Douglas McLennan
Doug is the editor of ArtsJournal
Eagle-Eyed Art Historian Spots Long-Lost Masterpiece In Children’s Movie
“I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Bereny’s long-lost masterpiece on the wall behind Hugh Laurie. I nearly dropped Lola from my lap....
The Difference Between Memory And Perception (And How Our Brains Process)
Even if there is a very strong neurological similarity between memories and experiences, we know that they can’t be exactly the same. “People don’t...
The Science Of Humor
Over time, laughter-inducing play transformed into practical uses: Laughter and amusement signified a situation was safe, and positive emotions could be used to help cheer others up....
Why Are We Fighting About Schools?
Political experts and campaign consultants were taken by surprise when schools suddenly assumed center stage in the national debate, but as this issue of Lapham’s...
Routine Writing Is About To Be Free
Instead of writing boilerplate corporate memos, managers will soon assign them to bots. Insight and beauty are still rare, but serviceable prose isn’t. -...
Technology Of The Year: AI That Can Create
These systems are master imitators of human creativity. They have been trained on millions upon millions of human artifacts such as documents, articles, drawings, paintings, movies,...
The End Of Broadcast TV
Not only does it seem like a fait accompli that broadcast TV is dead, no one seems to be the least bit sad about...
How The Boston Symphony Lost Its CEO
Culture in Boston was encrusted in past practice and inflated self-esteem. The musicians did not take kindly to proposed changes or hard truths. Artistic...
Master Forger Turned Over To French Police
The dealer and collector Giuliano Ruffini, who is suspected to be the mastermind behind a major Old Master forgery scandal, has transferred to France following his...
Jenna Bush, Power Publisher
Since 2019, Ms. Hager, 41, has highlighted nearly 50 books as part of her “Read With Jenna” book club promoted on “Today.” Most...
Is ACE Rethinking Funding For English National Opera? It Still Needs A London Home
Debate in the Lords focused on the term “grand opera”, which fans of lyric theatre believe was deliberately used by ACE to imply that...
I Asked Chat GPT To Write My AP English Essay (And I Passed)
You can tell it to write a 500-word essay about “The Great Gatsby” or the Spanish Inquisition. So I did what any masochistic tech...
How “It’s A Wonderful Life” Became A Classic (By Accident)
It wasn’t Frank Capra or Jimmy Stewart or the enduring power of cinema that made it a lasting success. It was neglect. “The damnedest...
Important Lessons About How Theatres Work From The Victory Gardens Fiasco
The conflict seems to come down to addressing the gap between what boards can do legally and what they should do to build trust, transparency, and community, especially...
Putin Clamps Down On Culture In Russia
“The presidential decree gives us, the culture authorities, guidelines to provide state support only to projects that obey the requirements. We now feel a...
Warning: Scottish Culture Funding Cuts Will Be “Devastating” To Creative Industries
“The Scottish Government makes great play of our cultural heritage and the importance of promoting culture. The cuts they are making – £7...
MoMA And Santa Barbara Museum Of Art Sued For Art Looted By Nazis
The plaintiffs claim the artwork were stolen from Fritz Grünbaum by the Nazis via an unlawful power of attorney while he was imprisoned and...
The Medieval Great Hall Was The Center Of Home Culture
Up to the 13th century, the great hall remained the focal point of the household, and the primary location for heat. - The Conversation
UK Report: Listenership of Music Up, But Musicians Faring Much Worse
Six in ten professional musicians say they are worse off financially now compared to the same time last year. Nine out of ten are...
Broadway Is Having Trouble Selling Tickets
“Nobody wants to admit that they’re not selling tickets. Because of COVID, now Broadway is sort of admitting … sales are down, audiences are...
When Words Are Unshackled From Their Meanings
Detached from agency, the meanings of new terms drift. Nonprofit organizations alert supporters to “donation opportunities,” though “a chance to give” has half the...
When The Watched Become The Watchers (Kafka’s Warning)
What’s the point of watching workers? Maybe, as Franz Kafka suggested in a short parable, the point is not simply to alter a person’s...
Guardian Critics’ Best Architecure And Visual Art Of 2022
The newspaper's critics weigh in on the best they saw this year. - The Guardian
Norman Foster’s Plan To Rebuild Kharkiv
Working pro bono with engineering studio Arup, the Norman Foster Foundation and Kharkiv Group of Architects, Foster + Partners founder Foster has developed a masterplan for the rejuvenation of...
The “Dark Academia” Microtrend
According to Google’s Year in Search, an annual retrospective of trending searches compiled by the tech company, dark academia was among ten trending interior styles...
