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The Right’s Attack On African-American Studies And What’s At Stake

In the so-called concern about the left ruling the campuses, what we actually have is an onslaught by the right wing to control what we read, who we talk to, and what we talk about. - The New Yorker

What Was Up With That New York Times Column Saying The Waffle House Brawl Video Should Be In A Museum? Ben Davis Figures It...

"Turning the spotlight on the sensational viral clip, only to describe the violence in it as a kind of picturesque genre scene, doesn't really do much to cut against the stereotype of out-of-touch liberal media.  Still, I have some compassion for the writer and editors here." - Artnet

X-Rays Reveal Portrait Under Cezanne Masterpiece

The X-ray, oriented on its side, has the original Still Life composition occupying two quadrants on the right. But the left side—the black backdrop of the final composition—reveals a face with deep set eyes and a distinct nose and mouth. - Atlas Obscura

What Made Kyle Abraham into A Choreographer? Getting Fired By Bill T. Jones

"For a moment there I think I lost what my goal was in being choreographer. ... What I realized, after getting fired from that job, is that I wanted to be in the room but I didn't necessarily want to be a dancer in the room." - National Endowment for the Arts

Portrait Of The Next-Generation Art Collector

Owning around 150 artworks, the Paris-based art collector actively shares his latest art acquisitions and stylish home interiors on his Instagram profile. Many of the artists in his art collection are some of the rising stars in the art world. - Larry's List

So How Amazingly Productive Was Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks During Lockdown?

"From March 2020 to April 2021, Parks wrote a short play a day. Sometimes, Parks would write multiple (sic). Other times, Parks would write fragments of a song, eventually creating 23 original songs for the theatrical piece that charts the family's journey through the pandemic." - The Guardian

In Nairobi, A Kenyan Nonprofit Is Making Libraries Truly Public, And Beautiful

The "public" libraries used to be segregated, for whites only, and then they fell into disrepair. Now, Kenyans "are here to reclaim history, to occupy its architecture and to subvert its intended use." - The New York Times

The Beltracchis: How The Great Art-Forging Couple Of Our Age Did It, And Why

"Rather than forging existing paintings, Wolfgang produced hundreds of original works that skillfully imitated the styles of deceased European artists including Max Ernst, Fernand Léger, Kees van Dongen and André Derain. His wife Helene then sold them as previously undocumented works, sometimes for seven-figure sums." - CNN

Salman Rushdie Gives His First Interview Since The Attack That Cost Him An Eye

"I've found it very, very difficult to write. I sit down to write, and nothing happens. I write, but it's a combination of blankness and junk, stuff that I write and that I delete the next day. I'm not out of that forest yet, really." - The New Yorker

Post-Pandemic, US Theatres Try To Innovate Their Way Back To Long-Term Health

"Thanks to a combination of lackluster ticket sales and an end to government relief, they have no choice but to try out new things."  Here's a look at what three of them — Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Control Group Productions (Denver), and the West Village Rehearsal Co-Op (Manhattan) — are trying. - NPR

Penguin Random House Restructures After Its Failed Bid To Buy Simon & Schuster

"Though the restructuring is still a work in progress, its goal is to reinvigorate internal competition for new titles among PRH's many imprints. ... The question about how aggressively (the) imprints actually bid against one another came up during the trial … to block PRH's S&S purchase." - Publishers Weekly

AMC Will Start Pricing Movie Tickets According To Location

"The mega-exhibitor is following music concerts, sporting events and other entertainment venues in setting its ticket pricing strategy to sightlines for seating selections. AMC patrons attending cinemas after 4 p.m. will be able to pay different prices based on their proximity to the movie screen within the auditorium." - The Hollywood Reporter

Italy’s Opera Companies Are Working Together To Help Purchase Verdi’s House

"The Italian government has a new plan to buy the home of composer Giuseppe Verdi in Milan. They will be partnering with opera houses throughout Italy to present concerts featuring music by Verdi, with all proceeds going towards purchasing the composer's home." - Ludwig Van

Damage To Ancient Heritage Sites In The Turkey-Syria Earthquakes

"The partial destruction of a Roman-era castle in the Turkish city of Gaziantep has led to fears that two earthquakes that struck on Monday may have damaged other priceless monuments in Turkey and Syria, areas rich in cultural heritage." - The Guardian

How “Yellowstone” Became An Epic TV Franchise

What distinguishes the show—what makes it good, or at least enticing—lies instead in the workings of genre. In “Yellowstone,” Sheridan has corralled the ranging tropes of the Western into the chambers of domestic melodrama. - The New Yorker

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