Stories

For First Time, Diary Collection Wins Baillie Gifford Prize For Nonfiction

“How to End a Story: Collected Diaries by Helen Garner charts the Australian writer's life from her early career in bohemian Melbourne to raising her daughter in the 1970s and her disintegrating marriage in the 1990s.” The jury’s vote was unanimous, with one judge calling it “a remarkable, addictive book.” - BBC (Yahoo!)

Prix Goncourt, France’s Top Literary Prize, Goes To 20th-Century Family Saga “The Empty House”

“Laurent Mauvignier Tuesday won France's top literary award, the Goncourt, for his family saga spanning the 20th century and recounting the story of his grandmother accused of collaborating during World War II. Just one round of voting sufficed for the jury to select La Maison Vide.” - AFP (Yahoo!)

Medieval Tower In Rome Collapses, Kills Worker

During renovations on the 13th-century Torre dei Conti, the structure started to collapse, trapping two workers. During the 11-hour rescue operations, passersby watched as more of the tower crumbled. Both of the trapped men were rescued alive, though one died of his injuries shortly afterward. - AP

Some Folks Are Not Happy About Philadelphia Art Museum’s Rebrand, And That Includes Some Board Members

“Critics say the new logo and its angular griffin look severe — more like a soccer team, a clothing brand, or a beer label than an art museum.” What’s more, some board members say they weren't shown the final design for approval and only learned about the rollout from the press. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)

Opera America Names New President And CEO

Michael Bobbitt comes to OPERA America from the Mass Cultural Council in Boston, MA, where he served as Executive Director since 2021. - BroadwayWorld

Anne Sexton’s Horror Short Stories, Rejected By The New Yorker

Editor Roger Angell called the three stories “interesting and wholly original” but said “they seem to work in very different ways on different readers.” At least he allowed that “I’m not at all sure that we aren’t making a mistake.” That must have stung Sexton, always unsure of herself when writing prose. - Literary Hub

Meet The New Head Of The UK Opera Association

“The perception that opera is only for posh people, with which I fundamentally disagree, has taken a grip on a lot of decision-makers,” Thangam Debbonaire says. “But even if we do win them over, we have to accept that constraints on public finances aren’t going away any time soon.” - The Times (UK)

Choreography By AI?

AISOMA is a Google AI-powered choreography tool that acts as a creative catalyst by generating new, original dance rooted in my choreographic language. - Google

Sasha Suda Fired As Director Of Philadelphia Art Museum

Suda, who has been leading a change campaign at the museum since she arrived in 2022, reportedly has both supporters and detractors on the board. - Philadelphia Magazine

The Persistent, Pernicious Myths About Shakespeare And Marlowe

The Romantic ideal of a singular creative genius remaking the rules of his era doesn’t really match William Shakespeare, who was (for a theater guy) fairly conventional. Christopher Marlowe is a better fit, and he transformed more than he gets credit for, but mythmaking distorts his image as well. - The Atlantic (Yahoo!)

Spotify Reports Strong Subscriber Gains, Record Profits

Music streamer Spotify saw third quarter operating profits grow a cool 28%, as its paying subscribers hit 281 million. - Deadline

Australia Imposes New Streaming Quotas

The rules require Netflix, Prime Video and the other global streamers with more than one million Australian subscribers to spend 10% of their total Australian expenditure – or 7.5% of their revenues – on local originals. - Deadline

What Immanuel Kant Still Has To Teach Us Today

The central insight that these disparate thinkers took from Kant is that the world isn’t simply a thing, or a collection of things, given to us to perceive. Rather, our minds help create the reality we experience. - The New Yorker

Movie Theater Owners Are Freaking Out Over Possible Sale Of Warner Bros. Discovery

“Multiple theatrical executives … conveyed a sense of grave concern, if not panic, over the possibility of a studio that grossed more than $4 billion worldwide this year and provided many of the box office hits of the past six months being assimilated into another company and having its output dramatically curtailed.” - TheWrap (Yahoo!)

What Do We Need Hobbies For?

Although many have outward-facing aspects, a hobby is ultimately a form of self-cultivation, pursued for reasons of personal satisfaction. Our society values publicity and productivity: perhaps that’s one reason that hobbies seem like they’re in decline. - The New Yorker

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