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American Historical Society Embroiled In History Wars

And at the annual meeting of the American Historical Association, the argument over how to treat "history" has flared up into fierce battles over relevance - amid fears that the discipline may not survive in many universities. - The New York Times

The Intimate Opera Of PROTOTYPE

Call it intimate opera, call it black-box opera, but the small-venue opera festival is making a post-COVID shutdown return. - NPR

Warner Bros Thinks We’re Ready To Pay More For Streaming

Sure, heck, it's only a time of rampant inflation. Tell us, current CFO, just how much more should we be paying for Warner Bros. Discovery? Well, "this phase of dumping pricing is over." - Los Angeles Times

Outrage Spreads At An Author’s Faked Death And Recent Online Resurrection

After someone claiming to be the daughter of indie author Susan Meachen wrote that the author had died by suicide in 2020, her community split apart with finger-pointing - and also honored her with fundraisers. But, it turns out, her death was staged. - BBC

Russell Banks, Award-Winning Author Of ‘Cloudsplitter’ And More, 82

Banks's "vivid portrayals of working-class Americans grappling with issues of poverty, race and class placed him among the first ranks of contemporary novelists." His work was twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. - The New York Times

The Poetry-Filled Nightstand Of San Francisco

In Golden Gate Park, a park ranger placed a piece of furniture with instructions: "'Take a poem, leave a poem.' Since the nightstand’s debut there last month, amateur poets have filled it with more than 100 handwritten poems." - Washington Post

Let’s All Calm Down About ChatGPT

Will the AI program kill high school English? Well ... maybe. But "if ChatGPT can do the things we ask students to do in order to demonstrate learning, it seems possible to me that those things should’ve been questioned a long time ago." - Inside Higher Ed

After 29 Years In New York, STOMP Comes To An End

The co-producer says foreign tourist ticket money hasn't returned to New York in the COVID era. But the "group of street performers banging stuff" goes on internationally and on tour across the U.S. - NPR

Why Writer Katherine Mansfield Divided Opinion A Century Ago, And Still Does Today

""One explanation might lie in Mansfield’s keen sense of the absurd and the striking lack of anything deferential in her attitude – whether towards men or anyone powerful or rich or influential." - The Guardian (UK)

Acting To Change History, Not To Win Awards

Danielle Deadwyler plays Mamie Till in the movie Till. She says, "It is a bigger thing to combat racism, right? And racism is seedy, it’s systemic. I have no doubt been impacted by it. ... Awards? It’s all good. We got bigger fish to fry." - Irish Times

Right-Wing Italian Government Targets Music Producers And Promoters

Italy has a draconian - and patently ridiculous - new code: "It makes organising raves a specific crime punishable with three to six years of jail time. ... The new statute also allows the surveillance of groups who are suspected of holding these unauthorised events, including tapping their phones." - The Guardian (UK)

Speaking Of AI, Why Are We So Creeped Out By Dancing Robots?

"People have been afraid of robots for as long as robots have existed. But robots that can dance — really dance — are distinctly unnerving." - The New York Times

The Science Of AI Art, And The Future Of Human Artists

"It’s pretty wild and a little disturbing. It definitely provokes some mixed emotions." - Science Friday

Joyce Meskis, Who Refused To Hand Bookstore Records To Law Enforcement, Has Died At 80

Meskis was the owner of the Tattered Cover in Denver. "In addition to creating a bookstore famed for its vast selection and bibliophile-friendly atmosphere, Ms. Meskis often took a stand in matters related to censorship and the First Amendment." - The New York Times

To Cut Carbon Emissions, Look To Ancient Rome

Think of the Pantheon, for instance. "An ancient manufacturing technique can create self-healing concrete that naturally fills in cracks. Using a similar process now could help shrink concrete’s massive carbon footprint." - Fast Company

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