengthen financial sustainability and advance the Symphony’s mission. Provide leadership in earned revenue forecasting, expense management, programming recommendations, Patron loyalty strategy, technology, and digital innovation.
Customer Experience & Patron Loyalty (15%)
- Set the standard for organization-wide, customer-facing operations to deliver exceptional patron experiences before, during, and after performances by overseeing parking, security, front-of-house management, usher services, patron communications and run-of-show content and distribution. Lead organization-wide patron loyalty initiatives in collaboration with the Vice President of Philanthropy to strengthen retention, engagement, and lifetime patron value while supporting both earned income and contributed revenue goals.
Other Responsibilities (10%)
- Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.
CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS
- 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in performing arts marketing, preferably with orchestra marketing experience.
- Track record of meeting and exceeding revenue and attendance objectives through integrated subscription and single-ticket marketing campaigns and CRM-driven audience engagement.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze data, develop strategic plans, and make informed decisions that advance organizational goals.
- Demonstrated success leading high-performing integrated communications and audience engagement initiatives.
- Excellent interpersonal, verbal, written, and presentation skills.
- High standards of integrity, professionalism, and sound judgment.
- Collaborative leadership style with flexibility, initiative, and commitment to continuous improvement.
- Commitment to supporting the mission, vision, and values of the North Carolina Symphony.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Copilot, and OneDrive.
- Ability to travel throughout North Carolina and work evenings and weekends as needed.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent required.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:
- This is a full-time salaried position based in the Triangle region of North Carolina. The annual salary is $140,000. The benefits package includes health insurance through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, long-term disability coverage, life insurance, an employee assistance program and voluntary vision and dental insurance. Enrollees in our optional 403(b) retirement plan receive an employer match and our Health Savings Account offering provides a bi-annual employer contribution.
- Because driving between worksites and to various locations may be a central function of the position, administrative staff must maintain a valid driver’s license and have reliable transportation.
- Applicants must be authorized to legally work in the United States.
TO APPLY:
Please email your cover letter, résumé, three references, to: humanresources@ncsymphony.org
No phone calls please.Application Deadline: Monday, August 31, 2026
- Behold The World’s Oldest Competitive Pole Dancer. She’s 82.
Idanna Abignente, who lives in a suburb of Turin, started pole dancing at around age 70 to keep fit. She developed a passion for it and eventually joined the competition circuit, where she frequently wins her age division for lack of other competitors. – New York Post
- Do Artists Still Need Galleries?
It is often assumed that a gallery is a prerequisite to finding commercial success and a place in the history of art. But a growing number of artists are rejecting that notion and going—to use the kind of commercial lingo that the art market likes to avoid—Direct to Consumer (DTC). – Ocula
- Gunther Von Hagens, Creator Of Controversial Exhibition “Body Worlds,” Is Dead At 81
An anatomist by training, he developed a technique called “plastination” which prevents the decay of corpses and leaves them flexible. He used that technique on dozens of bodies, many with skin removed to display musculature, and set them in various poses for his traveling exhibitions — which attracted both excited crowds and horrified criticism. – AP
- Why Hollywood Loves The Cello
Why, out of every option in the orchestra, did the cello become the instrument of introspection? “It’s the cliche, but it’s probably because the cello comes closest to the human vocal range.” – The Guardian
- Streamers Are Pressuring France To Drop Their Requirements To Invest In France
Since January 2022, subscription streaming services such as Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ have been required to invest 20% of their annual French revenue in local film and television production under France’s implementation of the European Audiovisual Media Services Directive. – Variety
- Is There Any Upside To The Paramount/Warner Merger?
If the deal does go through, it will saddle the new corporate entity that emerges with nearly eighty billion dollars in debt. –
- Boy George Withdraws From West End’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” After Backlash Against His Latest Song
Next month, the 1980s New Wave pop icon, now 65, was going to play King Herod in the London revival of the musical. But his June release, “We Will Dance Again,” takes strong and controversial positions on the Israel-Palestine conflict; after weeks of heavy criticism, he cancelled his run in the role. – Playbill
- The Modern Stadium And Monumentality
Nearly all monumental architecture is expected to convey some set of values greater than its stated purpose. This is especially true of stadiums with their straightforward program – a pitch for a game to be played and seating from which to observe it. – Dezeen
- Should We Stop Listening To Technocrats?
