Stories

Mavis Staples Says That Her Long Singing Career Keeps A Light Shining

“There are some things going on in the US that are not pleasing to me, but I keep my head up. I turn on a light, you know, I don’t dwell on it. If someone needs me out there, I’ll be out there.” - The Guardian (UK)

Is It At All Worth Going To The Cinema Anymore?

Bob Mondello says yes: "I love seeing movies in a theater, and if I can possibly avoid watching them at home, I do. ... is 55" which is, I guess, not bad for a television screen. But it doesn't compare to the tennis court-size screen.” - NPR

Will This Silent-Film Era Instrument Disappear?

"A cousin to self-playing player pianos, photoplayers automatically play music read out of perforated piano rolls. During their slim heyday — from their invention around 1910 until about 1930, when the silent film era is thought to have ended — photoplayers delighted audiences.” - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

Dear Writers, If You Use AI To ‘Fix’ Your Writing, You Are An Ass

“Writing can terrify us, confuse us, devastate us. Good writing means that you’re engaging with practices that will force you to lean into things that make you uncomfortable. Work that’s doing its job is inevitably hard.” - LitHub

Workers At The Studio That Makes Grand Theft Auto Allege Union Busting

Rockstar Games fired a bunch of folks last week. “According to the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), all of the employees fired were part of a private trade union Discord chat and were either already union members or attempting to organize a union at Rockstar.” - The Verge

In Possibly The Most German Moment Ever, ‘Grumpy Guide’ Museum Tours Sell Out

If you want to be yelled at for your art historical ignorance by an “aggressive” guide, get your kink on in Düsseldorf. "Asked to explain the tour’s popularity, Brandi said people ‘enjoy the emotional ride.’” - The Guardian (UK)

Some Of The Creepiest Locations In Britain

Not even counting the numerous Doctor Who locations (to be fair, many are in Wales), “England's historic buildings and landscapes ‘provide an essential ingredient in making the audience's flesh creep.’” - BBC

Pour One Out For The Zune, Which Somehow Never Threatened The IPod

Microsoft really tried. “It had a bunch of interface design ideas that are still very present in our lives today. The universe in which the Zune was a smash isn’t so far away. … Maybe if it hadn’t been brown?” - The Verge

British Teens, And Adults, Are In Love With Literary Angst

For instance: “Turkish author Sabahattin Ali’s 1943 novel Madonna in a Fur Coat, first published by Penguin in 2016, has rocketed this year, selling almost 30,000 copies in the UK and outstripping even Pride and Prejudice. It’s another anguished story of frustrated love.” - The Guardian (UK)

The Box Office Had A Record-Smashing (Bad) October

"Overall revenues for the month were tragic, with $425 million across all titles, the worst collective haul since October 1997.” - Variety

Honestly, The Architecture Of The White House Was Simply An Honor System

Yes, you can blame the man who destroyed that honor system, but it could have been set up quite a bit differently. - The Atlantic (MSN)

How Did This Tiny Theatre Become Such A Powerhouse Los Angeles Destination?

“In a city where the so-called Theater Row has more ‘For Lease’ signs than marquees, New Theater Hollywood feels improbable. Yet since opening in early 2024, it has already become something of a small cult phenomenon.” - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

What’s Up With Our Fixation On Disability As A Marker For Horror?

“While physical beauty is often conflated with a character’s moral goodness, villains have historically been associated with disability or disfigurement: facial scarring, wheelchair use, limb difference.” - The Guardian (UK)

The Making Of A New Hedda

“Joking that she had probably watched Robert Altman’s Gosford Park too many times, DaCosta said that she set the action in 1950s England because of her interest in the postwar era.” - The New York Times

The Three Musicians Who Make Up This Wildly Popular Band Hadn’t Even Met Before They Got Huge

The three solo artists who make up Huntr/x recorded their now-platinum album alone. Then they went on The Tonight Show and got asked to sing, live. “It was literally our first time singing together,” but “it was very organic and easy.” - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo)

Our Free Newsletter

Join our 30,000 subscribers

Latest

Don't Miss