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Update On Australia’s Dancing Zookeeper

The update is a little rough: Both of the musical theatre-trained keeper's jobs depend on tourism, and Melbourne has very, very few tourists these days. - The Age (Australia)

Jill Murphy, Author Of The Worst Witch Books, Has Died At 72

Murphy, who dreamt up The Worst Witch series at age 18 (the first book was published when she was 24), refused to sell the rights to Disney because they wanted far too much control. - BBC

A Tiny Maori Designed New Zealand Airport Is Up For A Big Prize

The UNESCO Prix Versailles "recognises architecture that fosters a better interaction between economy and culture." The airport in the town of New Plymouth is up against airports in Berlin, New York, and Athens. - The Guardian (UK)

The Anti-Vax Choral Director Of The San Francisco Symphony Has Resigned

He didn't want to comply with the vaccine mandates of the symphony or the City of San Francisco. Singers say they're sad to see him go, but one added, "Just because one has a differing point of view does not mean it’s equally valid." - San Francisco Chronicle

James W. Loewen, Author Of Lies My Teacher Told Me, Has Died At 79

Loewen had no patience for the commonly used anti-Black model of the history of the South in the U.S., and his books made it abundantly clear where the deliberate misconceptions - you might call them lies - got started. - The New York Times

Delta Variant Scores Its First Major Fall Theatre Cancellation

Yeah, hello, déjà vu: "Signature Theater, a prominent Off Broadway nonprofit, has postponed its return to the stage over concerns about the persistent coronavirus pandemic, becoming the first major New York theater to take such a step." - The New York Times

What A New Netflix Comedy Gets So Right About Academia

Ask academic and writer Nancy Wang Yuen: "As minorities, women of color often occupy precarious positions in universities, particularly in leadership. Ji-Yoon describes this when she says to Yaz, 'I don’t feel like I inherited an English Department; I feel like someone handed me a ticking time bomb because they wanted to make sure a woman was holding...

Teaching Acting To 90-Year-Olds During The Pandemic

It's a surprisingly great life choice for one otherwise out-of-work actor. - Washington Post

Hold Still For Fifteen Seconds

Maybe older (as in, century-old) cameras have something to offer. - CBC

This Los Angeles Radio Host Keeps Legendary Music Alive

Rubén Miranda hosts a five-hour radio show that "specializes in the Mexican version of oldies-but-goodies: corridos, boleros, norteñas, trios and duets but especially rancheras — ballads of love and the rural life that old and young Mexicans still sing and listen to on both sides of the border." - Los Angeles Times

The Fascinating History Of Books That Claim You Can Learn To Think Smarter

The idea of reading to help us think better (whatever that means) waxes and wanes with the times: "A decade ago, the fashion was to be pessimistic about the prospects of improving our thinking, and even about the value of thinking at all." - The Guardian (UK)

How Aretha Franklin Paved The Way For Woman Musicians After Her

Perhaps her fame feels obvious now, but "Franklin's rise to superstardom wasn't easy. When she left the world of gospel music to try to become a mainstream pop star, it meant a move into a segment of the industry that was dominated by men who had very specific assumptions about how a woman should sing – and what she...

The Photography Experiment That Intends To Heal War Wounds In Colombia

People in two communities in rural Colombia "wanted to use photography not only to document the aftermath of war and violence, but also to actively support peace" - and sometimes that included taking action as well as photos. - FastCompany

The New Children’s Literature Museum Inspired By Kiki’s Delivery Service

The design team says the architecture is inspired by Eiko Kadono's novel, which also inspired the Miyazaki film of the same name. - LitHub

Is Elaine Mitchener Britain’s Boldest Vocalist?

Mitchener is "a vocalist (arguably the UK’s boldest operatic voice), movement artist ('dancer' isn’t quite right) and composer whose work cuts across music, theatre, dance, art and research. Her power is in her ability to generate intense collective empathy in a room." - The Guardian (UK)

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