The EU special representative for human rights says, "I’m alarmed by reports of alleged torture and incommunicado detention of author . He remains in detention without trial, despite a court order for his unconditional release." - LitHub
Artificial intelligence (OK, not an actual "robot") is really, really good at identifying brushstrokes. "The researchers hypothesized that brushwork on a painting leaves behind a 'fingerprint' that largely lies beyond human powers of identification" - and they were correct. - Hyperallergic
You know, hologram theatre in your kitchen or living room or ... wherever. "Theater makers are naturally fascinated: They’re used to working in 3-D. ... As soon as you bring a director or stage designer or choreographer into V.R., you see their brains whirring." - The New York Times
To be clear, one has to be at the museum to experience survivors' personal stories in VR. But "pretty much across the board, viewing audiences have been moved by this in ways that they couldn’t have expected," says Illinois Holocaust Museum CEO Susan Abrams. - Fast Company
No matter what our language choices. Consider the word like: "The conversational 'like' strikes many as merely a messy hedge that The Kids use too much. But from the point of view of linguistic analysis, 'like' is a subtle and even kindly thing." - The New York Times
Uma Thurman and Renée Fleming are both Penelope; it's just that one speaks, and one sings. Thurman: "When you put language to music, it becomes very specific. ... It’s a challenge that makes me feel like I’m doing things for the first time." - The New York Times
Selling books is complex, and author Malinda Lo, winner of the National Book Award for young people, says the label is just marketing. "I like very complicated people who make bad decisions because, you know what? Those are the ones who make the best characters." - Slate
Dakota Johnson is now a producer. She says, "It’s not about control. It’s about contribution. It’s about collaboration. ... It’s about really reaching for an idea and sticking to it and maintaining the integrity of whatever story is trying to be told." - Los Angeles Times
Stuart Eizenstat, who helped write the Washington Principles, is in an odd position. "The optics of his surfacing for the first time in a restitution case, not on the side of claimants, but of defendants, have surprised some experts in the field." - The New York Times
Or perhaps ever. Rebecca Watson: "I really don’t believe there’s a correlation ... but people try to map the piece onto the novel and interpret it as confessional. This novel was never an act of catharsis. It was a joyful act of creation." - The Guardian (UK)
Recently, Broadway shows haven't needed to cancel because of COVID cases in cast or crew, but there are a lot of empty seats - and three shows are closing in hopes of reopening in the spring. - NPR
Ana Iris Simón has been "stunned not only by the success of her book, but also by how an ultranationalist and conservative audience ... embraced Feria as an ode to Spain’s traditional family values" - which, she says, it is not. - The New York Times
Of course: "Field cast participants — aspiring dancers, actors, singers and musicians recruited from local drill teams as well as theatrical, community and athletic groups — are expected to be grateful for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." But wait; it's 2022. - Los Angeles Times
The fashion legend was "most of all his own project, Pygmalion as well as his subject, maybe with a little bit of Icarus thrown in. He embodied the transformative power of fashion, not only the domain of socialites and hobby shoppers, but an avenue for invention." - The Cut
