It’s far from clear we’re getting anything from Duolingo’s purported speed. I’m not even sure it’s fun anymore. And there are quicker ways to not learn a language. - Slate
The fight against the urge to let hatred win can be seen playing out on the front lines—but also in homes, in institutions, and in art. Ukrainians at home and abroad are embracing their language, literature, and heroic figures. - The Walrus
To be able to make creativity and invention sound “natural,” one needs an avid, almost greedy urge to absorb anything—and everything—that is out there. - The Nation
The first thing you notice when you switch on Russian TV is its totemic fascination with the swastika, which regularly appears on one of my screens. Sometimes it is taken from footage of the Nazi era, sometimes from purported videos of the Ukrainian far right. - The Atlantic
“There are no mothers-in-law in ballet”, George Balanchine, who dominated American ballet throughout the twentieth century, liked to say: dance, he believed, is not the right medium to portray psychologically complex relationships or intricate stories. - Times Literary Supplement
"His letters show how he savvily wrote with an eye toward the market, hoping to delight listeners at every level of society. And pleasure was political in an age when some of the boldest advocates for free speech and personal choice were libertines." - MSN (The Atlantic)
Are you reading this on your phone, swiping up the paragraphs, swipe, swipe, swipe, wondering how far you're going to have to swipe to actually finish this thing? - Esquire
"After filing for bankruptcy protection in 2020, Cirque decided it had to be more than just a circus. It wanted to be a brand, something that could sell perfumes, sunglasses, tote bags and video games. So over the past year the circus brought in consultants ..." - The New York Times
Meditating and other forms of mindfulness offer a metaphysical escapism that lets you pretend for a while that you are no more than an organism receiving inputs from your immediate surroundings, with no interpretative or meaning-making capabilities. - 3 Quarks Daily
"His resignation was announced via a news release Thursday. Curran has been in the role since 2014 … (and) was at the helm of the Louisville Ballet through the pandemic and its return to in-person shows." - Louisville Public Media
She’s an advocate, a style icon, a marketing wiz, a prolific songwriter, a pusher of visual boundaries and a record-breaking road warrior. And she sells a ton of albums. - Billboard
"The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance named Brandon Ragland as artistic director of the second-oldest regional ballet company in the country. With more than 15 years as a ballet professional, Ragland, 38, comes to Dayton from the Louisville Ballet, where he was a principal dancer ... (and) resident choreographer." - Dayton Daily News
At a moment of upheaval in the arts, the suggestion that writing’s value may simply be intrinsic—a creative act worth less than the website it’s posted on—is deeply unwelcome. It can even seem like poor taste. - The Walrus
"Amsterdam is expected to receive over 18 million overnight visitors this year. By 2025, that number could reach 23 million, in addition to another 24 million to 25 million day visits. Under a 2021 ordinance, when the number of overnight visitors reaches 18 million, the council is 'obliged to intervene.'" - CNN
Nielsen Audio ratings indicate that, over the past two years, market share and estimated listener numbers have fallen at an alarming rate at KQED in San Francisco (traditionally public radio's strongest market), WBEZ in Chicago, WNYC in New York, and KCRW and KPCC/LAist in Los Angeles. - Three Things
