Stories

Libraries Are About So Much More Than Books

Take Minneapolis, for instance. “What separates Minneapolis’s library from the rest is their intensive approach to serving people who are homeless and frequent the library” and that includes books, safe places to sleep, snacks, and more. - MPR

A Plea And A Manifesto For More Middle School Books

“I am here on my knees begging the publishing industry not only to publish books for younger teenagers, but to create a new publishing category that encompasses that unrecognized in-between age.” - School Library Journal

In An Unexpected Development, Disney Princesses Have Been Leading A Diversity Charge On Stage

One nonbinary Black actor who played Belle says, “I was really encouraged to do my own interpretation, ... and I got to have a say in my costumes—like, I wasn’t in a blue dress, I was in a blue jumpsuit, and wore red Doc Martens boots.” - American Theatre

Bringing Nollywood To Hollywood

“In the past decade, Daniel Oriahi has made over 25 movies. But the filmmaker hit a new career breakthrough when the Tribeca Festival accepted his latest, The Weekend.” - The New York Times

The Best Actress Winner At Cannes Sues A Far-Right French Politician Over ‘Sexist’ Comments

Karla Sofía Gascón, who is trans, filed a complaint against Marion Maréchal, granddaughter of National Front founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, who posted on Twitter/X: "So a man has won best actress. Progress for the left means the erasure of women and mothers.” - Agence France-Presse (The Guardian UK)

Which Reading Platform Is Best For The Planet?

Paperback, audiobook, hardcover, or e-book: Which wins as least bad for the environment? Tough call, and a complicated one. Even "certain fonts can be more climate-friendly by using less ink and less paper.” - NPR

How An Ivory Coast Graffiti Artist Became The World’s Top Seller

After being kicked out when he was 15 for saying he wanted to be an artist, “the young Aboudia pressed on and enrolled in art school. Due to a lack of financial support, he slept in his classroom after the other students went home for the day.” - BBC

This Game, Seven Years In The Making, Shows What The Indie Gaming Industry Stands To Lose

“Every month this year has included new headline-making layoffs at big game companies, while smaller studios without the name recognition have faded away quietly or gone on some kind of ‘hiatus.’” That’s not great for community, or new, creative games. - Wired

The Joys Of ‘Relaxed’ Ballet

One mother of two autistic children said, “I’m hoping that what we see here shows that you can do anything, especially in the arts, to make it accessible for all.” - CBC

Granddaughter Brings To Life The Songs Of A Musician Silenced By The Holocaust

“Throughout the 1930s, Stephen composed feverishly, performing in hotels, bars and theatres across Hungary and Switzerland, as well as scoring music for Hungarian films. It was all going so well until his career – his life – was brought to a screeching halt by war.” - The Observer (UK)

Philadelphia’s University Of Arts Suddenly Announces It’s Closing This Friday

The suddenly unaccredited school has 1150 students and 700 faculty - and a ton of real estate along the Avenue of the Arts. One student said, "At 2:47 p.m. on Friday I got an email asking me to apply for graduation, and at 6:03 the Inquirer posted the story that my school was closing.” - The New York Times

To Succeed In The Art World, You Need Talent, Hard Work, And A Serious Dose Of Luck

Take this chance: Hugo McCloud "was eating dinner with a friend at Choice Market ... when Lauren Kelly, on her way to becoming a partner at her father Sean Kelly’s gallery, noticed McCloud’s paint-splattered pants and asked if he was an artist.” - The New York Times

What It’s Like Directing The Tate Modern

Maria Balshaw, director since 2017: “I was thrilled, and then I was scared, and I think you stay scared. I still come into work feeling terrified. It takes you five or six years just to understand the institution.” - The Observer (UK)

What It Takes To Mount A Film Festival In The Greatest City In The World

The security manager’s days "span 12-plus hours and can wrap as late as 2 a.m., but she doesn’t mind the long days. ‘It’s only for three weeks, and I’m on a high the whole time because I get to watch New York … being celebrated.’” - The New York Times

AI Might Not Actually Be Trying To ‘Come For’ All Of Our Jobs

For instance: “Could AI take over the bulk of legal work or is there an underlying thread of creativity and judgment of the type only speculative super AI could hope to tackle? … Where do we draw the line between general and specific tasks?" - Fast Company

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