"Black Opals" had only four issues, in 1927-28, but it's now among the most requested items in the Free Library of Philadelphia's rare books collection, valuable both as literature and as evidence that the 1920s flowering of Black American creativity extended well beyond Upper Manhattan. - MSN (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
"Paramount was very unprepared for (the film's) success. … Instead of saying, let's preserve the original negative because it's going to be a valuable asset, they basically wore it out something awful because they used it to make so many prints." - The New York Times
Ten months after inaugurating the Rady Shell on the city's waterfront, the orchestra has begun what's budgeted as a $125 million overhaul of Copley Symphony Hall that includes improved acoustics, reconfigured space onstage for orchestra and chorus, larger seats, and expanded backstage facilities. - KPBS (San Diego)
"Even if cultural sites are unlikely to be direct targets of Russian aggression, administrators worry about the security of their collections if fighting escalates and enters urban areas. Some were concerned that Russian nationalists could attack institutions that put forward Ukrainian historical and cultural narratives." - The New York Times
Barely 24 hours before curtain time, in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Gergiev was replaced as conductor of three concerts at Carnegie Hall this weekend and two next week in Naples, Florida. Yannick Nézet-Séguin will step in at Carnegie; no conductor has yet been announced for Florida. - AP
Among her notable performances in film and television were Welcome to L.A., Last of the Red Hot Lovers, Brewster McCloud, and the third episode ever of Star Trek, but she's best remembered for her Oscar-nominated portrayal of Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in Robert Altman's M*A*S*H. - The Hollywood Reporter
The gap between the experiences of ordinary citizens and the perspectives of politicians and journalists widened throughout the long years of crisis. One damaging consequence is that many more people today are willing to suspend their disbelief in the malign fictions of far-right demagogues, podcasters and YouTubers. - London Review of Books
While digital media completely upended industries like music, movies and newspapers, most publishers and authors still make the bulk of their money from selling bound stacks of paper. - The New York Times
Carlos Miguel Prieto, who will become the sixth Music Director of the NCS, has personal roots in North Carolina and has been a regular guest conductor with the orchestra since 2011. - The Reflector
Experts have said that exploring non-medical interventions which can be prescribed more quickly, such as dance programmes, should be considered as part of the overall management of mental health problems in young people. - The Scotsman
“The ability to communicate with anyone in any language — that’s a superpower people have dreamed of forever, and AI is going to deliver that in our lifetimes.” - Protocol
"Wordplay is an embellisher. It prettifies poetry's architecture, … but it won't keep your walls and ceiling from coming down. Still, … it turns out there are moments when wordplay, taking on a structural element, does hold things together." Consider, for instance, the limerick. - Literary Hub
Activists who support Ukraine are protesting a three-concert series at New York City's famed Carnegie Hall this weekend featuring Russian conductor Valery Gergiev. - NPR
"Charles Dibdin was no one-hit wonder, but a hugely prolific, extremely famous figure. He performed in operas and then wrote his own, composed more than a thousand songs, toured one-man shows around the country, and opened his own London theatre." - BBC
The Queen of Pop had insisted that everyone attending deposit their phones into small pouches, which were then sealed, given back to us to hold on to, and only unlocked at the end of the show. - The Stage
