Douglas McLennan
Doug is the editor of ArtsJournal
Remembering Painter Frank Auerbach Who Has Died At 93
In almost any Auerbach oil painting, early or late, rawness is thick on the ground. So dense, so clotted, and so busily heaped is...
Baltimore Symphony Oboist Has Become A Clearing House For Classical Music’s #MeToo Reckoning
“We need to show our industry and music-loving public that there are consequences for inappropriate behaviour,” Katherine Needleman says. - Baltimore Banner
In Our Culture Success Is Often Measured By Its Ability Scale. What If This...
There is a flaw at the heart of the concept of scaling, though it can be hard to articulate in the face of “bigger...
Broadway Is Having A Country Music Moment
For the most part, show tunes on Broadway still sound more influenced by Andrew Lloyd Webber than by, say, Morgan Wallen. But country music...
A New Prize For Music Criticism Named After William Littler
The longtime Toronto Star classical music critic reflects: Littler remembers the words of a former editor who told him, your job is to take...
Prominent Author Accused Of Stealing Algerian Woman’s Story
This year’s winner of France’s biggest book prize is being sued in Algeria over claims he stole the story from a patient of his...
European Movies Are Getting Critical Raves. Box Office Success Is Another Story
On Thursday, the European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO), a research body, published its annual report on the theatrical performance of European movies worldwide. It’s not...
Talk Of Decolonizing Is Everywhere. But What It Means Is Uncertain
In contrast to the seeming clarity of colonialism (however much it elides that process’s own complications), current discussions of decolonisation can seem amorphous and...
The UK Is Getting Serious About Cracking Down On Social Networks
Peter Kyle, the secretary of state for science and technology, is trying to convince social media platforms to do more to prevent online harms,...
Same Old Same Old: Our Culture Industry Relentlessly Mines Nostalgia
They do not feel like fun experiments or celebrations of beloved albums. They feel like the onward acceleration of a culture industry that is...
Lawrence Tibett Forecast Today’s Crisis In American Opera Back In 1950
He declared opera in America “in grave danger,” entrapped by a “star system” enforced by a social elite. He advocated American opera and opera...
Today’s AJ Highlights
Good morning: When voters elected far right governments in Hungary and Poland, the new leaders started changing the rules for how government would work....
When A Writer Should Just Say “Etcetera” (Literarily Speaking, Of Course)
When do we feel compelled to say “etcetera” or “ityadi” or even “blah blah,” not just literally or in a manner of speaking but...
Boston’s Institute Of Contemporary Art Gets A New Director
Nora Abrams, who has been the director of Denver’s Museum of Contemporary Art since 2019, will succeed Jill Medvedow, who will leave her position...
Portland Oregon Changed How It Funds The Arts. Small Arts Organizations Aren’t Happy
The city argues that its new method of funding organizations creates a more equitable process to sustain the city’s myriad creative centers. But many...
A Weapon To Crush Uppity Arts Non-Profits?
"This is a troubling turn of events, particularly for the arts, where nonprofit organizations are prominent players in the form of museums, alternative art...
US House Passes Bill That Would Let Administration Strip Any Nonprofit As “Terrorist-Supporting”
This legislation would allow the Secretary of the Treasury to designate section 501(c) nonprofits as “terrorist supporting organizations” at the Secretary’s discretion, without requiring...
How Popular Culture Might Change During A Second Trump Term
In many ways the cultural legacy of the first Trump administration was more visible in backlash and protest. But it’s possible the second time...
Tuning In To Bird Songs And Understanding Deep Listening
Whether you do it while in the heart of the Amazon or on your walk to work, deep listening is a form of mindfulness....
A Recreated Pina Bausch Classic With Original Dancers Playing In Front Of Film Of...
The performers, ages 69 to 80, will dance the roles they created while footage from that first production, filmed by Rolf Borzik, plays alongside them...
A Short History Of The Actresses Of “Wicked”
Between that obstinate Elphaba and the bubbly Glinda the Good — “Wicked” has grossed more than $1.6 billion on Broadway while enduring as itsfourth-longest-running...
Today’s AJ Highlights
Good Morning: We're at the stranded assets part of the cable television business. Comcast has decided to spin off its cable networks (though not...
How A Refugee From The Kennedy Center Built A Center For Dance In Southern...
Judy Morr "decided to do something nobody else was doing in Southern California, which was to bring major international dance companies to Orange County....
Musical America Names Its Artists Of The Year
Barbara Hannigan heads the list. - Musical America
Study: Many Readers Prefer Chatbot Shakespeare To The Real Thing
A.I. chatbots can imitate famous poets like William Shakespeare well enough to fool many human readers, according to a new paper published Thursday in...
