Douglas McLennan
Doug is the editor of ArtsJournal
Why Amanda Gorman Almost Didn’t Read Her Inaugural Poem
"I’m a firm believer that often terror is trying to tell us of a force far greater than despair. In this way, I look...
Above All, Literature Teaches Empathy
Writers and artists are not primarily trying to reform the world; their mission is to imagine it, to deliver it. Yes, there can be...
Reconsidering Classic Literature?
The old classics still have the power to move and transform young people in ways that no technical education can. We don’t have to...
Next COVID Hazard: Audience Insecurity
The past few months have been exceptionally tough for arts events because audiences ‘are prioritising seeing family and friends, or wanting to reduce the...
Aussie Arts Desperately Need An Insurance Scheme During COVID Uncertainty
The CEO of Live Performance Australia says the Omicron variant has dashed hopes of a live arts sector bounce back in 2022, and that...
Deborah Cullinan Is Leaving Yerba Buena To Be Stanford University’s First VP Of Arts
She explained that her job will be less about individual programming decisions, which will remain the prerogative of those programs’ leaders, and more about...
The Myths Of A Common Language
If the confusion of tongues is not the primary source of human conflict, might the corollary be true: that resolving conflict doesn’t require a common language? -...
Could End Of The BBC’s License Fee Spell The End For Public Broadcasting?
The licence fee announcement needs to be seen as part of a wider legacy in which the government has questioned the relevance of the...
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Settles Wrongful Termination Suit With Former Director Nathalie Bondil
Bondil’s claim alleged the board “orchestrated, led, and continues to lead an intentional campaign of defamation and destruction of her reputation.” Now, the museum...
Can Theatre Learn Something About Value From Professional Soccer?
At a time of a public health emergency, more people appear to have prioritised football than theatregoing. We should ask why. The answer is...
Auction Of Nelson Mandela Personal Items Is Blocked
The South African government objected to the sale, which was scheduled to take place later this month, arguing that several items on the block,...
Ancient Cynicism Was Empowering. The Modern Version Is Paralyzing Us
What was satire then is ideology today: Cynicism—the belief that people are generally morally bankrupt and behave treacherously in order to maximize self-interest—dominates American...
The Oakland Symphony After Michael Morgan’s Death
Morgan’s leadership — which was characterized by people who knew and worked with him as values-based, community-oriented, and energetic — left no doubt among those at...
Streaming Boom Has Been A Career Boon For Older Actors
It's no secret that Hollywood has faced accusations of ageism, seeking younger audiences at the expense of older players both in front of and...
What America Listens To: Mostly Oldies (Is That A Problem?)
According to MRC Data, old songs now represent 70% of the US music market. Those who make a living from new music—especially that endangered species...
LA Review of Books Founder Talks About The Challenges Of Running A Literary Publication
We had to learn to insert ourselves into social media conversations, and that will continue to be a series of moving goalposts. Facebook, for...
Documenting The Shrinking Of Seattle’s Arts Organizations
It shows the arts-and-culture nonprofit community shrinking almost in real time. - Seattle Times
Music Streaming Subscriptions Grew Spectacularly In 2021
Worldwide streaming subscriptions grew by a healthy 26.4% in the second quarter of 2021, standing at 521.3 million subscribers at the end of that...
How A Small British Columbia Community Theatre Erupted In Controversy
So how did a quaint, 175-seat theatre at the end of a quiet, dead-end street in the Rockland area find itself at the centre...
Why The Art World Needs To Do More About Climate Change
It’s not just that we could use more art and exhibitions about climate change. The art world and its institutions need to lead the...
Report: Americans Are Reading Fewer Books
“US adults are reading roughly two or three fewer books per year than they did between 2001 and 2016,” according to the report. -...
King Of Clowns (But Geez Is He Tough)
Phillippe Gaulier has been teaching clowns for about half a century, but his stature has grown in recent years, becoming an influential and divisive...
There’s Been An Explosion in “Public” Philosophy
There are, of course, books on philosophy, but also numerous popular live events, courses, podcasts, television and radio programmes, and newspaper columns. Philosophy today...
How Writers Create Fictional Maps For Their Narratives
As different novelistic styles, genres and methods of production have risen to prominence, they have enabled their own particular way of creating fictional terrain....
Why I Left The CBC
Those of us on the inside know just how swiftly — and how dramatically — the politics of the public broadcaster have shifted." -...
