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London’s Old Vic Theatre Names Rupert Goold Artistic Director

The two-time Olivier Award winner and Tony nominee will assume the role at the beginning of 2026 after what will have been 12 years directing the Almeida Theatre across the Thames — and joining him will be his associate director, Rebecca Frecknall. Goold succeeds another award-winning director, Matthew Warchus. - The Guardian

Mexico’s New President Wants To Fight The Popularity Of Ballads About Drug Lords

"Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday she has a plan to reduce the popularity of 'narcocorridos.' … (She) vowed to launch a campaign to promote other, less violent musical styles that aren’t as linked to drug traffickers in an effort to stop glorifying them." - AP

Diva Angelina Jolie’s Take On Maria Callas’ Diva

The movie is energized by the emotional implications of the gap between her unflagging devotion to music and, essentially, music’s abandonment of her—the loss of many of the best qualities of her voice. - The New Yorker

Historic Town Halls In Australia Are Becoming Low-Cost Performance Venues

"Beautiful brick early 20th-century town halls were once venues for council meetings, award nights and country dances. But in recent decades many have been under-used or left entirely empty." Now municipalities are offering them to strapped arts organizations, often without rental fees. - The Guardian

Nostalgia Used To Be A Bad Thing. Now It Seduces Us

Nostalgia is a universal malady for which there is no effective remedy, and throughout its long history it has served politically diverse ends. - Washington Post

Millions Learn New Languages With DuoLingo. But Do They?

“It’s really good for learning receptive skills: listening, reading, learning about grammar and vocabulary, so it can be a great place to start. But oftentimes people struggle with production: speaking and writing. Studies have shown that again and again." - The Dial

How An Iranian Director Made His Award-Winning Film In Secret — And Was Then Smuggled Out Of The Country

Mohammed Rasoulof had been imprisoned for his work before, and he knew that his The Seed of the Sacred Fig — which ultimately got a 13-minute ovation and a special jury prize at Cannes — would land him there again. Yet he felt compelled to do it. - The New York Times Magazine

Inside The Haruki Murakami Phenomenon

Murakami’s approach to consciousness is less representational than literal, with many of his characters literally being transported to a realm created by (or wholly inside of) their minds. - Esquire

The Real Crisis In Children’s Reading

In 1984, the first year for which data is available, 35 percent of 13-year-olds reported reading for fun “almost every day,” according to NAEP. By 2023, that figure was down to 14 percent, and 31 percent of respondents said they never read for fun at all. - Vox

Opera In Its Traditional Role: Innovator, Leader In Technology

“Every technology affects the way that we think, behave and interact. AI is not going away. It will become a part of our humanity, and therefore a part of our art-making.” - The Guardian

Climate-Protesting Art Vandals At DC’s National Gallery And National Archives Sentenced To Prison

The leader of the group Declare Emergency, Donald Zepeda, got 24 months for destruction of government property, while group member Jackson Green got 18 months. They must also pay more than $58,000 in restitution. - Artnet

NPR Tries Tweaking Its News Magazine Shows To Stanch Audience Decline

Eric Nuzum said he’s relieved NPR is trying to “correct audience erosion issues that should have been addressed years ago.” But he also concluded that it’s too little too late and that research shows that listeners say NPR is too boring. - Current

Taylor Swift’s Book And The End Of The Middleman Publisher?

Lately, various writers with meaningful personal resources—money, followers, notoriety—have struck out on their own or made nontraditional arrangements. - The Atlantic

The New AI Slop: Nature As Supernatural Images

My guess is that there are thousands of A.I. accounts, commenting on one another to drum up attention. When the gambit works, it draws real fans of this kind of content. Who in turn are joined by another group clicking in to gawp at rubes interacting with fake stuff or to try to warn people it is A.I. -...

Australia’s Leading Dictionary Declares “Enshittification” 2024’s Word Of The Year

Macquarie Dictionary defines the word as "the gradual deterioration of a service or product brought about by a reduction in the quality of service provided, especially of an online platform, and as a consequence of profit-seeking." - The Guardian

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