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Remembering Lewis Lapham, My First Boss

"It’s a strange thing to have a walk-on role in the fifth act of a great man’s life. Lewis was exactly fifty years and one month older than I was. Twenty-two when I first entered the small Irving Place office." - Literary Hub

A Provocative Art Premise Challenges Convention

While the court’s decision to uphold MONA’s right to maintain a women-only space is significant, it’s Kaechele’s performative celebration outside the courthouse that deserves particular attention. Her statement that ‘the verdict demonstrates a simple truth: women are better than men’ exemplifies the fine line between provocative art and potentially divisive rhetoric. - ArtsHub

A New Jazz Club Model In Pricey Seattle?

In pricey, increasingly corporate Seattle, the Fellowship venue represents a conspicuously unlucrative exercise. Its modest 48-seat layout and limited wine and beer bar give way to the room’s centerpiece: a Kawai grand piano. There are no tables. There is no greenroom. Tickets run a recommended donation of $20, regardless of who’s performing. - The New York Times

Choreographer Hofesh Schechter On Why Audiences Have Such Powerful Reactions To His Work

"I think the simple answer is because the work is about people. It’s not about dance. Dance and music are tools (to get to) something that matters much more, which is human experience. In the end we’re having a visceral experience for an-hour-and-a-half and feeling like we went through something.” - The Guardian

Canadian Prairies Try A “Got Milk?” Style Campaign To Promote Arts

The creatives from Winnipeg’s Show and Tell Agency are relatively safe, especially compared with Michael Bay’s bonkers original “Got Milk?” commercial. But there’s a wholesome, even urgent, spirit to this campaign. - Winnipeg Free Press

Why Do Some Arts Organizations Do Better Than Others?

"When it comes to finding and delighting audiences, I have found the Trend Busters fall into two participation philosophies: a Go Broad approach and a Go Deep approach." - NEA

Close Examination Of AI Art Reveals Human Side

Close reading even such an unserious set of prompts and images offers clues about the scaffolding behind these operations, as well as broader insights into the clumsy, grab-bag way humans tend to deploy language when attempting to describe an image. - The Guardian

How Trump-In-The-’80s Biopic “The Apprentice” Got Out Of Legal Limbo And Onto US Screens

"The Hollywood Reporter spoke with (director Ali) Abbasi and (producer and distributor James) Shani to discuss The Apprentice‘s counter-intuitive approach to the world’s most divisive real estate developer — and the behind-the-scenes story of how they raced against the clock to ensure the movie would be widely seen." - The Hollywood Reporter

Soprano Storms Onstage To Demand End To Colleague’s Encore

The celebrated soprano Angela Gheorghiu, who was singing the title role in a performance on Sunday, stormed onstage and demanded that he stop, according to local media reports and accounts by audience members. - The New York Times

Is It Important To Distill One’s Philosophy To A “Saying”?

When I think of sayings, I think first of the early Greek philosophers—the so-called pre-Socratics—whose ideas, if they wrote them down at all, survive as elusive fragments of text. - The Point

What Does It Mean For Writing To Be “Great”?

The Swedish Academy is not here to tell you what writers you might like. Greatness is not the same as popularity. It may even be the opposite of popularity... Great writers are the ones who matter whether you read them or not. - The New York Times

Discovering The Ruins Of One Of Shakespeare’s Playhouses Changed Our Understanding Of Theatre History

"There was a received narrative that proper playhouses start off round and then just get bigger, with the pinnacle of that evolution being the Globe. And all of a sudden we’ve got this early, yet long-lived, rectangular structure. ... This has changed our understanding of theatre development." - The Guardian

Exploring The Dudamel Phenomenon

Not since Leonard Bernstein has a conductor done as much as Dudamel to make classical music accessible — or so thoroughly captured the public imagination. The two maestros share a not just persuasive but borderline evangelical approach to relentlessly promoting music as a “fundamental human right." - Billboard

President Emmanuel Macron On France’s Support For The Arts Amid The Rise Of The Far Right

"I don’t think it can ever be taken for granted. Decisions could be made in a rash manner. I don’t think everyone is pleased that France has such a lively, pluralistic, irreverent culture. ... That’s the strength of a country." - Variety

Cincinnati Symphony Concert Series Goes Immersive And Interactive

"Still largely experimental, (CSO Proof concerts) might include elements of dance, lighting, theater and atmosphere to accompany a short program of classical music. The goal is to … engage audiences who might never have considered going to the symphony or even to Music Hall." - Cincinnati Business Courier

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