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Why Small Indie Bookstores Are Surviving

Now, when so many of our needs are unified and algorithm-prompted by online retail, independent bookstores offer person-to-person customization. Something, it turns out, that we are craving despite the ease of online shopping. - The Globe & Mail

Having Trouble Hearing TV Dialogue? It’s Probably Not You

As more video-production studios embrace advanced audio formats for at-home content, not every device can keep up. Plenty of viewers can’t keep up, either. - The Wall Street Journal

Why Does The Mythology Of The “Lost City of Atlantis” Still Fascinate?

The confrontation is intriguing and raises many issues of which the most basic is the simple question: why has the story of Atlantis – compared with other ancient myths – maintained its popularity for so long? What is the essential attraction of the tale? - The Observer

Amazon Wants To Join The Big Movie Studios In The Theatres

The company says it plans to invest $1 billion a year in movies to be released in theatres - that's 12-15 theatrical releases a year, far outstripping Netflix's plans for cinemas. - Seattle Times (Bloomberg)

A British Filmmaking Company Had To Help Its Ukrainian Office Evacuate During The War

January was bad, very bad, timing for British company Breakthru Films to open an painting animation studio in Kyiv. - The Observer (UK)

DVDs Built Netflix, But The Red And White Envelopes Are Quickly Dying

"It might be easy to assume that anyone still paying to receive DVDs through the mail is a technophobe. ... But subscribers say they stick with the service so they can rent movies that are otherwise difficult to find on streaming services." - St. Louis Post-Dispatch (AP)

It’s Past Time For This Rebel Poet To Seize Her Place In History

Poet tatiana de la tierra produced one-of-a-kind chapbooks scrounged from cardboard and recycled paper, and her "writing itself was just as singular — unassimilated and unafraid even by today’s standards." - Los Angeles Times

The Museum Of Broadway Reveals The Show Behind The Shows

Theatre history dreams: "The Broadway timeline itself is two floors filled with pictures and artifacts –costumes, props, documents – illustrating the history of New York theater from minstrelsy and vaudeville up to the present day." - NPR

But Wait, These ‘Roman Forgeries’ Aren’t Fake At All

There was reason to think the gold coins weren't Roman: "A fraudster in Vienna frequently duped collectors in the 18th century, when the coins were found in Transylvania, or modern-day Romania, the researchers said." - The New York Times

As The Museum Of London Prepares To Move, The City Of London Prepares To Demolish

As the museum prepares to move, the City of London would really like to demolish the old building. But "this is a test case for the argument that old buildings should be kept for the sake of the carbon embodied in their fabric." - The Observer (UK)

The Pirate Radio Station That Changed British Radio

"Frustrated by the lack of airtime for reggae music in the UK, Lepke setup a mast in his back garden and began to broadcast to a small area of West London every Sunday afternoon. DBC soon expanded to cover all styles of black music." - BBC

How Did Alexa And The Echo Start To Drag Down Amazon?

In a word, sales. "Some much-heralded device innovations, like the ability to place Amazon orders via Alexa, have failed to win over a dedicated audience. In other words, Alexa does not appear to be driving incremental retail sales in any meaningful way." - Fast Company

Stop Looking For The Next Austen

"When we go in search of new Austens or Brontës, we’re imagining we’ll find novels that remind us positively of theirs. We claim we’re searching for something new, and equally original, but in effect we’re seeking out literary echoes, not wholly distinct virtuoso performances." - Washington Post

WALL-E The Movie Got One Thing Alarmingly Correct

That is the prevalence of screens. They're just ... everywhere, all the time. - Slate

When A Musician Is Accused Of Sexual Misconduct, Can Fans Get Refunds?

No, say Arcade Fire fans, or former fans as frontman Win Butler faces at least five accusations. "The ticket retailers, tour promoters, and even Arcade Fire itself aren't offering refunds to the wider public." - CBC

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