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Bach Is Everywhere At Easter

Yes, his various Passions are common right now - but he’s everywhere, all of the time. And “indirectly, we are also indebted to Bach for the ability to attend public concerts." - El País (English)

The Woman Behind The Movie

Sure, there’s a new Regina King-starring biopic on Netflix, but the real Shirley Chisholm who ran for president "knew the nomination was a longshot, but hoped she could amass enough delegates to force presumptive nominee George McGovern to act in the interest of coalition." - Time

When Can Hollywood Get Back To Work?

The post-strike, post-peak-TV slowdown threatens Calfornia, "where TV, film and commercial shoots are a sizable driver of employment supporting not just bigwig directors, producers and movie stars but also all the below-the-line laborers, craftspeople and myriad ancillary businesses." - MSN (Los Angeles Times)

After The Massive Concert Hall Attack In Russia, Some Suspects Plead Guilty

Meanwhile, “events at cultural institutions were canceled, flags were lowered to half-staff and television entertainment and advertising were suspended,” and relatives waited for word to come about injuries - or death. - Boston Globe (AP)

Large Language Models Actually Haven’t Improved That Much

It’s all in the measurement, and the tricks therein. - Wired

Activists Unfurl A Massive Quilt For Gaza On The Steps Of The Met

"As the quilt was spread out across the museum’s main entrance, activists encircled the display, carrying signs that read ‘We See Genocide,’ ‘Let Gaza Live,' and 'None Of Us Are Free Until Palestine Is Free.' The protesters also broke into Palestinian dabkeh folk dance." - Hyperallergic

What’s Going On In Sundance’s Sudden Top-Level Shake-Up?

The reason for the change is unclear. "During her tenure, Vicente brought Robert Redford’s 45-year-old festival in Park City, Utah, back in person following two consecutive years of pandemic shutdowns while also opening it up to larger online audiences.” But the economy - and streaming. - Los Angeles Times

Let’s Talk About The So-Called ‘Social Cost’ Of Those Green Text Bubbles

Sure, Apple is kind of cult-like. But isn’t that a weird problem on which to hang a major antitrust lawsuit? - Wired

AI Guesses That’s Why They Call It The Blues

Truly, so-called generative AI isn’t there yet on the composing side. “I’ve played the basic chord progression from 'Soul Of The Machine' — and variations of it —countless times. So, when I say that the chords meander in nonsensical ways, it’s because I’ve also wandered in this style.” - The Verge

Olivia Colman Is Extremely Over The Gender Pay Gap In Hollywood

In one case, the star says, she knows of a 12,000 percent difference in pay. - Variety

The Chicago Art Institute Reconsiders Its Relationship To Women Artists

The Art Institute’s effort to change "can especially be seen in the museum’s arts of the Americas department, where 33 percent of its acquisitions in 2016-23 were by named women artists — 61 out of 183 objects. That pace is significantly higher than that of the museum world at large." - Chicago Sun-Times

Report: What Spotify Paid Musicians Last Year

According to the data, 1,250 artists generated over $1 million each in recording and publishing royalties in 2023; 11,600 generated over $100,000 and 66,000 generated over $10,000 — numbers that have almost tripled since 2017. - AP

Who’s Overdue For An Oscar?

The awards, mostly predicted with one or two slight surprises, have been shelved for 2024, but some wounds are fresh. Diane Warren has 15 nominations and no wins. Then there’s Bradley Cooper. (And Glenn Close! Ah, Glenn Close.) - Vulture

The Man Who Made Babar The Elephant Famous Has Died At 98

Laurent de Brunhoff took a character his mother and father invented when he was 5, and kept him going for decades. "'Babar, c’est moi,' Mr. de Brunhoff often said. By all accounts, artist and elephant shared the same Gallic urbanity and optimistic outlook." - The New York Times

We’re Culturally So Into An Apocalypse, But Why?

"This is not the religious end of time, or eschaton, that has fascinated humanity for thousands of years, but the end of the world as a pervasive mood – a vibe." - The Guardian (UK)

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