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Does “Sound Of Music” Still Hold Up After 60 Years?

“The filmmaking is, I think, up there with anything Hollywood's produced. And musically … there's not many musicals out there, if any, which have as many classics on the soundtrack as The Sound of Music.” - CBC

The Surveillance Workplace Is Coming For Us

For many workers, both remote and in person, the workplace has quietly shifted into a site of constant measurement—where every pause can trigger scrutiny and where productivity is no longer just about results but continuous presence. - The Walrus

What I Learned From The Difficult Book Club

None of us are academic philosophers, by any means; we have busy jobs and other pressing adult responsibilities. But the process has proved fruitful. A camaraderie emerges, I’ve found, when a group dedicates itself to a task that requires great effort. - The New York Times

America’s Leading Medical Museum To Get $27 Million Upgrade

“The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, which runs the popular Mütter Museum, announced plans on Monday to expand its footprint at 22nd and Chestnut Streets with a new, accessible entrance, larger galleries, educational and event spaces, an upgraded gift shop, and a renovated core gallery for the museum.” - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)

Warner Music Group Makes AI Rights Deal With Udio

The deals underline how AI is shaking up the music industry. AI-generated music has been flooding streaming services amid the rise of song generators that instantly spit out new tunes based on prompts typed in by users without any musical knowledge. - APNews

Seattle International Film Festival Bought An Iconic Theatre. It Didn’t Work So Well. Now SIFF’s Director Is Out (Immediately)

Earlier this year, The Times spoke to a dozen current and former SIFF staff and board members, many of whom expressed profound concerns about both SIFF and the impact that the landmark acquisition had on the organization amid broader challenges in the industry. - Seattle Times 

Why Is The New York Public Library Giving Away Books?

Usually you have to return books you get from a library. Today the New York Public Library will give books away — 1,000 books from its list of the best titles of 2025, chosen by more than 80 librarians from branches across the library’s system. If you get one, you won’t have to return it. - The New York Times

How New Motion-Capture Technology Might Affect Dancers And Choreographers

An exec at the firm Move AI insists that the combination of motion-capture and AI software isn’t to replace dance artists but to streamline the repetitive, tedious process of animation. (The dance artists are still nervous.) Meanwhile, other AI programs stand to make the work of dance historians and archivists easier. - Dance Magazine

New $234M Record Sale For Modern Art

The 71-by-51-inch painting, named after its subject, was sold at a Sotheby’s auction in New York on Tuesday evening for $236.4 million, including fees. It belonged to the private collection of Leonard Lauder, the cosmetics heir who died in June. - Washington Post

Three University Leaders Discuss Challenges Facing Education

Many universities, not all, but many, were for a period of time deeply focused on identity diversity, and really not so focused on viewpoint diversity or belief diversity. I think there’s a danger of a pendulum swinging too far in the other direction. - The New York Times

Concern As Warner Brothers Sale Looms

Warners Brothers has had multiple owners over the decades. Three years ago, Warner Media, as it was called, merged with Discovery. And in June, the company announced it would split in two, with film, TV and streaming studios in one camp, and in the other, mostly legacy cable channels, including CNN. - NPR

This University Restructured, Eliminating Traditional Departments (And Humanities?)

The departments of English, classics, philosophy, world languages and Spanish and Latino studies, for example, will be grouped into the tentatively titled School of Human Narratives and Creative Expressions. - The New York Times

Ex-Employees Accuse Smoky Robinson Of Sexual Assault

“Two more former employees of the soul music star Smokey Robinson, both male and female, have alleged he sexually assaulted them, which he denies. Robinson is already facing similar allegations from four other former employees, who filed a ($50 million) joint lawsuit in May.” - The Guardian

One Company Is Flooding The Zone With Tens Of Thousands Of AI-Generated Podcasts — And People Are Listening

“Point AI, a startup with eight employees, (cranks) out 3,000 episodes a week covering everything from localized weather reports to a detailed account of Charlie Kirk's assassination and its cultural impact to a biography series on Anna Wintour. Its podcasting network has generated 12 million lifetime episode downloads and amassed 400,000 subscribers.” - TheWrap (MSN)

What’s Behind The Board Exodus At The Palm Springs Art Museum? Evidently, A Financial Mess

It’s not as simple as the museum not having enough money. An audit report indicates that there have been some very questionable accounting practices at PSAM — questionable enough that one of the eight board members who have resigned so far did so on the advice of his personal attorney. - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)

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