Stories

It's the third round of cuts for Spotify, and "equates to about 1,500 jobs." - NPR

For the Inside Literary Prize, inspired by a similar prize in France, "a jury of inmates in prisons across six states will be able to read and debate books, then vote on the winner." - The New York Times

Sometimes, the scenery really does work - for instance, many people dropped everything and moved to New Zealand after seeing The Lord of the Rings, and one woman decided rural Wales was the place to be after watching the 1984 series Morgan's Boy. - The Guardian (UK)

"It wasn’t until they teamed up in 1976 to take their film criticism to an even wider audience through the medium of television that Siskel and Ebert became household names across the country and around the world." - Chicago Sun-Times

One of the Broadway kids performing in front of an audience of Broadway aficionados said, "I was expecting to have the best show ever and that happened." - The New York Times

The film All of Us Strangers won best film, best screenplay, best director, best supporting actor and several craft awards. - Variety

When, 95 years ago, Virginia Woolf wrote Orlando: A Biography, she didn't know that her satirical, clever, sweeping love letter to an aristocrat would become a lifeline for trans artists across the world. - MSN (Los Angeles Times)

Four finalists contend, but "I don’t believe anyone cares who wins any more. The artists successfully derailed the system themselves in 2019." - The Observer (UK)

"An atmosphere of urgency and calls for immediate action are hostile to fields of study like literature and philosophy that require a contemplative mood, and the pretense of knowing what one doesn’t actually know is hostile to forms of inquiry that demand an open mind." - The New York Times

The program brings students from rival high schools together in a non-competitive environment to work and play with pros. Project Chamber Music's "secret sauce is how it fosters real interactions between students and professional musicians." - Oregon ArtsWatch

After a play about Black Frenchwomen's experiences premiered in the summer in southern France, a series of racist attacks followed - and one actress dropped out before the play transferred to Paris. - The New York Times

"So, what’s the craic with this Irish invasion?" - Slate

Some of them are, anyway, trying to help their readers cook for the planet. - Wired

And it's the slightly iffy-sounding, if not meaning, "rizz" (chaRIZZma, get it?). The word even beat out "situationship" and "Swiftie." Why? Because the Gen-Alphas have some rizz. - The New York Times

Except for church, around the corner from his place in Tuscany, it isn't that different from other days. "When you’re a singer, what night of the week it is doesn’t matter. ... I can’t tell you exactly what I do before I sleep. I’ll leave that to your imagination." - The Observer (UK)