Douglas McLennan
What Happened When My Family Disconnected From The Internet
"Without distractions, the days seemed to expand. We learned to harvest time, an idea that came to us in national forests across the U.S....
UK University Music Programs Are Closing. Why?
The academic music sector is fractured, especially in relation to classical music. This mirrors wider cuts or proposed cuts to English National Opera, BBC Orchestras and other institutions,...
How Admen And Psychologists Collaborated In The Early 20th Century To Monetize Our Attention
This marriage of convenience between American psychologists and American ad-men was a cozy connection warmed across the early decades of the twentieth century. -...
My Friend Dies, Her Book Unfinished. Could I Complete It?
There are so few things we can do for the dead; this was something I could do for her. Rebecca had been clear that...
The Netflix Queue And How It Shaped My Culture
The queue quickly became much more — a kind of running commentary on the state of my life. Much like books, the number of...
Do You Love Christmas Music? Hate It? Here’s Why
Research has shown that most people in Western countries use music to self-soothe. “They know that there are certain kinds of music that will...
Why It’s Been So Difficult To Diversify The Publishing Industry
Why did it feel, in the mid-2010s, like the conversation was starting from scratch—and why, as the PEN America report phrased it, has “the...
Foster + Partners Reimagines Airports For Saudi Arabia
The terminal will be made up of tapered stone buildings of varying heights interlinked by open-air courtyards and stone-paved walkways. - Dezeen
Actor Sara Porkalob On Speaking Her Truth In Theatre
"In many ways, starting in college, I deliberately refrained from following the art that was made at those epicenters because I was really worried...
The Strange Saga Of The $55 Million Netflix Project That Was Never Made
Netflix burned more than $55 million on Mr. Rinsch’s show and gave him near-total budgetary and creative latitude but never received a single finished...
Non-Profit Theatres Are Finding Ways To Survive
The leaders of these theaters define success differently than they did before the pandemic, but they are optimistic about the future and intent on...
Time For Another Go At Fixing Sn Francisco’s Davies Hall?
You may like Davies or not, and there are some valid concerns about aspects of it, but the SF Symphony’s major problem is not...
Russian Pop Stars Displaced From Home Because Of The War
Now forced to operate at a distance from most of their fan bases and, in many cases, labeled traitors by their government, they are...
Spotify Changes Musician Royalties Payouts; Claims $1 Billion More To Artists
The company claims the updates will drive an additional $1 billion toward artists, by re-directing the payments that had previously gone to fraudulent streams,...
Spotify’s Secret Sweetheart Deal With Google
Google head of global partnerships Don Harrison confirmed Spotify paid a 0 percent commission when users chose to buy subscriptions through Spotify’s own system....
Cleveland Ballet CEO Resigns Under Controversy
The board had suspended Michael Krasnyansky and his wife, Artistic Director Gladisa Guadalupe, pending results of the investigation. - The Plain Dealer
Rethinking Where Theatre Happens (And How It Changes Depending On Where)
At the height of the pandemic, each theatre focused on a medium that allowed them to reimagine storytelling unbound by the proscenium stage. From...
Spotify Quits Uruguay After Lawmakers Mandate Equitable Pay For Artists
Article 285 will put into copyright law the “right to a fair and equitable remuneration” for all “agreements entered into by authors, composers, performers,...
We Need To Redefine Work For A “Post-Work” World
Radical politics should aim for a world in which work’s social role is utterly transformed and highly attenuated—a world in which work can no...
Globally, People Paying For TV Has Started To Decline
In North America, pay TV penetration has almost halved from a high of 84 percent in 2009 to 45 percent in 2023, “caused by a...
The Fascinating Business Model Behind An Improbably Very Valuable Photograph
Over the last 30 years, roughly 600 signed and numbered copies have been sold, at prices that typically range between $15,000 and $30,000. The...
Museums And Cathedrals: Both Are Suffering For Audiences
The museum’s role and fate risks replicating that of the church it seemed set to replace. The museum faces fundamental challenges. It is haunted...
Arts Policy Under The UK’s Conservative Government Has Been A Disaster. Would Labour Be...
Since 2010, the arts have been praying for a change in Government. Polling suggests their wish will be granted. But what would Labour do...
Talent Agency Drops Susan Sarandon After Remarks On Hamas/Israel War
United Talent dropped Sarandon after remarks at a rally in New York City: “There are a lot of people that are afraid, afraid of...
What Gender-Neutral Fashion Gets Wrong About… Fashion
Look at the “gender-neutral” lines of mainstream mall brands like Old Navy, Roots, and H&M and you’ll find a lot of dysphoria hoodies—items meant...