The off-Broadway theater company is celebrating its one millionth ticket sold through the initiative, and the company says its audience demographics speak to the program’s success. Almost 60% of Signature’s audience members had a two-person household that makes under $100,000 a year. Contrast that to a typical Broadway-goer who comes from a two-person household that makes more than twice that, according to stats from the Broadway League. – Fast Company
Author: Douglas McLennan
Libraries Have Indeed Become Our New Community Centers
Libraries step in to fill gaps and offer help when normal channels are inaccessible. Pima County, Arizona, pays for a team of nurses to come to the library to help with medical questions for those who can’t or won’t go to a hospital, clinic, or doctor. In Charleston, West Virginia, librarians told me that they have launched searches for people to research health issues or concerns. In some libraries, librarians have Narcan training. – The Atlantic
Study: Having A Purpose May Help You Live Longer
A study of nearly 7,000 older Americans found that, over a four-year period, people who felt their lives had meaning were less likely to die than their counterparts who lacked that conviction. “Purposeful living may have health benefits,” a research team led by Aliya Alimujiang of the University of Michigan writes in the journal JAMA Network Open.
Why The Printed Book Still Thrives
When people go on a digital cleanse, detoxing from the poison of too much screen time, one of the first things they do is bury themselves in a book — that is, one to have and to hold, to remind the senses of touching “Pat the Bunny” in infancy, a book to chew on. – The New York Times
Kentucky’s Noah’s Ark Files Lawsuit Over… Yup, Flood Damage
Ark Encounter, which unveiled the 510-foot-long model in 2016, says that heavy rains in 2017 and 2018 caused a landslide on its access road, and its five insurance carriers refused to cover nearly $1 million in damages.In a 77-page lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, Ark Encounter asks for compensatory and punitive damages. – Louisville Courier-Journal
Tubman $20 Delay Is A New Front (But The Same Old) In The Culture Wars
Alumni of the Obama administration say the symbolism of the Tubman decision is hugely significant. Dan Pfeiffer, Obama’s White House communications director, told me last night: “It has all the hallmarks of Trumpism — racism, misogyny, pettiness and whatever the opposite of virtue signaling is.” – Washington Post
Boston’s Museum Of Fine Arts Forced To Apologize After Middle School Students Were Racially Profiled
The students were at the museum as a reward, but were subjected to racist comments and scrutinized by guards. – Washington Post
Banksy Shows Up In Venice Anyway…
Never invited to be the part of Venice Biennale, undeterred, Banksy once again invited himself to showcase his work. Using the pop-up stand that typically sells tacky paintings and souvenirs, he assembled a selection of 9 works that collectively built the image of a massive cruise ship blocking the city. – Juxtapoz
…In Which I Try To Convince Jeff Jarvis The Internet Is Bad For Democracy
So what to make of Jeff’s point that it’s too early to judge the impact of the internet—what he calls a “connection machine”—on democracy? It’s an interesting position. Yes, he’s right to compare the historical significance of the digital revolution to Gutenberg’s 15th-century invention of the printing press. And he’s right to underline that the disruptive impact of this technological revolution lasted several centuries. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make a judgment now in the early stages of the digital revolution. – LitHub
Top Awards At This Year’s Cannes Festival
A year after Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Shoplifters” won the 2018 award, Alejandro G. Inarritu’s jury gave this year’s top prize to Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite,” one of the most critically acclaimed films of this year’s festival. – The Wrap