“The top official overseeing theater at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is stepping down, throwing into question the stability of one of the venue’s most important sources of box office revenue.” - The New York Times
The show boasts a “deftness in casting both fully fledged characters and quick-hit celebrity cameos, thanks in large part to the work of the show’s casting director, Melissa Kostenbauder.” - Vulture
The singer-songwriter says her guitar playing got worse - but other people can play the guitar for her. Meanwhile, she thinks her voice improved. - The Guardian (UK)
“About 350 of the displaced artists are working again in the district. Some are actively involved in the continuing recovery process, waiting to return to the home that welcomed them. Others have decided not to return. For them, the risk of another storm outweighed anything else.” - The New York Times
“The decision — in both directions — has angered a number of critics and moviegoers over the festival’s clear lack of consistency and conviction.” - Vulture
"Should writers try to offer a restorative or rousing spirit for the times we live in, an opposition to eschatology? Can literature actually be a tool to encourage something better – creating eco-topia on the page, so it might be imagined off it?” - The Guardian (UK)
“From December 2021 through June 2025, 183 articles were created about Woodard, each in a different language's Wikipedia and each by a unique account. These accounts followed a pattern of behavior.” - Ars Technica
“Weeks after last month’s event, the museum network’s chief executive, Steven Knapp, acknowledged to employees that it was a violation of policy, accusing the fund-raiser’s organizers of providing misleading information.” - The New York Times
“Hot Rat Summer features St. Rat, a kind of patron saint for those at the bottom of the societal heap: Furries, gay people, trans people, and anyone else who doesn’t fit into the typical mold.” - The Stranger (Seattle)
Rajinikanth even worked briefly as a porter in his youth before checking bus passengers’ tickets. Now he’s Tamil-language cinema’s number-one superstar and one of the best-paid actors in Asia, with 170 film credits, 50,000 fan clubs and even a temple or two dedicated to him. - BBC (MSN)
The longtime independent bookseller on Connecticut Avenue runs an in-house publishing operation, called Opus, that allows authors to self-publish their work. This side business has by some metrics been a huge success. - Washingtonian
Not so long ago, if you lived more than half a mile from the castle, it wasn’t hard to avoid the crowds and madness if that’s what you wanted. Not anymore, and that’s not only because of the Fringe’s massive growth; it’s that no place can remain a secret anymore. - The Observer (UK)
The fact that social reading goes beyond the individual requires an astute consideration of digital community, because “interactions and bonds between individuals meeting via digital media can occur in different ways.” - PublicBooks
To combat book censorship, some Southern California public libraries, including Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego, are joining libraries nationwide to provide access to online library cards. - Los Angeles Times
