Stories

It’s Getting Harder To Spot AI In Contemporary Publishing

And, frankly, it’s a labor issue: “The more time an editor has to edit a particular book, the more care they can put into it.” - LitHub

Very Short Concerts Aren’t A Scam

OK: “The beauty of the less-than-an-hour show is that it ends before 10. You can get a drink or even dinner or hustle home.” - Washington Post (Yahoo)

Chains Dominate Retail, But Indie Bookstore Numbers Are Way Up

“About 422 new indie bookshops opened in 2025, according to the American Booksellers Association, a 31% rise from 2024.” What the heck? - The Guardian (UK)

It Is Physically Painful To Write This, But Hollywood Is ‘Screenmaxxing’ Now

“Screenmaxxing is big business for an imperiled theatrical exhibition industry. … PLF screens seem to be an effective way to lure them out of the house, and charge a little (or a lot) extra for the assurance that they’re seeing a version of the movie that goes above and beyond.” - The Guardian (UK)

All The Science Fiction And Fantasy Novels Reimagining China’s Past May Be Doing Weird Political Things Today

“Web novels have become a massive and highly profitable industry in China, and many titles have been adapted into blockbuster movies and TV series in recent years” - and they may be reinforcing authoritarian regimes today. - Wired

An Author’s Main Characters Might Resemble Her Demographically, But That Doesn’t Mean They’re The Same

“Writing for Ms. Riley is both straightforward and a little bit mysterious. ‘Animal instinct, honestly,’ she said.” - The New York Times

Every Town, Including Every Refugee Camp, Needs A Theatre

“As migrants faced uncertainty, displacement and made frequent attempts to cross into the United Kingdom, a robust arts community began to take shape inside the Good Chance Theatre. Residents staged stand-up comedy, music, storytelling, kung fu, circus acts and theater performances.” - Sahan Journal

This RAM Shortage Thing Isn’t Going Away

Yikes: “Everything from phones and laptops, to VR headsets and gaming handhelds have seen price increases due to the RAM shortage.” - The Verge

Isa Briones Gets Her Time, On The Pitt And On Broadway

The actor who plays Santos - the abrasive, competitive, smart young resident on The Pitt - is also a dab hand at karaoke, a longtime Broadway and national touring company singer, and a person who posts Instagram Stories defending the theatre from weird Pitt fans. - Vulture

The V&A East Is Just One Example Of How England, And The Entire UK, Could Put Money Back Into The Arts

Make the United Kingdom truly good again - with culture. - The Guardian (UK)

The Film About France During WWII That Is Very, Alarmingly Relevant To Several Other Countries Right Now

Yes, you need to watch The Sorrow and the Pity, and you need to do it right now. Why? Because “Ophuls’s film is illuminating precisely because its lessons about complicity apply to evil and corruption of all kinds.” - The Atlantic

Some Companies You Probably Love Are Taking Trademarks Too Far

"If you have a granola group, seed society, cherry circle, or risotto ring, and a lawyer league owns a trademark on one of them, they might just airdrop cease-and-desist letters like leaflets over a city in World War II.” - Slate

Television And Theatre Aren’t Oil And Water, But They Don’t Mix Well, Either

“Despite so much practice, television still manages to get a few things wrong, specifically the process, the product and the people. (It occasionally manages to nail the excitement.)” - The New York Times

Reed Hastings Is Leaving Netflix, But Is It Because They Didn’t Get Warner Bros., Or Because They Ever Tried?

Bizarrely, Netflix would up in a much stronger place: “The company did not say how it plans to spend the $2.8-billion US termination fee it received after losing the Warner Bros. movie studio, including HBO, and lifted its earnings per share.” - CBC

It Takes Many Artisans To Create A Lady Gaga-Level, But Fake, Pop Star

The Mother Mary gang has been finding out over the past couple of years. - Variety

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