Douglas McLennan
Doug is the editor of ArtsJournal
Disney Animation Stars Its First Plus-Size Heroine. Some Viewers Protest
Social media users have questioned Disney's intentions behind Reflect, saying the two-minute length didn't leave enough room for nuance, and the message of body positivity...
How Horror Became Hollywood’s Go-To Genre In 2022
Yes, horror has long enjoyed a loyal audience. But 2022 has proved an especially strong year commercially for chilling flicks, producing hits including Universal...
John Mauceri: The Political Power Of Music
Those who believe the trope, then, that classical music has little or no currency are mistaken. At least the leaders of Russia and Ukraine...
He Made 300,000 Paintings. Sold Most Of Them, Too
At 65, Steve Keene may still be New York’s most prolific painter, and certainly the one most beloved in ’90s indie-rock circles. A college...
Seen It Before: Shakespeare Plays That Apply To The UK’s Current Political Situation
Questions of moral authority, the right to rule and the nature of a good leader are recurring themes in Shakespeare’s oeuvre. Recent political events...
When Good Stories Win Over Ideas And Fact, There’s… Trouble
Peter Brooks warns that our “mindless valorization of storytelling” makes us more susceptible to those with more malevolent intentions — “inertly accepting the notion...
Speaking Of Dance (And Here’s Why You Should)
Isadora Duncan once famously claimed that if she could tell you what she meant, there would be no point in dancing it. That attitude—that...
“Canceling” Our little Piece Of The World Feels Existential (But It’s Not)
We all need to be able to take a step back and realize that just because we feel something disproportionately, it doesn't mean that...
Is Listening To Audiobooks Really “Reading”?
Some cite studies that have shown people who listen to books retain less than those who read them, which is bound up with how...
What It Was Like To Work For The New York Review of Books
The mailroom was out of control. Employees helped themselves to books, telephone calls to Hong Kong, extra sandwiches during press week. They had a...
Jerry Lee Lewis, 87
Lewis ultimately transcended category. With typical arrogance, he would frequently declare that there were only four real stylists in American music: Al Jolson, Jimmie...
All About The Chemistry: What Makes A Stradivarius Extraordinary? New Study Suggests…
That quest for answers got a boost from Italian researchers in a paper published by the American Chemical Society that outlines the findings of their chemical...
Politics In Art – There Really Is A Role
It seems reasonable to pose the question of art’s relation to politics in the context of the specific crisis that democracy seems to have...
Quixotic? One Man Tries To Recreate The Orchestra Mahler Would Have Heard
Mahler would be appalled at the recorded perfectionism of the modern Vienna Philharmonic. He changed his mind from one rehearsal to the next. His...
Broadway’s New Hot Play? About A Man New Yorkers Love To Hate
Starring Ralph Fiennes as Robert Moses, the play has churned up considerable interest: Performed in a 500-seat theater, it’s already sold out for the entire two-month...
What Museum Directors Think About The Climate Change Protesters
“We shouldn’t be vehicles for political protest and we shouldn’t be vehicles in and of itself for political change. I regard museums as civic...
Which Way Up? Museum Discovers Its Mondrian Had Been Hung Upside Down For 75...
The first clue that the painting, an adhesive tape version of the similarly named New York (which hangs right-side up in Paris at the Centre Pompidou), was...
Just What Did Elon Musk Buy In Twitter?
As of early last year, just one in five U.S. adults said they ever use Twitter—a slice that plateaued by 2018. The research shows...
Not Creepy At All: Disney Wants To Integrate Your Data Across All Its Businesses
Once the company unites data collection capabilities between its various divisions, “we can give you a better experience in the park, because we know...
Mindful Music Programs And Mental Health
In the U.S., teachers are turning to music to aid students of various ages with increased levels of depression and behavioral issues. - Pittsburgh...
The Art Of Persuasion (As Opposed To Coercion)
At the heart of such suspicion is the assumption that persuasion is to be understood as an act done by someone to someone. One party is active, the...
How Cate Blanchett Trained To Play A Conductor For “Tar”
“Tár” is a tantalizing example: an elite acting talent taking on a rarefied slice of the classical music world. The preparations Ms. Blanchett and...
Conductors And The Cult Of Personality: “Tar” Nails It
“TAR” is uncomfortably spot on. It’s more about abuse of power than music, though the classical trappings are a convincing gilding. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
New Study: Playing Video Games May Help Young Brains
The gamers did better than non-gamers in tests where they had to control impulsive behavior or memorize information, according to the National Institute of...
Biden Goes After “Junk” Ticketing Fees
Some examples of these "unfair hidden fees" given by Biden were bounced check charges, bank overdraft fees, credit card late fees, resort charges at hotels, processing...
