Stories

“I think it is niche television now because you don't have to get the rating that you got when there were only three networks … and 30 great comedy writers. You had to do shows that appealed to a massive audience. Now, there are 300 networks and 30 great comedy writers. …”  - KCRW

In one, painted by the male elite, Rome under the emperor becomes a nightmare vision of a world turned topsy-turvy. In the other, articulated by the tombstones of cooks and tasters and wet-nurses, imperial structures provided opportunities for new hierarchies, and new avenues to distinction, to develop. - Washington Post

Loneliness, it seems, is an existential hazard, something to which human beings are always vulnerable – and not just when they are alone. - Aeon

Guided by connectomic and other data to optimize thousands or even billions of parameters, machine-learning models could be trained to produce neural-network behaviour that is consistent with the behaviour of real neural networks — measured using cellular-resolution functional recordings. - Nature

As a diva, Streisand has consistently defied instructions not to do something by doubling up her efforts. For example, at the start of her career when she was auditioning for record labels, one of the executives said she had a nice voice but was “too ethnic”. - The Conversation

He brought classical music into the lives of tens of thousands of young people and was credited with diversifying the ranks of symphony orchestras across the United States. - Washington Post

Today Black folk performers have reached a critical mass and level of exposure not seen since the early decades of the 20th century, when Black bands like Cannon’s Jug Stompers and the Memphis Jug Band were among the most commercially popular in the country. - The New York Times

Sure, you can blame Boris Johnson for this Hackney Walk - and you might not be entirely wrong - but there's more to the story. - The Guardian (UK)

And that has likely changed how Millennials and Gen-Zers see and feel about what's happening now. - The New York Times

People in cinematherapy "engage with carefully selected films that resonate with their personal experiences. They connect with characters and storylines, extract meaning, and reflect on how the narratives relate." - Wired

Surrealism is back, amid "a new generation has been inspired by witchcraft, mysticism and spiritualism." - The Observer (UK)

It's a provocative discussion. There are many sites "where the story is being reframed at this very moment." - Hyperallergic

But "what should the arts be doing? They can break the national narratives around addiction," first off. Not everyone goes to AA. And not everyone relapses. - Salon

At Santa Monica College, "the campus police chief told if protesters breached backstage during a performance, they could grab fire extinguishers to defend themselves." - Los Angeles Times

"We've had a lot of excited conversations after the play with members of the audience who are responding very energetically to the questions that the play brings up." - LAist