Anne Appelbaum, who has written many a book on autocratic dictators, says there’s a real case for optimism, or at least against pessimism. “It is easier just to accept the idea of decline. But let’s remember what’s at stake.” - The Atlantic
Most of her work belongs to private collectors, and she was, before now, known more as a wife to an artist than as an artist in her own right. - The Guardian (UK)
“Dilemmas on how to depict a woman so that she is taken seriously and how to navigate the archival violence previously done against her, is something biographers of women must think about.” - LitHub
Poet Mosab Abu Toha, who fled with his family last year: “My frightening childhood shaped me. And I'm still traumatized from childhood. And I'm also traumatized as a father who could barely protect his children in Gaza.” - NPR
“Navalny wrote about how it was becoming more difficult to get his messages and memoir pages out. 'Everything that I write and keep, or take along when I meet my lawyer … is both attentively read and photographed by my keepers.’” - The New York Times
“The dispute threatens to cloud the company’s new season, with the fired dancers demanding to be reinstated and vowing to form picket lines at coming performances. Many of the fired dancers have previously worked with their replacements, adding another layer of resentment and unease.” - The New York Times
“I’m always trying to convince myself that fiction will rise up and throw away the crutches that have been supporting it for far too long.” - The Guardian (UK)
“Some projects seek to soar above the mucky stuff. Others embrace the difficulties, making them into an occasion to create something that would never otherwise have come into being.” - The Observer (UK)
Don Norman: "Apple fell prey to the disastrous part of design, which is that design is about making something beautiful and elegant. And I say, nonsense.” - El País
In Wisconsin, “'The Hay Rake Ballet' in an alfalfa field — set to opera music in front of a rapt crowd who oohed and aahed at every lift of the rakes used to move hay into rows — was a hit of the Farm/Art D'Tour.” - The New York Times
Subscribers, money, growth, live sports, Christmas Day NFL games … what is happening to the streamer that for a while seemed doomed to fall behind? - Los Angeles Times
"For every university student raising cash by sharing nudes, there’s a wholesome housewife uploading DIY tips or an up-and-coming musician posting his latest tracks.” Is OnlyFans the next TikTok? - Wired
Richter’s 8.5-hour Sleep, based on the neuroscience of sleeping, is 10 years old, and still popular. But the composer’s newest music is for a ballet based on Margaret Atwood’s 2013 book MaddAdam. - The Observer (UK)
Actor Naomi Scott, who didn’t go to drama school, would like to change the chances for young working-class Brits interested in acting with material support. “We can do our small bit to maybe help some people have a clearer path to what they want to do.” - BBC
