Stories

Dolly Parton’s Estate Is In Shambles Over Accusations, Lawsuits, And Restraining Orders

“While the family appeared to be putting on a united front, behind the scenes, things were far from harmonious. Employees were afraid to come to work and some were allegedly quitting.” Then there was the security guy’s threats. - Vulture

Meta’s New Surveillance Mascot Looks Like A Toy

It’s supposed to be for adults only, but it looks like a Tamagotchi. Will the cuddliness cause us all to forget the deep, deep creep factor? - Wired

Rose Tremain Knows Her Generation Of Novelists Is Dying, But She’ll Keep Going As Long As She Can

“Contrary to what publishers hope and expect, serious writers don’t think obsessively about readers, or even about sales, royalties and prizes. What we talk to each other about, what we dream of, what we can’t live without is the work itself.” - The Guardian (UK)

Ashland, Oregon, Is Known For Its Shakespeare Fest, But Now It’s Got A Murder Fest As Well

OK, you could argue that Shakespeare is a murderfest of his own, but “Mystery Fest has given cozy mystery fans a new reason to discover Ashland, attracting readers who might not otherwise have put the city on their travel list.” - Oregon ArtsWatch

Beckett Is Only Bleak If You Have No Sense Of Humor

“I think Irish actors and directors have an innate advantage in dealing with Beckett. They get his humour.” - Irish Times

The Strike Is Over In Cleveland

“In a deal reached late Saturday night and ratified Sunday by the union, the two sides agreed to a three-year contract that includes a 5 percent annual raise for each of the three years, according to the orchestra.” - The New York Times

The All-Night Song And Dance Parties Of Veracruz

“This syncopated, jubilant folk music is a melange of European, Caribbean and Indigenous influences. While fandangos — where folks gather to play their instruments, sing and dance — are more than 300 years old, their popularity is now spreading around the world.” - NPR

In Leipzig, Ousted Boston Symphony Orchestra Director Andris Nelsons Feels The Love

“When he conducts, he does not think in English or German or Latvian, even if that would be his own. But he thinks directly in music, and this is so direct. … Sometimes in a concert you have suddenly a new gesture never seen before, that everybody understands.” - Boston Globe

Major Social Media Platforms Are All Turning Down Paid Advertising For The Documentary About Elon Musk

No one will be surprised that X (formerly Twitter) won’t take the ads for Alex Gibney’s award-winning movie, but what’s up with TikTok, YouTube, and Meta? - The Hollywood Reporter

Sylvester Stallone Finally Reckons With Decades Of Trauma

“When I look at that footage, I look distorted. I was gone for a few seconds. Sometimes in acting or painting or writing, you just subliminally lose yourself. You do not know where you are. ... What was that?” - The New York Times

Action Films Use To End Just As Happily As Any Rom-Com

Basically, “the heroes are still winning, but it’s costing them a whole lot more.” But why? - The New York Times

An Art Crawl, By Bike, In Melbourne

“Even as a Melbourne local and a longtime art lover I find it near impossible to keep up with the independent openings happening in my city.” - The Guardian (UK)

What The Grammys Usually Get Wrong About K-Pop, And Asian Music In General

“If eligibility is determined by musical style, what does language have to do with it? Why should a K-pop act’s music be labeled ‘Asian’ on the basis of language—and if a recording is performed entirely in English, does it somehow cease to be ‘Asian pop’?” - Time

Milwaukee Museum Returns Enslaved Artist David Drake’s Works To His Descendants

“Drake made and inscribed ambitious stoneware jars while enslaved in South Carolina in the 1800s, despite punishing conditions and anti-literacy laws that prevented teaching enslaved persons to read.” - The New York Times

The School District That Tried To Cancel ‘Ragtime’ Claimed It Was A Miscommunication, But Emails Reveal A Different Story

“In emails with members of the public obtained by KyCIR, Duncan repeatedly said the show was never canceled because Balasubramanian ‘went rogue.’” That’s a little different from a miscommunication. - WFPL

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