Stories

The Various Things British People Mean When They Say “Sorry”

“In the UK, ‘sorry’ is not simply an apology, it's a cultural reflex – a five-letter pressure valve used to soften requests, smooth over awkwardness, fill conversational gaps and avoid the national horror of seeming rude. … For visitors, the puzzle is ... working out what ‘sorry’ actually means.” - BBC

Leading Paris Gallery Goes Bankrupt After 36 Years, Closes

Air de Paris, a leading French gallery, will close its doors and declare bankruptcy after 36 years in business, the gallery’s cofounders, Florence Bonnefous and Edouard Merino, tell Cultured. - ARTnews

Harvey Weinstein Is On His Third Trial For This Rape Case — And This Time Nobody’s Paying Much Attention

The disgraced movie mogul was first tried for the alleged assault of Jessica Mann in 2020; he was convicted of third-degree rape, but the verdict was overturned in 2024 over prosecutors' missteps. Weinstein’s 2025 retrial had a hung jury, and the current retrial is drawing little interest from media or spectators. - Vulture (MSN)

The (Mis)Understanding Of Joan Didion

The places and events that Didion samples in the late Sixties—a time of unpopular foreign involvements, identity-based unrest at home, and a divisive, enigmatic national government—make right now an instructive time to read Slouching. - Hedgehog Review

Is Capitalism Forever? Or…

No matter how one defines capitalism, the concept has served its critics well. Capitalism named an enemy, gave it a shape, and showed that it was on the march, threatening everything in its path. It still does. Scholars, by contrast, have often blanched at the term, dismissing it as political or polemical. - The Nation

Radical Reinvention Won’t Save Orchestras. Maybe Another Way?

 Fruitful change in classical concert-going isn’t going to happen via a revolution. Change can only happen in a piecemeal, gradual way, building on what already exists. So, rather than throwing out the overture-concerto-symphony as a tired old relic, why not repurpose it? - The Telegraph

Australia Announces A$1.1 Billion Arts Funding Budget

“The government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled a $1.1 billion (just under US$800 million) arts and culture package in the 2026–27 Federal Budget, headlined by increased (money for funding agency) Creative Australia, targeted support for national collecting institutions and new investment in cultural infrastructure projects across the country.” - Limelight (Australia)

PRX Leans Into Innovation In Public Media Crisis

PRX works with 900 stations across the U.S., distributing more than 20 public radio shows like “The Moth” and “Latino USA.” They reach 5.3 million U.S. listeners each week — growth that PRX acknowledges bucks the trend of declining public radio audiences. - Inside Radio

Time Out Names London As The World’s Top Culture Scene

Recognised for the scale, quality and accessibility of its cultural scene, the UK capital embraces diverse communities and historic landmarks, alongside an extraordinary range of world-class museums and galleries – many of them free to visit. - Time Out

Seismic Shift: Streaming Ad Buying About To Overtake TV Ad Revenue

After increasing rapidly in recent years, streaming ad spending is projected to approach $20 billion by 2029, not far off linear TV ad spending, according to estimates from ad consulting firm Madison and Wall. - The Wall Street Journal (MSN)

Why Disney’s New Chief Is Pushing Back Against Trump Administration

“Two months into Josh D’Amaro’s leadership, amid renewed calls from the White House to fire (Jimmy) Kimmel and the Federal Communications Commission threatening ABC’s The View, Disney is biting back. Disney’s 52-page brief to the FCC last week marked a pivot from its conciliatory approach under (Bob) Iger to Trump’s second term.” - TheWrap (Yahoo!)

Five Ideas To Fix Spotify

Music revenues were up 6.4% last year, marking its eleventh consecutive year of growth. The industry has doubled since 2014 and there are now 837 million people paying for streaming subscriptions around the world. - The Artist Economy

How AI Killed Off The Princeton Honor Code

A study of thousands of students at Rutgers University found that, in 2017, a majority copied their homework answers from the internet. AI has taken that dynamic to new extremes. It can mimic any writing style, produce a unique essay, and add in typos to make it appear human-authored.  - The Atlantic

Pianist Sues Melbourne Symphony Over “Free Speech”

The British Australian musician is suing the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra  for discrimination based on political belief, after it cancelled one of his scheduled performances. His recital was cancelled after he dedicated a new piece by Australian composer Connor D'Netto to journalists killed in Gaza. - ABC (Australia)

Two Of America’s Leading Women Composers Set Up Mentorship Program For Their Younger Colleagues

Back in 2016, Missy Mazzoli and Ellen Reid ralked about the fact that neither of them had had any female composers as mentors, and they decided to remedy that situation for their younger colleagues. So they created Luna Composition Lab, now observing its 10th anniversary. - The New York Times

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