Douglas McLennan
Doug is the editor of ArtsJournal
The “Everything’s Going To Hell But I’m Doing Great” Phenomenon
Though the number of Americans who said that they personally were “doing at least okay” actually rose slightly from 2019 to 2021, their evaluation...
Want To Buy Verdi’s House?
Verdi built Villa Verdi on land he owned in Sant’Agata di Villanova, a hamlet near his home town of Busseto in the Emilia-Romagna region,...
Has The Great Majority Of The World’s Greatest Literature Been Lost?
Researchers concluded that a humbling 90% of medieval manuscripts preserving chivalric and heroic narratives – those relating to King Arthur, for example – have gone. Of...
Why, Despite Efforts, Have The Arts Failed To Diversify?
‘In answer to the question, “Who do you make work for?” people will say, “I make work for everyone – for anyone.” But when...
After Twelve Years, Old Vic Bristol Has A New Leader
“For Bristol Old Vic to appoint a highly talented Black Latinx woman as artistic director provides a real opportunity to effect real change in...
Space Opera Is Thriving (And Evolving)
The subgenre has evolved and thrived for a century with its key elements mostly intact: galactic encyclopedias of knowledge, interstellar politics, heroic journeys, and...
Five Takeaways From This Year’s Cannes Festival
That’s 107 films, 11 days, and flickering images that don’t stop playing in your mind after the credits end. - Screen Daily
Do The Arts Have Too Many Managers?
Half of all public and private grants now pay administrators’ salaries – only a quarter fund arts production. Even if many are wonderful, managers...
How The Pandemic Has Changed How We Think About Work
Commuting may have a bad reputation, but for a surprising number of people it can be positively enjoyable. - 3 Quarks Daily
Latest Horror Show: Movie Theatres Worry About Popcorn Shortage
Theaters are finding workers harder to hire, and inflation is hitting costs. Perhaps most chilling, supply-chain issues are foreshadowing shortages behind the concession stand,...
End Of An Aura: Licensing Company Forbids Vegas Wedding Chapels From Using Elvis
The licensing company that controls the name and image of “The King” is ordering Sin City chapel operators to stop using Elvis in themed...
Why We Can’t Stop Measuring Things
Around 6,000 years ago, the first standardised units were deployed in river valley civilisations such as ancient Egypt, where the cubit was defined by...
Why Are We So Attracted To Disaster Stories?
Maybe we rubberneck over disasters because we are bored by our relatively cushy safety. Or maybe we can’t avoid the threats as they creep...
Writer Who Wrote About Killing Husband Is Convicted Of Killing Husband
Ms. Brophy, who had written self-published romance novels, had once speculated in a 2011 blog post that a wife who kills her spouse must...
How They Lifted A Historic Times Square Theatre Thirty Feet
The theater, which weighs 14 million pounds, is a protected landmark, meaning the structure, from the stage to the balcony, had to be moved...
The Problem With Times Square
The more crowded Times Square becomes with visitors, the more off-putting it is for the white-collar office workers who now have the choice to...
The Internet Is Broken. Here’s How To Fix It
The root is simple: The internet is broken because the internet is a business. While the issues are various and complex, they are inextricable from...
Has NYC Finally Gotten serious About Prosecuting The Illegal Antiquities Trade?
“That’s unheard of. It used to be a gentleman’s sport done by gentleman for gentleman. Now these gentleman and gentlewomen of the trade are...
Garrison Keillor’s Next Act
“I feel like I’m starting a new life as a writer,” he says to me. “What I have is a pleasure in writing that...
Not Just Top Gun: US Military Has Had Editorial Control Over Thousands Of Movies
The Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency have exercised direct editorial control over more than 2,500 films and television shows. These discoveries raise questions...
First Look: Pix Of Bradley Cooper As Leonard Bernstein
“I (told Spielberg), ‘I always felt like I could play a conductor, but may I research the material and see if I can write...
Artists Boycott Marquee British Art Show
The British Art Show is being staged at four venues across the city. But 26 artists have pulled out in protest after accusations of...
Artist Pays For Grilled Cheese Sandwich With Painting. Now The Painting Is Worth $272,000
The sandwich, priced at $1.95, was made with fresh bread from a local Italian bakery, aged cheddar cheese and a substantial smear of butter...
Orchestra League Launches New Commissioning Program
The initiative announced on Thursday will build on those efforts, pairing each of the six composers with five ensembles. The program, which will cost...
Stiff Sentence For Artworld Fraudster Rattles Art World
In other words, the sentence was meant to scare off or inhibit potential fraudsters with the threat of substantial incarceration time. With it, Judge...