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Carmen de Lavallade, Pathbreaking Dancer And Choreographer, Has Died At 94

She beguiled audiences for seven decades, toggling between ballet and modern dance, film and television, concert stage and nightclub. Her noble bearing, high cheekbones, sinuous torso and impressive wingspan revealed a wide portfolio of characters experiencing torment or ecstasy. - The Washington Post (MSN)

Was The Bayeux Tapestry Meant To Be Lunchtime Reading For Monks?

That’s the theory proposed by historian Benjamin Pohl. It’s fairly certain that the tapestry was conceived and designed by the monks of St. Augustine’s Abbey in Canterbury and stitched by skilled embroiderers nearby; Pohl argues that the 230-foot work was intended for, and first hung in, that abbey’s refectory. - Artnet

2025 Was The Year AI Didn’t Transform Our Lives (Like It Was Supposed To)

Silicon Valley promised 2025 would be the age of tireless AI agents. Instead, they clicked slowly, got lost in drop‑down menus, hallucinated baseball maps, and reminded everyone that the “Year of the Agent” is really the “Decade of Maybe.” - The New Yorker

Check Out Some Of 2025’s Most Scathing Book Reviews

“Among the books being driven into the woods by pitchfork-wielding villagers this year: Louis C.K.’s masturbatory debut novel, Olivia Nuzzi’s delusional fortune cookie, Woody Allen’s autofictional kvetch-fest, and Kamala Harris’s 304-page excuse for ineptitude.” - Literary Hub

2026’s Most-Anticipated Museum Openings

Will the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi finally open its doors after all this time? That remains to be seen, but there’s certainly a chance! Here’s what you can look forward to in the coming months: - The Observer

UK Streaming Viewers Prefer Lower Price With Ads Rather Than Premium

The number of UK streaming subscribers on packages that include commercials has overtaken those on higher-priced ad-free plans for the first time, in a milestone for British television. - The Guardian

How A Self-Published Unknown Author Became A Hit In 2025

A reclusive Georgia beekeeper accidentally writes a blockbuster: a gentle, allegorical novel that spreads through book clubs, Facebook aunties, and sheer goodwill, turning its humble author into a literary phenomenon he never planned to become. - Washington Post

An “Art Vortex”: The Plan For New York State’s Most Strangely-Shaped Performing Arts Center

It is formally named the Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center, but absolutely everyone calls it The Egg. The Albany landmark will soon reopen following a $19.5 million renovation, and executive director Diane Eber wants to make it a forum for immersive works — as she puts it, an “art vortex.” - Gothamist

Is Gen Z Falling In Love With CDs?

Gen Z has decided CDs are cool again, sending sales wobbling upward before promptly wobbling back down. It’s mostly about vibes, nostalgia, and proving to millennials that nothing stays uncool forever. - LiveNow Fox

Shutdown Of Book Distributor Leaves Libraries Hanging

Public libraries are struggling to get new books after major distributor Baker & Taylor abruptly shut down. Many now rely on Ingram, but scaling is slow, leaving patrons facing delays and limited access to new releases. - NPR

2025 Was The Year Of AI Slop

In 2025, slop is everywhere. Low-effort, low-quality, AI-generated nonsense is polluting our social media feeds, search engine results, scientific journals, music streaming services, eBook marketplaces, universities, legal filings, and more. - Mother Jones

Artistic Director Of Vancouver’s Ballet BC Announces Departure

“Medhi Walerski will leave his role as of June 30, 2027, following the company’s big 40th-anniversary season. Walerski has led the company since July 2020 after the departure of Emily Molnar to Nederlands Dans Theater, guiding it past pandemic shutdowns into an era of extensive international touring and energized packed houses.” - Stir (Vancouver)

The Louvre Is Astonishingly Popular. It’s Facing Collapse From All Sides

Over time, this popularity has become both a blessing and a terrible burden, and daring jewel heists are only the most eye-catching of the museum’s problems: it is bursting at the seams, at times literally. - The Guardian

How Architecture Shapes/Frames Politics

While it’s easy to see buildings and public spaces as somewhat neutral or superficial, it’s not. Like the frame of a painting, it frames the spaces in which politics takes place, both literally and symbolically. - The Conversation

How The Trump Administration Is (Mis)Appropriating Norman Rockwell

“They used . . . as though his work aligned with their values, i.e., promoting this segregationist vision of America. And so of course we were upset by this, because Norman Rockwell was really very clearly anti-segregationist.” - The Bulwark

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