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An Oral History Of One Of The Best, And Most Meta, “Simpsons” Episodes Ever

"Stars Yeardley Smith, Nancy Cartwright, Hank Azaria and writer David X. Cohen, among others, share new insights and secrets about the 'ballsy' episode that thumbed its nose at Hollywood brass and pushed back against viewers already claiming that the Fox show was far past its prime." - The Hollywood Reporter

Remember Ski Ballet?

"On social media, it's easy to get lost in videos of this bygone athletic art. Clips from its Olympic appearances as a demonstration sport — at Calgary in 1988 and Albertville in 1992 — surface frequently on YouTube and TikTok, to the fascination of dance and sports enthusiasts." - The New York Times

Are Small Literary Magazines Going Extinct?

"Across the country, universities are slowly, quietly, cutting funding and shutting their literary publications down. Even magazines not connected to universities are closing their doors or changing publication strategies — a trend made worse by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic." - CNN

Attempted Book Bans Are Soaring In The U.S., Thanks To The “Outrage Ecosystem”

"The books are kind of incidental. What we're really arguing about is, what does it mean to be a citizen of the United States? How do we want our children to be educated? What do we want to say about our history?" - The Christian Science Monitor

Harper Lee Estate Loses $2.5 Million Case Over “To Kill A Mockingbird” Stage Adaptations

The arbitration case was brought by Dramatic Publishing, which licenses the decades-old Mockingbird play by Christopher Sergel, long popular with schools and community theaters. The estate had tried to stop local productions of that script as Aaron Sorkin's new version was headed to Broadway. - The New York Times

Marin Alsop Extends Contract At Ravinia, Where She Will Launch A New Mini-Festival

Her tenure as the Ravinia Festival's chief conductor began (in theory) in 2020 and will now run at least through 2025. This summer, she'll lead the Chicago Symphony in the first edition of a weekend event called the Breaking Barriers Festival, which "will celebrate diverse artists and leaders." - WFMT (Chicago)

What Happens When You Teach School Kids About Racism

We are in a cultural moment in which teaching about racism and the world it has made is both essential and controversial. Critics rallying under the banner of “anti-CRT” describe this teaching as divisive and disturbing. But we can’t teach the history of the United States without teaching about slavery. - Slate

How Three Canadian Museums Are Dealing With Having Mishandled Indigenous History

The Royal BC Museum’s troubles go beyond outdated exhibits. Allegations of a toxic, racist work environment were on display for all to see, after the 2020 resignation of Lucy Bell as head of the First Nations Department and Repatriation program. - The Globe and Mail (Canada)

Immersive Art Experiences Are Taking Over

Operated by artist studios, collectives, and production companies, these projects range in finesse from sophisticated new-media installations to animated retrospectives of Impressionist painters. - The New Yorker

National Gallery of Canada Establishes New Decolonization Department

The National Gallery of Canada has committed to reimagining its collections and programs from a decolonial perspective. Today the museum announced the creation of the Department of Indigenous Ways and Decolonization. - ARTnews

I Used To Sing Opera (It Didn’t Go Well)

Every time I have an audition, I get sick. I spend hours steaming my vocal cords over a bowl at the kitchen table, gargling mountains of salt, scanning my body for early signs of voicelessness – the tickle in the throat, the pain when I swallow. - Granta

UK Library Use Plummeted Last Year

Physical library visits fell from 214.6m to 59.7m in the year to March 2021, a drop of 72%, as Covid-19 restrictions shut branches for much of the 12-month period. The closures also led to a major decline in the number of books borrowed. Unsurprisingly, the number of web visits grew – up by 18% to 154.7m. - The Guardian

New York State Is Dropping Mask Requirements, But Broadway Is Not

"Broadway's mask and vaccination policy will remain in place through at least April 30, the most recent extension date for the policy announced last month. Broadway has required audience members to be be vaccinated and wearing a mask since its return last year." - Playbill

Six Big Magazines — Including Entertainment Weekly — To Quit Print Publication

“It is not news to anyone that there has been a pronounced shift in readership and advertising from print to digital, and as a result, for a few important brands, print is no longer serving the brand’s core purpose.” - The New York Times

Native Hawaiians Are Traveling Europe, Retrieving Their Ancestors’ Bones From Museums

"Edward Halealoha Ayau … and representatives of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, a state agency for native Hawaiians, are receiving the artifacts in four German cities — Berlin, Bremen, Göttingen and Jena — and Vienna." -The New York Times

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