Douglas McLennan
Doug is the editor of ArtsJournal
Catch The “Vibe”
Once, vibe, mood, and energy were watchwords of the counterculture. Today, this vocabulary has diffused beyond any niche group. - The Drift
What We Learned About Teaching Music Online
Going online has forced music educators to adapt existing ideas, or adopt existing technology, to discover, invent and share ways to reach students to...
Can American Audiences Still Do Ambiguity?
We want thinking and imagining lives that are active rather than passive, evolving rather than static. A flourishing shared cultural life is one in...
Despite Omicron, LA Art Fairs Push Ahead
Typically this weeklong coagulation of art fairs in mid-February — dubbed Frieze Week — draws art makers, sellers, collectors and spectators from around the globe, which...
The Value Of Stephen Sondheim’s Estate
The “West Side Story” songwriter’s assets totaled approximately $75 million, according to papers accompanying his 2017 will filed in Manhattan Surrogate’s court last month....
San Francisco Arts Organizations Wondering At Delays In City Funding
Over the past few months, arts administrators across the city have become increasingly distressed by the significant delays they’ve experienced while trying to get...
How The FBI’s Art Theft Team Works
Despite the United States’ status as an art market leader with a 42% share of the global pie today, the FBI Art Crime Team...
Theatre Lies: The Liberating Feeling Of Making S***t Up
The most fun part about writing is that every writer I know is a fucking liar. Some think this is radical political work. Some...
Introducing “The Society For The Preservation Of Western Music” Let The Piling On Begin
The letter alludes that the new publication is in response to “…the virulent spread of identity-based concert programming.” It goes on to state they...
Why Amanda Gorman Almost Didn’t Read Her Inaugural Poem
"I’m a firm believer that often terror is trying to tell us of a force far greater than despair. In this way, I look...
Above All, Literature Teaches Empathy
Writers and artists are not primarily trying to reform the world; their mission is to imagine it, to deliver it. Yes, there can be...
Reconsidering Classic Literature?
The old classics still have the power to move and transform young people in ways that no technical education can. We don’t have to...
Next COVID Hazard: Audience Insecurity
The past few months have been exceptionally tough for arts events because audiences ‘are prioritising seeing family and friends, or wanting to reduce the...
Aussie Arts Desperately Need An Insurance Scheme During COVID Uncertainty
The CEO of Live Performance Australia says the Omicron variant has dashed hopes of a live arts sector bounce back in 2022, and that...
Deborah Cullinan Is Leaving Yerba Buena To Be Stanford University’s First VP Of Arts
She explained that her job will be less about individual programming decisions, which will remain the prerogative of those programs’ leaders, and more about...
The Myths Of A Common Language
If the confusion of tongues is not the primary source of human conflict, might the corollary be true: that resolving conflict doesn’t require a common language? -...
Could End Of The BBC’s License Fee Spell The End For Public Broadcasting?
The licence fee announcement needs to be seen as part of a wider legacy in which the government has questioned the relevance of the...
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Settles Wrongful Termination Suit With Former Director Nathalie Bondil
Bondil’s claim alleged the board “orchestrated, led, and continues to lead an intentional campaign of defamation and destruction of her reputation.” Now, the museum...
Can Theatre Learn Something About Value From Professional Soccer?
At a time of a public health emergency, more people appear to have prioritised football than theatregoing. We should ask why. The answer is...
Auction Of Nelson Mandela Personal Items Is Blocked
The South African government objected to the sale, which was scheduled to take place later this month, arguing that several items on the block,...
Ancient Cynicism Was Empowering. The Modern Version Is Paralyzing Us
What was satire then is ideology today: Cynicism—the belief that people are generally morally bankrupt and behave treacherously in order to maximize self-interest—dominates American...
The Oakland Symphony After Michael Morgan’s Death
Morgan’s leadership — which was characterized by people who knew and worked with him as values-based, community-oriented, and energetic — left no doubt among those at...
Streaming Boom Has Been A Career Boon For Older Actors
It's no secret that Hollywood has faced accusations of ageism, seeking younger audiences at the expense of older players both in front of and...
What America Listens To: Mostly Oldies (Is That A Problem?)
According to MRC Data, old songs now represent 70% of the US music market. Those who make a living from new music—especially that endangered species...
LA Review of Books Founder Talks About The Challenges Of Running A Literary Publication
We had to learn to insert ourselves into social media conversations, and that will continue to be a series of moving goalposts. Facebook, for...