Douglas McLennan
Doug is the editor of ArtsJournal
The Original Mickey Mouse Copyright Is Finally Expiring. So What Will Happen To The...
The matter is more complicated than it appears, and those who try to capitalize on the expiring “Steamboat Willie” copyright could easily end up...
We’re Fascinated By Musical Prodigies. Should We Be?
The spectacle of a pint-size virtuoso — in any field, not just music — feels otherworldly, and it inspires an almost lurid fascination that...
How The Publishing World Fared In 2022
The return of shoppers to physical retailers was good news for bookstores. ABA reported a record number of members, while Barnes & Noble began...
How Matisse Transformed His Art After His Body
The new limitations of his body became an opportunity for renewal. There is a lesson here about what it means to care for the...
Physicists Create Nano-Sized Music Recording
Physicists at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) used a 3D nanolithography tool called the Nanofrazor to cut the smallest record ever. The tune they "recorded,"...
Leveraging (And Investing In) The Art Markets
When it comes to artist-driven community work, private versus grant funding isn’t an either-or proposition. Using the art market “is not just about making...
Some Of The Artists We Lost This Year
The creative people who died this year include many whose lives helped shape our own — through the art they made, and through the...
Art Platform Is Hiding Images Protesting Posting Of AI-Generated Art
ArtStation (which was acquired by Epic Games in 2021) is considered to be the leading online portfolio and community for artists working in video...
US Copyright Office Rules AI-Generated Art Can’t Be Copyrighted
The United States Copyright Office (USCO) has initiated a proceeding to reverse an earlier decision to grant a copyright to a comic book that...
The Year The Streaming Business Crashed
Streaming may be the future, but in the present, it’s not paying the bills. The subtext of the Streaming Wars always has been that...
How Kindle Novel Writers Are Using ChatGPT
I figured, Hey, if I don’t know what to write, I’ll just pop something in there and it will get me going, and I’ll be...
Australia’s Struggling Festivals Plead For Weather Insurance
With warnings mounting over a new Covid wave in the new year and the Bureau of Meteorology not predicting an end to La Niña until...
Arizona Theatre Company Gets A New Artistic Director
Arizona Theatre Company (ATC) has named Matt August, a director and educator, their new artistic director. He succeeds Sean Daniels, who will serve as director of the...
This Year’s Movie Best Actress Category Has Too Few Slots For All The Great...
This year’s race for the best-actress Oscar is so stacked with contenders that I’m ready to comb the academy bylaws for a workaround. Are...
Why Did Adults Disappear From Children’s Books?
The adult protagonist has become a rare figure in American children’s books. With a few notable exceptions most children’s books today are deeply child-centric. -...
Radio City Music Hall Removes Visitor After Facial Recognition Identifies Her As A Lawyer
Security stopped Kelly Conlon because she is a New Jersey lawyer. MSG has begun using facial recognition technology to identify any visitor to any...
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...
