Stories

Where Is Starchitect David Adjaye?

He was accused of sexual misconduct in 2023, but no charges have been filed. Three of his buildings are about to open, and he’s nowhere to be found in the publicity. - The New York Times

Doing Almost Anything – Even Chores – Is Better With Friends

“The activities we more often do with others seem to be associated with the most benefits, such as eating or drinking. … But the benefits also applied to the activities that participants most frequently did alone, such as reading.” Arts groups: Time for two for one ticket sales? - Washington Post (MSN)

Why Annie Lennox Likes To Read Books Back To Front

“I think it might possibly have something to do with being left-handed,” the musician says. - The New York Times

SNL At 51 Is Reading The Room Of Our Pop Culture Swirl

“The women of HUNTR/X, the fictional pop trio that leads the sleeper hit, provided the kicker to a sketch that poked fun at what it’s like to be on the inside (and outside) of a huge cultural phenomenon.” - The Atlantic

Can We Make Tech Better Again?

First, we must describe it accurately. What happens to cool new tech over time is, writer Cory Doctorow says, “enshittification.” - The New York Times

Here’s What Portland’s Arts Organizations Have To Say About Making Culture In So-Called Hell

Portland is very clearly not “hell,” and just as clearly not a war zone. But also: "Although the number of events and the amount of ticket sales have not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels, they have increased significantly ... and are now getting close to pre-2020 levels.” - Oregon ArtsWatch

Cinephiles Should Bow Down To The Priesthood For Kicking Young Martin Scorsese Out

“The idea of priesthood, to devote yourself to others, really, that’s what it’s about. I realized I don’t belong there. … And I tried to stay, but they got my father in there, and they told him, ‘Get him out of here.’ Because I behaved badly.” - Variety

Over The Years, This Audio Editing Software Became Absolutely Terrible

Is a wholesale remaking of Audacity going to help sound engineers and musicians? Probably, but can they get beyond the awful new logo? - The Verge

The Thriller Writer Who Took On Corporate AI- And Won

Andrea Bartz “was furious that the writing she had labored over for years got vacuumed up and fed into an algorithm, without her permission.” Then she (and others) did something about it. - The New York Times

Remember When The United States Senate Went After Prince And Madonna?

Sure, McCarthyism mostly ended (until, well, now) in the late 1950s, but in the 1980s, Madonna and Prince scared some adults so much that they got funding from Coors Beer and the Beach Boys, and went after popular musicians. - The Guardian (UK)

The Mexican Painter Turning Machismo Upside Down

"By adjusting the focus just a little, adding suggestions of both humor and tension, and pumping up the characters’ sensuality, Segovia turns these recognizable dudes into something more vulnerable, not quite feminine, but sexualized and apart from the hypermasculine, movie-world standard.” - Seattle Times (NYT)

Artists Don’t Feel Better About Spotify Just Because Founder Daniel Ek Sort Of Stepped Down

One artist who removed his music: “Spotify is going to have to make Herculean efforts to roll back tons of damaging choices they’ve introduced to their platform over the years. I don’t see that happening.” - The Verge (Archive Today)

How Romance Became The Publishing Industry’s ‘Recession-Proof’ Category

Romancelandia is big, and “the rest of the industry wants to emulate this success, but as many editors know, chasing a trend can be a futile endeavor.” Imagine “HistoryLandia” or “BookerNomineeLandia.” - The Atlantic

What Happens When You Start Dancing In Your 60s

“By now I’ve spent upward of 5,000 hours in ballet classes, and roughly 1,600 hours more in other, non-ballet dance classes. …  I dance as if it were my job.” - Slate

The V&A Has A New Exhibition Area – Its Storage Space

At the V&A East Storehouse, “visitors have the option to choose up to five via the ‘order an object’ service and have them delivered to a study room for a private viewing.” - The Guardian (UK)

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