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- Can Authors Ever Use Enough Tools To ‘Prove’ They Didn’t Use AI?
Especially since a lot of LLMs are trained on those authors’ words already? Well, that’s the hope – that’s there’s a way to prove a negative. – Wired
- A Not Worthwhile Canadian Initiative
In the new Canadian federal government budget, a non-refundable tax credit worth up to $45,000 of net income is proposed for artists, to be called the Canada Creative Credit.
Some tax policy jargon: a tax credit is not the same as a tax deduction. For a tax credit, calculate your income tax owing based on revenues minus eligible expenses. Once you have figured out that amount, subtract the credit. Non-refundable means the credit can reduce the amount you owe all the way down to zero, but no further – you can’t use it to get a payment from the government.
The budget says it will likely take the form of a non-refundable tax credit that would “provide tax recognition on up to $45,000 of annual qualifying net business income derived from original and creative artistic works.”
What’s wrong with this? I’d say two things.
First, an old, common-place principle of equity in taxation is that a dollar is a dollar is a dollar, regardless of how you earned it. Two people who each earned, on net, sixty thousand dollars last year, and have identical family circumstances, should pay the same amount in income tax, and it shouldn’t matter if one works as a mortgage loans person in the local credit union and the other works as a furniture maker. This budget proposal would say the novelist who, after expenses, earned sixty thousand dollars last year should pay less in income tax than the credit union employee or the furniture maker. It is not fair.
Second, suppose we said “ah, but there is something special about the arts to our national well-being, beyond what the artist earns in the market, and as a consequence we should subsidize the arts.” This is generally expressed in pretty vague terms, but for the sake of argument let’s accept it. Then the next questions are: What art in particular? Are there certain genres of art that matter more to the commonweal? Does it matter if the art is, respectfully, any good?
But that’s the question no one wants to answer any more. From “culture passes” that tell young people “just go buy something creative with it”, to “guaranteed income for artist programs,” that just say “you call yourself an artist, and that’s good enough for us,” the very idea of saying that the disbursement of public funds to the arts ought to involve the judgment of some group of people who know something about art, and should be selective, is long past. Any content will do, whatever. I don’t see what public good that serves.
Cross-posted at https://michaelrushton.substack.com/
- Wait, Why Is A 77-Year-Old Judge In Virginia In Charge Of The Titanic?
Maritime law means Judge Smith oversees “the remains of a ship that was built in Belfast, sailed from England, was heading to New York City and sank off the coast of Canada in international waters more than 1,000 miles from Norfolk.” – The New York Times
- Sometimes It Takes A Film A Little While To Find Its Way To Audiences
After a friend-funded release, the actors of Pyre “have met teary-eyed people at multiple screenings – many wanting to touch their feet and hug them, many who said the film reminded them of their own parents and grandparents who are waiting in villages.” – BBC
- Who Betrayed The Photographer Who Secretly Captured Nazi-Occupied Paris?
“It is a story of betrayal, set against the turmoil of wartime France under German occupation. At the center of the suspicion is a couple.” – Le Monde English
- Making A TV Show At Negative 39 Degrees Isn’t Exactly Simple
“Wherever possible, materials were sent by sea during the annual short thaw to avoid expensive airfreight. For example, building materials and boxed water — which, Arnaquq-Baril says, was chosen over plastic bottles to leave ‘less toxic garbage in the Arctic’ — were shipped by sealift.” – Los Angeles Times (Yahoo)
- Eurovision Becomes Asiavision Later This Week
“Bloc voting, where countries award high scores to their neighbours, is a long-running tradition in Europe. Blecher says it is too early to know whether Asia will follow suit.” – The Guardian (UK)
- Canada Has New Tax Relief For The Arts And Artists
It’s not 100 percent clear who, exactly, will benefit. “There’s little to no way to know whether, for example, a violin teacher or a filmmaker is more likely to be approved.” – CBC
- The Void Of Jobs Confronting Hollywood’s Workforce
“Shoots are moving away from Hollywood and, increasingly, from the United States altogether. The share of film production budgets spent in the U.S. has fallen from 74% to 42% .” – El País English
- These Ballet Dancers Fell In Love And Then, As Is The Way With Ballet, Founded A Company
“They realized that they wanted to create their own model, in which artists — who often cobble together a living over multiple part-time jobs and punishing rehearsal schedules — could earn a salary that reflected the labor they were putting in. … East Coast Contemporary Ballet was born.” – Hartford Courant
- Apple Apparently Sees Classical Music, Too, In Black And White
No more pinkish treble clef on a red background: “Unlike last time, when people hated on the Music app’s black-and-white design, there doesn’t seem to be such passionate pronouncements of displeasure for the Classical app logo’s makeover.” – Engadget
- Are U.S. Arenas Refusing To Let Macklemore Play?
