The identification of the present, not as a hectic shimmer of zeptoseconds but a series of temporal clearings where one might deeply linger, originates in the Buddhist concept of “sati”, understood as “moment to moment awareness of present events”. - The Guardian
It will help preserve the site for future archaeologists who might have more modern methods and can study the evidence better or ask new questions. - The Conversation
About two million people call Mecca home, and while there are concessions to the city's sacredness — no movie theaters, no loud music at celebrations, and the malls are small by Gulf standards — Meccans live much like other Saudis. - AP
When did the so-called narrative turn—the doctrine of narrative supremacy—go mainstream? “At a certain point in history, people started saying, ‘We are born storytellers,’ ” the novelist Amit Chaudhuri said at a 2018 symposium he convened called “Against Storytelling.” - The New Yorker
"Ivan Dimitrov, a 27-year-old fitness instructor living in Bristol, wrote a letter of apology to the Rome mayor after allegedly engraving his and his girlfriend's names into an internal wall of the 2,000-year-old landmark with a key." (Actually, he probably didn't write it himself. Read it and see.) - The Guardian
The value of culture is hard to measure - everyone's experience is different. But governments' obsession with justifying cultural worth economically gets in the way of its real value. - The Globe & Mail (Canada)
Ten years ago, almost half of Ukrainians said Russian was their first language; now, 21% say so (or, at least, admit to it). These days, anger at the language of the war criminals is hardly surprising. Ukraine's government wants to make Ukrainian-ness civic, not linguistic. Can that work? - Prospect (UK)
As Ukraine launches its summer counteroffensive, historians fear that Ukrainian cultural objects from Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine might be moved to Russia if the Russians have to retreat again. - The Wall Street Journal
Not that it's cheerful, mind you: Picture a Day Like This is about a mother whose child has died. Yet, after Benjamin's brilliant-but grim operas Into the Little Hill, Written on Skin, and Lessons in Love and Violence, this new piece is definitely a departure. - The New York Times
“How does expect writers to continue to find the will to write when there is not only little chance of production but also little chance of engaging a theatre in any meaningful discussion about work in which has already expressed an interest? - The Guardian
"The first strand will focus on (RTÉ's) governance and culture. A second review will examine contractor fees, human resources and other matters. … The announcement comes amid ongoing controversy about substantial undeclared payments that had been made to former presenter Ryan Tubridy." - BBC
As Kent is leaving the company's artistic directorship, nearly a quarter of the dancers are leaving with her, with five of them (all men) following Kent to Houston Ballet. Yet, as the company awaits its next artistic director, the mood is hopeful. - Washington City Paper
The Jeanne R. Johnson Education Center, opening next year in Dallas, is a joint project of the DSO and Tod Machover's Opera of the Future group at MIT's Media Lab. It will offer "STEAM-based learning activities that focus on dynamic music education" for grades 1-12. - MSN (The Dallas Morning News)
In 2009, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution dropped its arts section altogether, and the region's cultural community was aghast. So a couple of the AJC's laid-off critics decided to launch ArtsATL to fill the gap. Despite one near-death experience, the site's now thriving — and even providing content to the AJC. - Musical America
"Around the country, in blue states as well as red, theater teachers say it has become increasingly difficult to find plays and musicals that will escape the kind of criticism that, they fear, could cost them their jobs or result in a cutback in funding." - The New York Times
