Stories

Graffman, now 92 and formerly the music school's director and president, had been its leading piano teacher, with Yuja Wang and Lang Lang among his students. Higdon, a Pulitzer- and Grammy-winning composer, cited musical and family commitments for her departure. - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Little Amal, a 20-foot representation of a nine-year-old Syrian refugee girl, is being walked by her handlers from Gazantiep, Turkey to Manchester, England. A local council in Greece is the first, and probably not the last, to ban her from town. - The New York Times

The Museo de Arte Contemporâneo Atchugarry, now under construction in the exclusive seaside resort town of Punta del Este, is being built and funded by Pablo Atchugarry, perhaps Uruguay's most prominent living artist. Opening is planned for early January. - Artnet

A vibrant, educated, outward-looking civil society formed, and many Afghans facing Taliban 2.0 have no memory of the shockingly brutal Taliban regime that fell in 2001. Kabul may not be governable by the old Taliban methods. - Washington Post

As a museum, it has always been a disaster. Ever since it opened, the New National Gallery has been dogged by cracking windows, heavy condensation and awkward display spaces, presenting a curatorial nightmare for its staff. - The Guardian

Most of the time, thinking sounds like hard work, but add “smart” to the front and it sounds more attractive: hipsterishly mid-Atlantic, vaguely technological (like “smartphone”), and with an implied promise of some handy trick or shortcut. - The Guardian

BookTok is a hashtag on TikTok, where readers post videos of book recommendations, talk about writing novels and make reading-related jokes. The hashtag #BookTok currently has more than 18 billion views on TikTok. - CBC

According to a series of surveys conducted by researchers at the University of London, not only did those who engaged in naturism have higher levels of self-esteem and life satisfaction than their clothed counterparts, they also became even happier as they participated in those activities more frequently. - The Walrus

The iconic MLA Handbook has added an entry for TikTok, so Noam Chomsky 2.0s, who need to cite videos from the social media powerhouse, can now do it properly. - Fast Company

Indeed, in our age of social media, words are often used as weapons. Poetry instead treats words with care. - The New York Times

Many times when teaching, (especially dance criticism or dance history) I find that many people do not know important and influential dancers, teachers or choreographers that came before them, and they have no curiosity in learning. This leads to a kind of arrogant ignorance. - Anabella Lenzu

he source of discovery is the last 70 years of music. It's all brand new, right now. So you're competing with every song that has ever come out." -BBC

At this tumultuous moment, I think we each have to decide for ourselves which pieces of art to keep, and which to throw out. Perhaps fandom -- defined as the attachment to the artist as creator -- should no longer be the point. - CNN

For violinist Jennifer Koh, the answer crystallized early in 2020: Hire composers, and get on Instagram. - NPR

DC and Marvel got you bored? Hunt down Captain Invincible, Griff the Invisible, or, even better, the TV series Cleverman, told from an Indigenous Australian perspective. - The Guardian (UK)