Olivier Roy believes that a range of abstract and apparently unstoppable forces—globalization, neoliberalism, postmodernism, individualism, secularism, the Internet, and so on—are undermining culture by rendering it “transparent,” turning our cultural practices into “a collection of tokens” to be traded and displayed. - The New Yorker
"Bates said the retirement buzz was 'kind of a misunderstanding' after she referred to Matlock as her 'last dance' in an interview with The New York Times last week. 'I was very flattered that everybody was upset,'" the award-winning actress said on the Emmy Awards red carpet. - Los Angeles Times (MSN)
AI poses an obvious threat to both animators and writers who tell Deadline they are already suffering from a lack of jobs due to the massive production contraction that has impacted nearly all Hollywood workers, as well as the elimination of staff positions, which has made getting (and keeping) a steady gig nearly impossible. - Deadline
Overcrowding makes for a miserable experience. Craning to see over rows of heads, one is jostled and swept along the galleries by such a crowd that the museum has had to surround the very fine statues with red ropes like the ones outside night clubs. - The Art Newspaper
The walkout forced the museum to shut down for several days as its leaders and protesting employees discussed their demands, including having a “community review” of the exhibit and acknowledging its “limited perspectives.” - Seattle Times
Arifa Akbar: "My quotidian reality as chief theatre critic of The Guardian cannot compare: a supermarket sandwich wolfed down before the bell, a frantic filing of copy after the curtain goes down ..., or eating biscuits at my laptop into the small hours if it is a morning deadline." - The Guardian
Conspiracy theorists appear earnestly committed to finding the truth, yet they are drawn to theories that often involve false and implausible claims. The psychology of insight – especially the rewarding feelings associated with discovery and revelation – can resolve this paradox, helping to illuminate the surprising role that deep thinking plays in proliferating conspiracies. - Psyche
Today’s culture of censorship and censure in literary magazines is stifling writers’ careers at their most vulnerable stage. Our experience at Crab Creek Review offers a case in point and a warning. - Persuasion
“We decided to focus on what parents think because they know better what’s appropriate for their children than any tech company, any private company, any senator or policymaker or staffer or regulator." - The New York Times
"Tours provide relief from the constant stress and noise of incoming fire, the principal dancer Nataliia Matsak said in a video interview. 'Even though we’re working very hard, it’s like taking a break,' she said, 'because we can finally sleep.'" - The New York Times
"Philadelphia’s nearly 150-year-old University of the Arts has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy after (suddenly) closing this summer. The process will allow the school to sell its real estate holdings in the Center City neighborhood, estimated in value at $87 million, in an effort to meet $46 million in bond debt." - Artnet
Nicholas Cullinan: “Physically, our masterplan is a huge project. But intellectually, too, it’s an enormous challenge. Yes, fixing the roof is urgent. But if you’re going to address those physical problems you should also do something exciting with the collections and the way we present them to the public.” - The Times (UK)
Last October, the entire staff of the organization's poetry center quit after an author's live talk was canceled after he signed a petition calling for Israel's ceasefire. Now one worker has been fired and five more resigned after 92NY forbade patron-facing employees from expressing any political views at work. - Hyperallergic
"According to AGMA, 100% of the paid choristers voted in favor of the authorization, with 98% of eligible members participating. Additionally, 81% of the unpaid singers scheduled to perform pledged to honor a picket line." The announced work on the program: Verdi's Requiem - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
Out of 302 staffers, 14 were laid off and 12 left voluntarily; programming cuts are being made on WNYC, classical station WQXR (including the elimination of all WQXR podcasts), and programming at the performing/broadcast venue the Greene Space. - Gothamist