The rap artist wrote that after Ed Sheeran removed him from the Sheeran tour, his team reached out to arenas with available dates. “But once they found out these were my benefit shows for Palestine, … those dates were suddenly off the table.” – The New York Times
- Sebastian Lelio, Director Of Gloria, Fantastic Woman, And Disobedience, Has Died At 52
The Chilean director’s final film was last year’s The Wave. He said, “Making a film is like a gift you leave somewhere – you then hide and see what happens.” – The Guardian (UK)
- Pamela Abdy, Ousted At WB, Gets Real About Her Rage At The Hollywood Bro Machine
She said, as she accepted the Vanguard Award, she felt rage for all of her female collaborators over the years, “rage for me and even more rage for the entire generation of women who deserve to have their potential recognized and elevated.” – The Hollywood Reporter
- What’s Up With Your Ethics, New York Times?
In short: “The New York Times has terminated their contract with author Olivia Waite, their romance columnist, after she reposted Mark Jacob’s repost of Marisa Kabas’ criticism of the Times’ coverage of new rape allegations about Trump.” – Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
- Phoenix Symphony Returns Days After Laying Off Musicians
Good Morning,
The Phoenix Symphony laid off all 66 of its musicians on November 2, saying it could no longer cover its costs. Local donors have now pledged enough to lift the suspension; the orchestra plays again November 12 while an 11-member commission reworks its finances (Arizona Republic).
Pan Macmillan, his British publisher, is pulling Russell Brand’s books after his rape and sexual assault conviction. Skyhorse, which put out his How to Become a Christian in 7 Days under Tucker Carlson’s new imprint, says it has no plans to withdraw it (The New York Times).
The K-pop group NewJeans signed with Ador, a label owned by BTS’s company Hybe, at ages 14 to 17. Their contracts dropped child-protection language, including the right to education, and gave Ador their likeness in perpetuity, including as AI chatbots or clones (The Guardian).
A ransomware attack on November 4 took down Queens Public Library’s network. All 66 branches are open, with books checked out by hand; whether patron data was taken is unknown (Lit Hub).
About 100 Oregon school districts have cut to four-day weeks, and arts groups are filling the Fridays. Arts in Education of the Gorge drew 60 of Mosier Community School’s 205 students to its first Friday (Oregon ArtsWatch).
All of our stories below.
- The Artist Taking Broken Things And Making Them Beautiful
“Toporkoff has found that she prefers working with mouth-blown glass because of its depth of color and texture and natural imperfections like bubbles and ripples. She sources the glass from Saint-Just Glassworks in the Loire region of France.” – The New York Times
- Dustin Hoffman Took Up Acting For A Very Normal College Student Reason
“My friend said, ‘Take acting, it’s like gym. Nobody flunks. You know, the worst you can get in gym is a C.’” – Today Show
- The ‘Blue Wave’ On Tuesday Swept A Fair Number Of Artists To Power
“Next year’s massive reconfiguration of power … brings with it a number of elected officials with creative backgrounds, some of whom even incorporated music, dance and art into their campaigns and promises to constituents.” – Los Angeles Times (MSN)
- A Ransomware Attack Takes Down The Queens Public Library
“Unfortunately, it’s part of the world that we live in right now. So the Queens Public Library is a victim of the type of world that we’re living in, where people are launching cyber attacks against various types of entities, large corporations, and now Queens Public Library.” – LitHub
- Why John Luther Adams Moved To An Arid Spot In Australia
“Adams, 73, is attracted to extremes. The more awe-inspiring, the better. It’s what has nourished his singular sound, which doesn’t so much represent as become the natural world.” – The New York Times
- If The News Doesn’t Have Cute Animals Or Political Threats, How Does It Get Eyeballs Online?
