Stories

Helen DeWitt Declined A Prestigious $175,000 Prize. Is She Principled Or Crazy?

Opinions on her recent stance are strongly divided: some have praised her principled refusal to play the self-promotion game that takes so much out of writers, while others have called her a spoilt, entitled nightmare. - The Guardian

Connections Between Classical Music And Heavy Metal?

There’s more that connects metal and classical music than sets them apart. A love of volume, turning the noise up to 11? From Black Sabbath to Stravinsky, check. A worship of virtuosity, of speed, technique and orgiastic instrumental excess, from Vivaldi to Van Halen? Absolutely. - The Guardian

Owner Of Now-Closed Boulder Dance Studio Indicted For Theft, Insurance Fraud

“The owner of the shuttered Boulder dance studio, Frequency Dance, turned herself in Thursday afternoon at the Boulder County Jail after being indicted on accusations of staging two break-ins and getting more than $567,000 in fraudulent insurance payouts.” - Daily Camera (Boulder)

What’s Behind Saudi Arabia’s Multi-Billion-Dollar Investment In Paramount’s Warner Deal

The Kingdom’s bet on entertainment at home has been matched by an equally ambitious push abroad — one that is rapidly reshaping Hollywood’s balance sheet. - The Hollywood Reporter

Trump’s Plan For A Supersized Arch Alienates Even Supporters

Trump’s push to build the giant arch — more than quadrupling its size from original plans — has alienated early proponents of the project, classical architects and veterans groups who say it will diminish nearby Arlington Cemetery. - The New York Times

Court Moves To Examine Merger Of Two Local TV Conglomerates

The deal shatters several records: It gives Nexstar control of 265 local stations in 44 states and the District of Columbia, reaching 80% of the nation's households. Federal competition law from 2004 limits companies to less than half that level. - NPR

Kentucky Gives Louisville Orchestra $3.2 Million For Statewide Touring

“The Louisville Orchestra has received a $3.2 million from the Kentucky General Assembly to continue its statewide In Harmony Tour through 2028. (The tour is) a music education and performance program that has brought live music to more than 57,000 people across 50 counties in the Commonwealth.” - Louisville Courier Journal (MSN)

The End Of The Internet As We Know It

Now, thanks to new A.I. tools, anyone can write code. Soon, bad actors could use those same tools to find out what’s wrong with code. The détente is over. - The New York Times

NPR Announced Transformative Philanthropic Support

NPR today announced it has received philanthropic gifts totaling more than $110 million — including the largest by a living donor in NPR's history — as a strategic investment in its future. - Editor & Publisher

DePaul University, Strapped For Cash, Closes Historic Theater In Downtown Chicago

It’s unclear what will happen to the 116-year-old, 1,400-seat Merle Reskin Theatre. It has landmark status, however, and won’t be demolished. - Chicago Sun-Times

Spotify Partners With Local Music Venues

Under the partnership, Spotify will boost visibility for independent venues through existing features including venue pages and its Live Events Feed throughout 2026. The platform will also display NIVA’s Certified Live Independent seal on venue pages for participating spaces. - Music Business Worldwide

An Autistic Man Wrote A Bestselling Book. Didn’t He?

"It is mysterious and confounding to see a severely autistic nonspeaker perform acts of scholarship and fiction writing if you don’t presume intelligence in a disabled person. I have been using the same green board since I was in middle school and I find the letters and colors very calming." - The Atlantic

Why Should We Indulge In Art In Difficult Times?

At a time of great suffering and upheaval, is it right to engage with art? Or are we using it as a way of dodging the moral realities of the world? - ArtsHub

One More Bay Area Theater Company Closes Up Shop

“Central Works, which has been making new plays in Berkeley for 36 years, plans to close at the end of its 2026 season with the retirement of co-directors Gary Graves and Jan Zvaifler.” They tried to find successors, but nobody wanted to work that hard for that little money. - San Francisco Chronicle (Yahoo!)

San Diego Mayor’s Proposed Budget Cuts Arts Funding By 85%

“The proposed budget (reduces arts spending) from $13.8 million to just about $2 million, eliminating all funds under the city’s two grant-making arms. … The remaining $2 million will essentially keep open the city’s Cultural Affairs Department, whose staff oversee the public art program and grant-making process.” - The San Diego Union-Tribune (MSN)

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