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The Magical Power Of House Dance

With its freestyle form and openness to incorporating almost any movement style — from tap to voguing to capoeira to jacking — house dance has flexibility and what economists might call low barriers to entry, so it easily brings people together, especially at protests and other such public gatherings. - The Guardian

Explaining The Controversy Over The Painted Ancient Greek Statuary At The Met Museum

The argument is not about pristine whiteness or the purity of uncolored marble: scholars have known ancient Greek statuary was originally painted for over a century.  At issue is the particular approach used by the archaeologists behind this exhibit and the flat visual affect that results. - The New York Times

A Trans Cleveland Orchestra Staffer Is Suing Her Employers For Discrimination.  The Issue?  Health Insurance

Rem Wransky had completed her transition when she became the orchestra's web developer in April 2021, but she developed some physically painful complications which, her doctors say, require surgery.  The orchestra's insurance coverage specifically excludes gender transition care, a fact management claims it was unaware of. - The Buckeye Flame (Ohio)

For Its New Artistic Leadership, Philadelphia Theatre Company Scores A 2-For-1 Deal

Co-artistic directors and spouses Taibi Magar and Tyler Dobrowsky are coming from Trinity Rep in Providence, where they were, respectively, associate artistic director and director of new play development. "They have a unique skill set," says PTC's board chair, "with Taibi's directing skills, and Tyler's organizational skills." - The Philadelphia Inquirer

It Seems The Prized Galileo Manuscript At U.Mich Is A Forgery

"Now the staff of the Michigan library is considering ways to use the object to examine the methods and motivations behind forgeries, potentially making it the centerpiece of a future exhibit or symposium. 'The forgery is a really good one,' said (the university's dean of libraries)." - The New York Times

The Unexpurgated Darwin — Lost Notebooks Reveal His Thinking

For academics, the uncooked contents of the notebooks represent some of the liveliest writing in biology. “A lot of Darwin’s prose feels quite Victorian. But these are different: an early form of stream of consciousness; like Leopold Bloom on steroids.” - The New Yorker

The Internet Has Become A Giant Whataboutism Chamber

Attention is finite, the record of how we spend it public, and it is easy enough to check if somebody who tweets every day about Ukraine has ever tweeted about Yemen. Many people are inclined to give somebody they trust a pass. - Hedgehog Review

Publishing’s Blockbuster Merger Trial Is Turning Out To Be Something Of A Circus

The spectacle has been curiously entertaining. Publishing executives have had to initiate federal employees into a dialect of “backlists,” “advance copies,” and “BookTok influencers.” Onlookers have been treated to piquant performances. - The New Yorker

Why Streaming Services Are Adding Ads

But ads are coming back because streamers have more info about our consumption habits than the cable companies or networks ever did, so the ads are more valuable than ever. Plus, there’s no skipping ads via DVR when you’re streaming on Hulu et al. - The Bulwark

UK Literary Festivals Are Back. But…

“The mood music seemed that ‘leisure’ activities had to be jettisoned due to the already felt increased cost of fuel/food, and there was a palpable anxiety about how much more expensive life may yet become and for how long the cost-of-living pressures would be felt.” - The Guardian

The 1927 Scandal That Made Mae West’s Career

"Before West hit the big-screen, she was prosecuted for staging not one, but two scandalous plays. In this episode of Decoder Ring, we look at how West honed her persona when she was under the bright lights of Broadway and the flashbulbs of the tabloids — and briefly behind bars." - Slate

Mounting Evidence? People Are Stopping Listening To Music

For the last few years, I have felt the inescapable disappearance of music from my friends’ lives. Even people with whom I have longstanding relationships that were born from a shared love of music have simply let it go, or let it fade deep into the background.  - The Guardian

“Soylent Green”, Made 50 Years Ago, Is Set In 2022.  Here’s Why It Got Things So Wrong — And Changed So Few Minds Back...

" Movies like Soylent Green abandon such messiness in favor of predictive certainty as they set out to shock people into action. ... And as predictions fail to materialize, shock and concern risk turning to cynicism and doubt." - Slate

Seattle’s Arts After The Pandemic: Reckoning Or Opportunity?

In the ’80s and ’90s the arts were ascendant here, and Seattle was well regarded nationally as an up and coming arts town. Then poof, much of that energy melted away. Why? - Post Alley

Public Radio’s Efforts To Diversify Its Interviewees Are Working

"Journalists at NPR and Minnesota Public Radio say they are seeing the payoff from a heightened focus on tracking the diversity of their sources, with reporters more keenly aware of the need to expand their pools of interviewees." - Current

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