The mercantile/community gatherings date back to at least the 14th century, and though they've since spread through much of the world, they're especially dear to Germany (where pandemic-induced cancellations hit very hard). Here's the story of the markets, from prune Zwetschgenmännle to hot Glühwein. - Quartz
Chicago has a forest of imposing skyscrapers, and nothing else like this squat concoction of glass and steel that looks from the outside like a spaceship docked in the heart of the Loop, and reveals, on the inside, the city’s most vertiginous and spectacular atrium. - Chicago Reader
The old way it was practised, at vast scale, and across increasingly porous borders, has begun to look like it might be a terminal casualty. At the time of writing, there are only memories, and the work of reorienting ourselves to a more inert and less hospitable world. - Aeon
Flooding caused by the storm wrecked the studios of Roxey Ballet in Lambertville, NJ; said director Mark Roxey, "The building was submerged in water. It looked like everything had been flipped upside down and shaken in a snowglobe." Here's how the community came to the rescue. - Pointe Magazine
RX France is challenging the validity of the process, claiming that it has received two written commitments to the fairs from RMN-Grand Palais, the public body that owns the beaux-arts building, in 2019 and in 2021. - Artnet
"Partisans on either side looking for affirmation of their stance will be disappointed. … Neither condemning nor condoning his actions, the film offers what may be the clearest image of the archetypal cop's self-perception as the only one willing to do the dirty jobs holding America together." - The Guardian
This selective information release does little to quell anxieties, and resentment toward the Broadway establishment is often triggered. - Washington Post
to Cairo and asked people there about it — and she found that people, even those who've never seen it themselves, seem generally proud of Aïda and its glorification of their homeland's ancient history. - The Guardian
She led the way in introducing the country to contemporary dance, not least at the Paris Opera Ballet, which she ran for two decades, and she helped establish choreography centers with resident companies throughout France. Here she talks about her choices and her legacy. - The New York Times
Two factories in France produce much of the world's synthetic ultramarine pigment; one stopped making it, and the other couldn't meet the extra demand and froze exports, causing difficulties for all sorts of businesses worldwide. And there are similar issues with other colors. - Yahoo! (The Washington Post)
In Virginia, Texas, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere, whether the topic is race, sexuality, history, or something else, grownups trying to keep particular books from teens end up reminding the teens that those books exist and can be obtained from booksellers. - The Guardian
The scheduled conductor and all four soloists, who'd been rehearsing together, tested positive the day before Wednesday's concert — and, rather than canceling, the orchestra managed to round up another cast and conductor within 24 hours. David Patrick Stearns reports on how it went. - The Philadelphia Inquirer
With three cast members testing positive for COVID and only two understudies available, Keenan Scott II grabbed his script for Thoughts of a Colored Man and decided to go onstage himself. (Alas, after the following night's performance, the run was cancelled anyway.) - Playbill
On Monday, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that £30 million ($40 million) was being added to Arts Council England's Culture Recovery Fund. On Thursday, that amount was raised to £60 million ($80 million), including £1.5 million ($2 million) earmarked for freelancers. - Artnet
