No, it’s not an issue, but it might be soon. Median usage is 200GB a month of streaming data (the Comcast limit is one terabyte a month, and then users have to pay). Sure, “200GB a month is still a good distance away from that 1TB limit, but it’s a considerable jump from just 60GB a month just a couple of years ago, and that likely means that even more customers are meeting or exceeding that data cap, although Comcast didn’t reveal that figure.” – The Verge
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Artists Need To Back Up Off Of Critics’ Necks
The internet has democratized many things, including, in some case, criticism that isn’t thoughtful. But professional critics still take their knowledge, and their craft, seriously. “Lively arguments about talked-about shows – like the discussion of the Fleabag finale – can quickly spread. But social media also provides a platform for performers to reveal their thin skins, or for armies of fans to descend upon anyone who dares to dislike a favoured star or film franchise.” – The Guardian (UK)
The Notre Dame That Wasn’t Rebuilt
Perhaps France, awash in donations for its cathedral, could help its former colony of Haiti with the rebuilding efforts for Notre-Dame de l’Assomption in Port-au-Prince. – The Atlantic
The Author Of ‘American Marriage’ Is Not An Overnight Success
Tayari Jones had several well-reviewed books before American Marriage too off last year. She remembers, “I published my first book in 2002 and I remember that I was at Bread Loaf [Writers’ Conference]. A lot of [other emerging writers] had been on NPR and other things and I hadn’t done any of these things. I remember I sat on my bed in my little Bread Loaf dorm room and I just cried. How will I ever catch up?” – Shondaland
White Nationalists Swarm Author At Politics And Prose
“A handful of self-proclaimed white nationalists interrupted an appearance by an author at the Politics and Prose bookstore in Northwest Washington on Saturday afternoon, chanted ‘This land is our land’ and then exited to a chorus of loud boos.” – The Washington Post
Why Does Hollywood Hate Pop Music, And Pop Stars?
The hated pop stars are, of course, almost all women. And, by the way, “isn’t there an inherent irony in cinema offering a ‘serious’ take on mass culture while seeking commercial gain? Few of these tales manage to communicate what still makes pop music so appealing and popular.” – The Guardian (UK)
Writing Activists Back Into History, Through Fiction
Bernardine Evaristo co-founded Britain’s Theatre of Black Women in the 1980s, and she’s not shy about using her experience in a new novel – or the experiences and lives of other Black British women through history. “It’s very important to know the alternatives to mainstream history, as we’re not represented in it. To discover how deep our roots are is important. Those of us who are older are living history, and I feel we have a duty to share it.” – The Guardian (UK)
To Sing The Unflappable Siegfried, One Cannot Have Fear
At least, that’s what tenor Andreas Schager claims. “But his path to singing Siegfried at the Met … was unusual. Mr. Schager, who was born Andreas Schagerl in the small town of Rohrbach an der Gölsen, started his career in operetta (precursors to modern musical comedies) and lighter tenor roles.” – The New York Times
Recent Listening: Jason Palmer’s Rhyme and Reason
“Trumpeter Jason Palmer made it clear with his substantial tone, wide range and flexibility that he had the potential to become one of the new century’s outstanding trumpeters” – and now he has. – Doug Ramsey
The Cure For Our Times May Be Theatre
When a critic sees 12 plays in 10 days: Theatre “restored my vision, or at least handed me a roadmap of our location, emotionally and psychically speaking — one that extended beyond Manhattan, the country, and the curve of time. I sat down with people to contemplate the troubles of King Lear, Tom Robinson, and Socrates, recalling that, though the common cruelties of the day may be unique, how people cope with them is not.” – Los Angeles Review of Books