If we could stop bickering about which creatures do or don’t deserve to be called smart, an emerging movement of scientists and philosophers argue that we might discover fundamental elements of intelligence that are common to all life. - Noema
Gone are the days when academics simply conducted research and published their findings. Now their papers are less valued for their content than for providing measures of academic performance. Citation is chief of these. - London School of Economics
The call to action was to develop a blueprint for the TCC to take to Capitol Hill to advocate for arts funding, with the $207 million earmarked for the National Endowment for the Arts on the line. - The Hollywood Reporter
"Frost, who turned 20 in 1894, uncertain of his gift, … had written a poem called 'My Butterfly.' … It is what it is, a bad poem. A random-feeling extrusion of lyrical matter, like something that might come out of the tube when you pull the lever marked POETRY." - The Atlantic (MSN)
But Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 dealt Kharkiv’s puppetry a heavy blow, as much of the city’s population of 1.4 million evacuated in the face of the Russian onslaught. The puppet theater closed its doors. Yet, as it turned out, not for long. - Christian Science Monitor
This is the latest event to be canceled by the Kennedy Center since the Trump takeover. The show “Finn,” which could be read as a metaphor for the LGBTQ+ experience, was also canceled. - OperaWire
As Messiaen saw it, the real revolution in 20th-century music had been launched not by an Austrian Jew but by a Frenchman, Claude Debussy, who ‘introduced the idea of haziness, not only in harmony and melody, but above all in rhythm and in the succession of timbres’. - London Review of Books
"'You become the lie,' (Lisa) Schiff said. … By the time it all came crashing down in 2023, she had stolen some $6.4 million. ... But out of all her transgressions, she seemed most ashamed of the glamour that gilded her crimes. 'I was miserable in that helicopter.'" - The New York Times
The change proposed by Arts Council England was that any organization which had a grant from National Lottery proceeds had to wait until that funded project was complete before applying for another Lottery grant. It seems the Arts Council forgot just how long lead times in the arts are. - The Guardian
"Egyptian officials announced Tuesday the discovery of the tomb of King Thutmose II. … It's the first royal Egyptian tomb to be discovered since King Tutankhamun's final resting place was found in 1922." - CBS News
"The four cavernous wings of Cambodia’s national museum are so packed with objects that visitors need to watch their elbows while strolling among the roughly 1,400 on display. … An expansion and a renovation are planned, but it’s unclear who would pay." - The New York Times
"The question now is what a thin-skinned showman will do with an institution of music, theater and dance ... central to Washington’s cultural life for more than 50 years." Many observers in DC expect more country music. (Steve Bannon suggests that the J6 Prison Choir sing for opening night.) - The New York Times
The producer/convicted rapist filed suit against Bob Weinstein and two other formers executives of the Weinstein Company his brother last week in New York state court for fraud and misappropriation of funds. The action adds those men as third parties to a suit filed against Harvey in 2017. - TheWrap
"A group of independent publishers has formally incorporated as the Publishers Cooperative, a new organization aimed at leveraging collective buying power and sharing resources. The cooperative … is currently seeking seven additional mid-sized publishers to join its eight founding members." - Publishers Weekly
"The boom is being spearheaded by Tirana's mayor, Erion Veliaj ... and Albanian prime minister and fellow Socialist Edi Rama. They have made architecture and urban design a key part of the strategy to boost Tirana's international reputation as Albania seeks to attract more tourists and sustain economic growth." - Dezeen