Arts reporters, take note: “The best-performing videos were ones with behind-the-scenes footage from investigations or collaborations. Putting reporters on camera — in the field or at their desks — worked.” – Nieman Lab
- Now That Russell Brand Has (Finally) Been Convicted Of Rape And Assault, Some Publishers Are Pulling His Books
However: “Tony Lyons, the publisher at Skyhorse, which published Brand’s How to Become a Christian in 7 Days under its new Tucker Carlson Books imprint this year, said in an email that the company ‘had no plans to withdraw Russell Brand’s books.’” – The New York Times
- True Crime Podcasts Are Known For Exploiting Victims. Can A Famous Survivor Host Make A Difference?
Elizabeth Smart: “I want this to be an empowering experience for them. I want them to feel pride in sharing their story.” – Slate
- The Creator Of Ireland’s First Micro-Series On How ‘The Black Leprechaun’ Works
Éyum Priscilla: The comedy “is a story about embracing every part of who you are and finding the confidence to claim your place in the country you’ve always called home.” – Irish Times
- Do Booker-Nominated Authors Know How To Write A Booker-Nominated Novel?
The Guardian asks them, with some decent results. “Iris Murdoch once said, ‘One should sit quietly and let the thing invent itself,’ and I took that as a mantra, letting the book emerge. It turns out that can be quite messy.” – The Guardian (UK)
- What Botero’s Remakes Tell Us About Western Art History
“A Colombian artist being so enamoured by European artists invites questions about visibility – and whose art is deemed significant.” – BBC
- While We Wait For The Julianne Moore Film, Why Not Watch These Theatre Movies?
The Debut doesn’t come out until December 11. But there are many others in the “subgenre of theater-centric movies in which the characters are mostly amateurs creating stage magic (they hope).” – The New York Times
- A Record Label Stripped Child Labor Protections From Girls In A K-Pop Group
“The contracts banned the performers from having an ‘insincere attitude’ and engaging in ‘inappropriate romantic relationships.’ They also struck standard child protection language which protected ‘basic human rights,’ including the group members’ right to education.” – The Guardian (UK)
- Why Are Parts Of The Christian Internet So Fussed Over Gerwig’s New Narnia Movie?
Sexism, basically. Yet: “Critics of Gerwig’s casting of Streep forget that many of us heard tales of Narnia first in our mother’s voice. … This powerful, unknowable god first spoke to us in a loving voice which guided and comforted us, even when we might be afraid.” – Reactor
- In A State That Does Not Fund Public Education Well, Artists Band Together To Bring The Arts To Rural Schools
“The work could especially help the approximately 100 districts in the state where some, if not all, schools are only offering classes Monday through Thursday, primarily because of funding restrictions.” – Oregon ArtsWatch
- The Vancouver Symphony Gets A New CEO
Keith Cerny, who’s from the U.S. and most recently was the CEO for the Fort Worth Symphony, is a classically trained pianist, conductor, and economist. – Vancouver Sun
- The Romantasy Diaper Controversy
You know what often comes after years of (hot) sex, at least for some couples? That’s right: Babies. But do they, and their needs, belong in the hottest book series on the market? – Slate
- This Tapestry Artist From Kazakhstan Has Been Long Overdue For International Recognition
“Batima Zaurbekova is among Kazakhstan’s most celebrated artists. Beyond its borders, however, her name is far less known. The gap says less about her work than about who has been doing the looking—and framing.” – Artnet
- The Phoenix Symphony Will Resume Concerts This Week
One of the business leaders helping get the music flowing again: “Getting our musicians on stage again was our top priority. … Now we must build a financial and operating model that allows the Symphony to thrive, not simply survive from one season to the next.” – Arizona Republic (MSN)