Stories

Audiologists say this could make one’s ears howl, create an uncomfortable sensation of density in one’s head, and eventually make it impossible to hear human conversation. Yet I persist . . . Why? - LitHub

Individuals who heard them as babies relied on them, decades later, as parents and grandparents. Not even the symphony or fugue or sonata can boast such endurance or efficacy. - Ted Gioia

Universities, more than any other institution, shape our conception of what constitutes worthwhile knowledge. Therefore, if we want philosophy to thrive in the contemporary university, we will need to clearly articulate a very different vision of what a university is for. - The Point

This is a form that asks readers to suspend their disbelief, and so like any piece of theater, it trades on its own vulnerability, invites our complicity, as if only the quality of our attention protects it from reality’s brutal puncture. - BookForum

"I’m tired of life, because this is a world that I no longer recognise and since I can’t expect the world to adapt to me, it would be better if I got out of the way." - Gramilano

Yes, it was devastating - and it also opened up the arts to many who couldn't access them before. How do we keep shows relevant and accessible to all? - FastCompany

But many artists and other Canadians wonder where the info is about what came before emancipation - slavery in Canada. - CBC

Inevitable in the TikTok-driven universe? "NFT markets like Atomic Hub, Nefty Blocks and OpenSea are filled with creators barely old enough to drive. They promote their work not through blue-chip galleries or auction houses but on social media." - The New York Times

And considering that series' success - though a very rapid fall-off after the ... let's call it disappointing ... final season - why aren't there more adaptations? - Washington Post

McConnell acted in a few of Alfred Hitchcock's movies, and had an acting career of her own separate from him. But "while her acting career was linked to her father, she made clear in her book that her mother had a strong cinematic partnership with him." - The New York Times

Consider "Tricky Dick," "Slick Willy," and, of course, the recent president, that "short-fingered vulgarian." - LitHub

It's a board game. About birds. - Slate

At least, according to the Edinburgh Book Festival's director, who says, "One thing is for certain, we are not going back to the festivals of 2019." - BBC

Sorry, but how did they pull this off? And why Christmas in August? (Spoilers in the article. Lots of delightful spoilers.) - Los Angeles Times

Performers fanned out across the city to play Billy Joel's 1976 hit in a new music video meant to improve, er, New York's state of mind. - The New York Times