International civil servants do not in fact escape power. They rearticulate it with the help of technical experts. By framing this rearticulation as real impartiality, however, they conflate technocracy and expertise. This conflation lies at the heart of the legitimacy crisis that international organisations face today. – Aeon
- Translator Emily Wilson On Reaction To Her Scathing Review Of “The Odessey”
“You can disagree about some or all of it! I may well be wrong!” she added. “But it’s not ‘personal’ to analyze a film or other work of art, even negatively. Criticism is more than ‘Hurray!’ or ‘Hiss!’” – Entertainment Weekly
- At Tanglewood This Summer, Things Are Feeling Pretty Tense
“During a recent week on the grounds, it felt anxious, angry, combustible. It was impossible to escape the warfare that the Boston Symphony is waging on itself: a crisis that is drowning out the music. Somebody needs to quiet things down before even more serious damage is done.” – The New York Times
- Universal Music Posts A Blockbuster Revenue Quarter
Recorded revenues grew about 13 percent to 2.516 billion euros ($2.89 billion), while publishing revenue grew about 8 percent to 616 million euros (about $710 million). – The Hollywood Reporter
- Filmmakers Sue Netflix For $105 Million Over Stolen Hard Drive With Unreleased Nicolas Cage Film
“In a lawsuit filed on Thursday in California federal court, writer-producer Simon Afram and his company, Op-Fortitude, accuse Netflix of compromising the sale of the World War II spy thriller” — titled Fortitude — by losing a copy of the movie that was shared for screening. He seeks at least $105 million.” – The Hollywood Reporter
- Historic Japanese Castle Damaged By Earthquake For Second Time In Ten Years
Kumamoto Castle, built in 1607 on the island of Kyushu, is considered one of Japan’s three great surviving castles. A portion of its moat wall collapsed following Tuesday’s 7.1 earthquake. In 2016, a different portion of the wall came down in another temblor. – Hyperallergic
- Kennedy Center Stops Public Tours Three Days After NY Times Feature On Tour Guide
On Monday, The New York Times posted an article featuring a longtime volunteer tour guide who said of the currently-dormant institution, “Now it’s a black hole.” On Thursday, a Kennedy Center official sent a memo to all volunteer tour guides telling them not to come there “until further notice.” – The New York Times
- Trump Administration Organizes “Patriotic” Art Exhibition Near White House. Yes, There’s Cronyism Involved.
What with all the complaints Trump has about the Smithsonian’s “bias,” the State Department has decided to “make visual arts great” (their phrase) with the exhibition “Passport to Patriotism: 250 Years of Diplomacy.” No historians or professional curators are involved, and the show includes pieces by the planners’ friends. – The New York Times
- What Curtis Institute Has Planned For Its Latest Building, Which It Bought After UArts Collapse
The old Art Alliance building near Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square had belonged to the University of the Arts, which abruptly closed in 2024. Curtis bought it in January 2025; it was badly damaged in a fire that July 4. Repairs are underway, and the conservatory will house its vocal/opera department there. – The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
- Florida College Professor Fired For Assigning Ottessa Moshfegh Short Story
Vinita Prabhakar, until recently an adjunct professor at South Florida State College, had used Moshfegh’s “Bettering Myself” in an introductory reading-and-writing course there without incident since 2023. But someone complained about the story’s content to the college president, who fired Prabhakar, who’s now suing. – Tallahassee Democrat
- Trump Administration’s Overhaul Of Historical Preservation Rules Alarms Preservationists
“A draft of the rule changes that circulated in recent weeks prompted an outcry from preservationists, architects, archaeologists and organizations representing Native American tribes. … ‘It’s both a scalpel and a bludgeon,’ said Greg Werkheiser, a lawyer who specializes in preservation cases.” – The New York Times