“Professor Elbow contended that indoctrinating freshmen to think and write in an inflexible, formulaic style — with the teacher as the only audience member — inhibited creativity and confidence at a key moment in their intellectual development.” - The New York Times
Suddenly, voting members learned, they “will no longer be paid salaries as does away with a controversial element of how its voting body is organized.” The voting members are being offered a severance package. - The Hollywood Reporter
“I wanted to gather my physical books into a wall – or better yet, a cave – around me that would both protect me from this new reality and let me cry in peace within it. Failing that, I took mental refuge in them instead.” - The Guardian (UK)
Microsoft is shutting the app down in May. “But although Skype will be gone, the memories it evokes — not to mention the sound of its weird and wonderful ringtone — will stay with many of us for years to come.” - The Verge
“In a collective act of civil disobedience and inspired by the 2022 women-led uprising in Iran and many women’s continued defiance of restrictive social laws, Iranian filmmakers say they have decided to finally make art that imitates real life in their country.” - The New York Times
The cuts are spread over six departments, including advancement, education, publications and archives, but do not affect curators and top executives. - The New York Times
Yes, thanks to recent political and cultural developments, we now have the freedom to appreciate the work of various American heroes in a new, “common sense” way. There are countless composers we can reclaim from the far left. - Song of the Lark
A new director (formal title: general administrator) will soon be taking up his position (one appointed by no less than the French President) at the Comédie-Française. He's Clément Hervieu-Léger, 47, and like most of his predecessors, he's a longtime member of the company who both acts and directs. - The New York Times
The kingdom’s status as the birthplace of Islam is the very basis of its identity; as such, its pre-Islamic past was largely taboo. Yet current Saudi leaders see the ancient rock-hewn monuments of the Nabataeans (who also built Petra in Jordan) as the linchpin of a developing tourism industry. - History Today
With more than 100 sculptures, art installations and murals, the Atlanta Beltline is the largest outdoor public art collection in the Southeast. It’s one of the largest in the country, the closest comparisons being New York City’s Highline and Madison Square Park Conservancy. - ArtsATL
This year’s 10 feel, largely, like a lawless batch of movies made by filmmakers who, I imagine, might be surprised to find themselves in the thick of what everybody casually calls awards season now, artists who’ve likely had many a studio door closed on their ideas. - The New York Times
Many of these shows started at the Edinburgh Fringe. However, hang around the environs of Adelaide Fringe’s artist hubs and you will soon hear two burning questions: “Is Edinburgh dead?” and “In 2025, can you have success without playing it?” - The Stage
“Outsider Editions plans to reissue underappreciated literary works of all genres — including novels, story collections, memoirs, and essay collections — in an effort to ‘take our understanding of the contemporary canon and make it more expansive, more complicated, and more just.’” - Publishers Weekly
