The ubiquity and allure of screens surely play a large part in this—most American children have smartphones by the age of 11—as does learning loss during the pandemic. But this isn’t the whole story. - The Atlantic
"The musicians of the San Antonio Philharmonic have reached their first collective bargaining agreement with the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) union Local 23." The contract for the fledgling ensemble is more flexible than was the one with the now-defunct San Antonio Symphony. - San Antonio Report
"(They're) eating gourmet meals in a medieval village turned boutique hotel with breathtaking views of the postcard-perfect Val d'Orcia countryside. With access to a sauna and spa, as well as pasta-making classes and truffle-hunting, they are very much in a pinch-me-I-can't-believe-it's-true state." - The New York Times
"Beyond 'compelling' stylistic evidence, the sonnet, titled 'To the Deserving Author', is signed with the mysterious pseudonym Cygnus, after the mythical figure who was turned into a swan – evoking Jonson's very own tribute to Shakespeare of Stratford-on-Avon as the 'Sweet Swan of Avon'." - The Guardian
"Charles Henry Pace … was one of the first African American gospel music composers in the United States, and the owner of one of the country's first independent, Black gospel music publishing companies." His archives had been sitting, unorganized, in crates until 2021. - AP
"Tyler Perry's Black Entertainment Television? It could happen: The prolific producer/director/actor is one of several very famous, very rich businessmen who have signaled an interest in taking control of the iconic entertainment brand now that owner Paramount Global has hinted it might be for sale." - Vulture
Six months into a pilot program that pays 2,000 working artists €325 per week/€16,000 ($18,200) per year, the results look good: as one recipient said, "If I didn't have this, I wouldn't be doing art today." Most participants, however, are reluctant to discuss the program publicly. - The New York Times
State Superintendent Ryan Walters has filed paperwork to cancel Summer Boismier's teaching certificate — despite the fact that she's now moved to New York and works for, yes, the Brooklyn Public Library. - Oklahoma Watch
Hope Carasquilla was ousted from Tallahassee Classical School after several parents complained about the lesson in a Renaissance art class. (One parent called the sculpture "pornographic.") Carasquilla was the charter school's third principal since it opened in 2020. - HuffPost
The decision to close the BBC Singers, announced in March, was expected to result in the loss of 20 posts, but was met with fierce opposition from conductors, choirmasters and senior members of government and the opposition." - The Guardian
A 2014 study even discovered that van Gogh’s work was perceived as higher quality by viewers exposed to his mental health story. In promoting suffering over seeking help and recovery, the topic of mental health becomes a spectacle rather than a vehicle for social change. - The Conversation
A liberal is someone who’s tolerant of ambiguity, who can join arguments that he doesn’t have to win, who can live with people who disagree, who have different religions or different ideologies. That’s a liberal. But those liberal qualities don’t imply any social or economic doctrine. - Dissent
Effective March 16, the Copyright Office’s statement of policy indicates that copyright applicants are permitted to submit AI-assisted works (across literature and visual arts) for protection under copyright law, and that the works will be evaluated for evidence of “human authorship.” - Hyperallergic
“For about a month afterward, was slurring words. He had trouble typing; he was discouraged from flying for a few weeks; and until recently, he couldn’t sign his name (he has just discovered, thanks to ‘Camelot’ autograph seekers, that that’s improving). - Variety
