“I hadn’t investigated this term in depth, but I understood it to mean ‘a short story that is meandering, plotless, and slight — full of middle-class people discussing their relentlessly banal problems.’ … But they were also good!” Those characteristics were deliberately shaped by the different preferences of two key editors. - Woman of Letters
The Aztec empire did not fall because it lacked capability. It collapsed because it accumulated too many adversaries who resented its dominance. This is a historical episode the US president, Donald Trump, should take notice of as his rift with traditional US allies deepens. - The Conversation
“The sweetest, spiciest and most shocking Sundance stories are ones you don’t hear at Q&As inside the Eccles or Egyptian. … Who better to rewind the times than a group of filmmakers who had their lives changed by what went down during America’s most consequential gathering of independent film insiders?” - The Hollywood Reporter
A great human artist, we’d like to believe, amplifies and defends the exceptionalist spirit of our species but, in an echo of the anxieties that haunted early photography, a demonised version of AI threatens to steal away our souls. - Aeon
His painting are being sold to benefit public television. The latest, Change of Seasons (1990) led the sale, bringing in $787,900, more than 13 times its $60,000 high estimate. - Artnet
What if NPR decides radio is no longer worth the hassle and puts all its efforts into streaming audio and podcasts? What if it drops the national linear feed altogether or simply lets on-air programming age out with over-the-air listeners? - Editor & Publisher
While many acknowledge that the festival has outgrown the tiny ski resort where it started, “longtime Sundance-goers hope that the festival’s indie spirit won’t dim when it uproots for Colorado. And they’re happy that Sundance’s leadership opted to host the event in a college town that also boasts natural beauty.” - Variety
Perceptual psychologists have long studied what happens when people stare at uniform fields of colour without visual edges or contrasts. Sometimes, experiencing this kind of sensory deprivation can result in something known as the Ganzfeld effect: a response to a uniform field that causes the brain’s pattern recognition to work harder. - Psyche
“The English classroom is increasingly a kind of special place where it’s still possible to converse without the screen. AI only seems to make it more imperative to make sure that students are having a direct experience with the text.” - Yale Daily News
“Capital Public Radio’s former general manager Jun Reina was arrested Thursday in connection to embezzlement, grand theft and forgery charges after prosecutors accused him of misappropriating more than $1.3 million from the NPR-broadcaster licensed to Sacramento State (University).” - The Sacramento Bee
At a small liberal-arts college, where a cohort may number fewer than 500 people, admissions officers can also take a stronger hand in assembling a group of students who match the institution’s culture and its vibe while also having very different backgrounds. - The Atlantic
Over the past 15 to 20 years, declining numbers of college-age Americans and a seemingly endless rise in tuition have brought about a shift in power. Students are now treated like customers who rarely have to hear information that upsets them — because schools need their money to survive. - The New York Times
Kevin Couch, formerly the director of programming for ATG Entertainment, a British theater company, is the latest in a string of resignations and show cancellations since President Trump purged the center’s board and made himself chairman last year. - The New York Times
“At Palo Alto Players, the initiative is part of a broader effort to lower barriers to getting to the theater — one (Managing Director Elizabeth) Santana credits with putting the company in ‘a state of growth,’ a rarity in a Bay Area theater scene reeling from closed companies and abridged lineups.” - San Francisco Chronicle (Yahoo!)
