"Part bastion, part Brutalist Hanging Gardens of Babylon," it's is a city-within-a-city in the heart of old London, with apartments, schools, pubs, an artificial lake, and a major arts complex. In 1982 as now, some adore it, some abhor it, and everyone finds it confusing to navigate. - The Guardian
Del Toro commented: ”If any year was the year to think about it, this is not the year not to hear their names live at the Oscars. This is the year to sing and do it live.” - Variety
As an Angeleno with an hour-long commute, he was desperate to escape the "bad music and worse news" on radio and started listening to books recorded for the blind. Thus was born the idea for his company, Books on Tape, founded in 1975. - MSN (The Washington Post)
The 1952 design was initially commissioned by a fraternity at Indiana University, but money ran out before construction could begin in earnest. The plans were rediscovered at MoMA and the building is now open in Bloomington as the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design. - Dezeen
"Barbara Gaines will exit her position as artistic director of Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the company she founded some 36 years ago, … likely at the end of 2022, (by which point) almost all of the major Chicago-area theaters will have new artistic leadership from the pre-pandemic era." - MSN (Chicago Tribune)
Sam Sanders, who joined the network in 2009 and has hosted the radio show/podcast It's Been A Minute with Sam Sanders since 2017, said in his statement, "I'm taking about a month off, and then I'll be making something new again" — which likely means he's leaving for another job. - NPR
Blackwell's, a 143-year-old family business with 18 bookshops which went up for sale last month, has been purchased by hedge fund Elliott Advisors, which owns Waterstones in the UK and Barnes & Noble in the US. All management and employees will be retained, as will the Blackwell's name. - The Bookseller (UK)
A large Russian missile was fired at Freedom Square in the center of Ukraine's second-largest city, causing severe damage to the Kharkiv State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre and the Kharkiv Philharmonic Hall. At least ten people are dead and 35 injured. - Classic FM (UK)
The Russian soprano, a former protégée of Gergiev and supporter of Putin who has come under pressure to denounce the invasion of Ukraine, said in a statement, "This is not the right time for me to be performing and making music. I hope my audience will understand this decision." - Euronews
“You can read medieval monks nearly a millennium ago complaining that they were suffering from attention problems of their own. As human beings get older, they can focus less, and they become convinced that this is a problem with the world and with the next generation, rather than with their own failing minds.” - The Baffler
As the financial community shuts its doors to Russia, scores of Russian millionaires and billionaires may need to convert their trophy Warhols, Rothkos, and Picassos into cash—just as international sanctions have made them toxic to do business with. - Artnet
The Online News Act, like Australia’s code, will compel Google and Meta to agree licensing deals for the online content of broadcasters as well as written news publishers. - Press-Gazette
“Local TV still has large audiences. Even with so much programming chasing , there’s only so many hours in the day. The strength of local stations that produce local news, weather and sports is that this is the kind of thing that is very personal to people. - Variety
Not only has Russia been stripped of two prestigious events – the Champions League men’s final and Formula One’s Russian Grand Prix –but an increasing number of performances by Russians are being cancelled worldwide. - The Guardian
In the 1840s, a similar interest in amateur play took hold in the United States. ‘Home amusements’, as one guidebook dubbed them, ranged from elaborately scripted and staged theatrical entertainments and living pictures (tableaux vivants) to simple charades, pantomimes and optical illusions. - Psyche
