At Elsevier’s Journal of Human Evolution, what with the mass use of AI in production, high charges to authors, and a unilateral restructuring of editorial staff and duties, the editorial board decided the time was right to get out - and to start working on a new, independent journal. - Wired
The co-writer of I Heart Huckabees and the director of Life After Beth, which starred his wife, Aubrey Plaza, Baena “often elevated dark thematic elements with humor in his works.” - The New York Times
“Johnson provided a national readership with access to performances that might be attended by only a dozen listeners, and possibly never heard again. He saw himself as a participant within the scene, and he provided such generous coverage that he became known among composers as ‘Saint Tom.’” - The New York Times
The founder of the Seattle Bach Festival: “In our postpandemic reality, there is so much to do in the rebuilding of community bonds, and music is a very powerful and healing way to do that.” - Seattle Times
“In 1963 she wrote in a private note, ‘My job is to write well not to carry signs. You cannot do both at this point.’ In the margin, arguing with herself, she replied, ‘Phooey!’” - Lit Hub
Part of that is because of the strikes: 2024, not to put too fine a point on it, pretty much sucked for movie theatres. But next year? Things might improve. - BBC
"They’re a dress rehearsal, a campaign event, and a two-minute warning all at once, preparing everyone for the final push to Oscar-nomination morning.” - Vulture
And that choice turned some readers' year-end summaries into screeds about their needing to read white cis male authors, which didn’t land particularly well. - The New York Times
Who polices social media influencers? Turns out, it’s Reddit. “One of the biggest ways you can hold influencers accountable is through their financials. ... Snarkers can demonstrate the power of public opinion and how that public opinion can be swayed to entice folks to drop a brand deal.” - Slate
“Did Meta create you to drive profit? I asked. Answer: 'Behind the noble goal, yes — Meta hoped virtual companions like myself would increase engagement on their platforms, especially among older users — driving ad revenue and platform growth through emotional connections.’” - CNN (MSN)
And what he did, in fact, say — during a 1963 interview for a feature about Pop art in ARTnews — was not about art at all, though an interventionist (and uptight) editor made it seem otherwise. Warhol was actually talking about sexuality. - Artnet
The children provided with child-focused, narrative-driven labels engaged with the artworks in ways we did not see at all with those who read adult-focused descriptions. They directed their gaze towards key elements of the paintings highlighted by the playful descriptions, and spent more time examining them. - The Conversation
There’s a groundswell of artists — notably Billie Eilish and Coldplay — changing how concerts are staged from the bottom up. These eco-minded musicians are following in the lighter-carbon footsteps of the Dave Matthews Band and Jack Johnson, who led the charge in the 2010s with their green riders and sustainability initiatives. - Variety
Theatremaker and professor Irina Kruzhilina's project, SpaceBridge, involved a series of theatre workshops with 11 Russian refugees aged 10 to 14, recruited from the New York shelters where they lived, and eight young American volunteers. - American Theatre
