“Please just read me a story without distraction. I don’t need to hear a variety of voices from a single narrator if a full-cast production is not in the cards. Not every novel needs to be read as a radio drama. And please go light on the accents." - LitHub
That seems unlikely to change this year either, despite the nominations of Vivian Oparah for the charming Rye Lane and Fantasia Barrino in the new musical movie version of The Color Purple. "The question of how to address the UK’s persistent issue with embracing diverse performers remains unanswered.” - Variety
Then Hugo Awards rumors started; now leaked emails confirm that “one of the Hugo administrators had advised other members to vet the finalists and 'highlight anything of a sensitive political nature' in China. ... Such works, he added, might not be safe to put on the ballot." - The New York Times
”In the future, a company’s AI agent—basically the AI version of that company—will be just as important as their website,” says Taylor. “It's going to completely change the way companies exist digitally.” - Wired
The news that we could finally read these still rolled-up papyri hit me like a lightning bolt. In the past, opening the scrolls, even those in excellent condition that unrolled easily, caused damage to them – especially the outsides that contain the beginning of each text. - The Conversation
Is it possible to imagine the ballet world without a primary teleology of aesthetic perfectionism and a baseline of low self-worth? Is it possible for our culture at large to stop conceiving of art and fame in this way? - Hedgehog Review
In a famous essay, the economist and philosopher Amartya Sen pointed out that we are all in favour of equality. We just disagree about whether we mean equality of money, or power, or respect, or legal standing, or whatever. - Literary Review
Though invisible to most people, copyright, the authors point out, is the legal matrix underlying the wealth of nations today, with copyrights in design, software and popular culture accounting for nearly all the valuation of “six of the largest corporations in the world — Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Disney.” - Washington Post
We were the victims of an American approach to city planning that had lost its way. But the next generation of kids may not be so unlucky. After a long demise, the grid is showing signs of a comeback. - The Atlantic
Following the death of his wife last month, the 81-year-old pop legend has had two co-conservators appointed. He's described in court documents as "unable to properly provide for his or her personal needs for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter … (He) does not have the capacity to give informed consent." - The Guardian
For experts in museum ethics, LACMA’s handling of the situation — which partisans see as a proxy battle in a larger war over evolving ideas of power at the nexus of art, justice and globalism — is unsurprising yet unfortunate. To them, the prevailing ethos is catch-me-if-you-can. - The Hollywood Reporter
In the current staging, Sweeney's barbershop is above the stage; when he slits a customer's throat, he pulls a lever that sends the victim down a slide into Mrs. Lovett's basement. Under the tag "A Bad Idea Worth Considering," Rebecca Alter points out that slide's underutilized revenue potential. Wheeeeee! - Vulture (MSN)
Kevin Roose: "My column about the experience was probably the most consequential thing I’ll ever write — both in terms of the attention it got … and how the trajectory of A.I. development changed. … It's been a year of growth and excitement in A.I. but a surprisingly tame one." - The New York Times
"Our goal is to shift industry standards. Capitalism swallows its own critiques, and we really are dedicated to waiting to scale. We have ambitions for Jupiter, not only to be a magazine, but we want to grow an institution that really is a home for writers, a home for thinkers and a home for artists." - Chicago Tribune (MSN)
