While Jimmy Kimmel cries and Jon Stewart rants, the right wing in the U.S. has successfully depicted itself as the new home for free speech and cutting edge comedy. - The Conversation
"PW looks back at the major contractions in the independent book distribution space, an explosion of artificial intelligence tools and businesses, turmoil over freedom of expression in multiple sectors, and more that defined the book business landscape throughout the year." - Publishers Weekly
This is a moment that philosophers have warned us about for years. Before his death, philosopher and neuroscientist Daniel Dennett wrote that we face a grave peril from AI systems that emulate people: “These counterfeit people are the most dangerous artifacts in human history … distracting and confusing us. - Wired
I’ve set out to perform the annual ritual of assessing and unpacking the year gone by through the objects that captured our attention. Here, then, is the year in objects—the good, the unsettling, and the hard to explain.
Darius Kuolys who was the first culture minister after a 1990 declaration of independence, said it was obvious that the Kremlin often exploited culture for political ends. But he added, “It never occurred to me as a minister to tell people what to watch or listen to.” - The New York Times
The Citizens Theatre is returning to its historic playhouse next September after a seven-year renovation, the first overhaul the facility has had since it opened as a working theatre in 1878. - The Guardian
Botto is a decentralized semi-autonomous artistic agent created in 2021 by the German artist Mario Klingemann; Simon Hudson, a media entrepreneur; and Ziv Epstein, a computer scientist and designer. - Wired
Britannica has figured out not only how to survive, but also how to do well financially. Jorge Cauz, its chief executive, said in an interview that the publisher enjoyed pro forma profit margins of about 45 percent. - The New York Times
The songs form the basis of the highest-grossing musical in the history of Broadway. Thirty years on they remain embedded in our collective consciousness, so Lin-Manuel Miranda could be forgiven for feeling wary about being called on to provide the tunes for follow-up Mufasa: The Lion King. - The Independent
In the show's 55th season. producers are trying to re-orient it to keep it alive. Its core audience of toddlers and pre-schoolers is different than in the 1970s, there's vastly more competition today, income from DVDs has evaporated due to YouTube, and HBO has cancelled a lucrative deal. - The Washington Post (MSN)
In her contentious essay, Croce, one of the finest dance critics of the 20th century, railed against what she called victim art: “By working dying people into his act, Jones is putting himself beyond the reach of criticism. - The New York Times
Suddenly, at exactly 11:57 p.m., 92 electronic billboards all around Times Square stopped pulsating with ads for Coca-Cola, Broadway plays, and fashion brands, and began a synchronized 10-second countdown. Then a digitally animated young woman appeared on all 92 screens, with “Autofiction: Moving Pictures” written in white letters across her blue T-shirt. - Artnet
Spines said it aims to help a million authors bring their stories to life—so they can focus on writing great books while A.I. handles the heavy lifting of publishing. - The Observer
Some — London Heathrow, Nashville, Phoenix, Seattle-Tacoma, both Chicago airports — have stages with live musicians. Others — Detroit, Austin — have specially curated playlists. Singapore-Changi even commissioned piano music for its famous waterfall. - AP
Obviously everyone is different, but Alissa Wlkinson does have some general guidelines to offer. Among them: remember that people are more susceptible to tears at 35,000 feet. And don't assume that the films are all disposable pop stuff; there are frequently award- and festival-winners on the menu. - The New York Times
