The Getty and Page Museum are getting Olympic-ready makeovers, because nothing says 'world-class cultural destination' like frantically renovating before the global spotlight hits. Strategic timing or happy coincidence? — Artnet
A Texas novelist discovers the hard way that authorial intent is no match for America's hunger for mythology. Sometimes the culture writes the ending, whether you like it or not. — The American Scholar
A Danish writer discovers what Instagram influencers fear most: that maybe there's no authentic self to brand after all. Thank goodness for Austrian modernists who made existential fragmentation fashionable. — Aeon
Largely ignored by academic philosophers, the “Dark Enlightenment” movement and Yarvin have curried favor and influence with tech executives in recent years. A software engineer by training, Yarvin has become a kind of official philosopher for tech leaders like PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel and Mosaic founder Marc Andreessen. — Time
The art world's great pivot to regional collectors hits a Teutonic reality check. Turns out courting hometown buyers is neither easier nor more profitable than globe-trotting—just different complications. — Artnet
Expo Chicago's glittering circus rolls into town promising cultural cachet, but who's actually invited to the party? A reality check on whether the fair circuit lifts all boats or just the ones already floating. — Hyperallergic
As traditional literary criticism gasps its last, so goes reasoned public discourse. David Bell chronicles how digital age killed the gatekeepers—and maybe critical thinking itself. — Liberties Journal
Remember when online culture was its own weird planet? Those days are dead. Internet-speak has colonized everything from gallery walls to boardroom presentations, proving that resistance to algorithmic aesthetics was always temporary. - The New York Times
Some of these online influencers are pretty easy to spot, but others are good enough that they’re duping people. And in some cases, it seems almost impossible to know for certain whether a specific influencer is real or not. - The Atlantic
Long before Apple claimed to revolutionize music consumption, scrappy Canadian start-ups were quietly building the streaming future. Turns out maple syrup wasn't the only sweet innovation flowing north of the border. — The Walrus
“We’re not a newspaper company and we haven’t been for quite some time.” While they once accounted for the majority of the AP’s revenue, big newspapers now only make up 10% of the organization’s income. - NiemanLab
One person familiar with the cuts said much of the programming department’s work has been either terminated or redirected toward campus rentals, for which venue fees have to be paid up front. - Washington Post
As part of Donald Trump’s legacy-building quest during his second term in office, the so-called “Arc de Trump” would stand 250ft tall, feature a 60ft golden Lady Liberty, and include a viewing deck. - The Guardian
Fixing education is never that simple. If states really want to replicate our success, they need to understand that what Mississippi did wasn’t a miracle at all. - The Atlantic
