For those over a certain age – people who can remember the first years of the Clinton administration – “Waco” used to mean one thing: Branch Davidians. Now it’s all about the empire of the couple behind the Home Improvement show Fixer Upper. “It’s difficult to shake the feeling, walking from shop to shop, of being haunted by the physical manifestation of a targeted Instagram ad. But there’s something about Chip and Joanna Gaines — and, by extension, the changes they’ve helped catalyze in Waco — that tends to disarm cynicism.” – BuzzFeed
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The Flea That Kickstarted British Art
Without Robert Hooke’s keen drawing eye, and the microscope, who knows what might have happened? You can read “the story of British art through a scientific looking glass. The Royal Society plays a bigger role than the Royal Academy.” – The Guardian (UK)
Yale Students Ask, ‘You Want To Do What With Our Library Books?!’
This happened: “At a forum in January, Yale’s top librarian outlined a seemingly uncontroversial proposal: to relocate tens of thousands of books from the heart of the undergraduate library to make space for additional seating.” And then this happened: “Nearly 1,000 students signed up on social media to participate in a ‘browse-in,’ vowing to check out everything from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar to Dr. Seuss’s The Sneetches to show university administrators that young people still value the printed word.” – The Washington Post
Jayne Wrightsman, Grande Dame Benefactor Of The Arts Of New York, Has Died At 99
Wrightsman, like her husband before her, was a big donor and a trustee at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “While giving millions to buy art and refurbish galleries, her involvement was often more personal. She spent many days walking through the galleries, examining paintings and artifacts, talking to curators, and analyzing the museum’s artistic needs.” – The New York Times
We Can Expect A Lot More Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Style Options Like This Game
Sure, Netflix is developing more interactive content, but Netflix is far from alone. A new game, or perhaps it’s an “interactive media experience,” aspires to do something slightly different. “The nine or so hours of intimately shot footage — all the filmed scenes are framed to look as if people are talking via a smartphone or a webcam — span two years in the characters’ lives, and viewers jump in and out by acting as something akin to a researcher.” – Los Angeles Times
Youth America Grand Prix Marks Two Decades Of Changing The World’s Opinions
The country – and world – is chock-full of serious ballet competitions now. But “before YAGP was founded 20 years ago, it was a much different story. For bunheads, ‘competition’ was almost a dirty word, one associated with back flips, hulking trophies and flashy jazz studios.” – Pointe Magazine
As Social Media Ages, Some Who Documented Their Own Lives Turn Away, For Their Kids
Don’t do it for the children! In other words, some parents, even in tech-obsessed San Francisco, refuse to put their kids online. “They cite reasons ranging from preserving children’s safety to giving their children agency over their own online presences.” – San Francisco Chronicle
The Band That Sang End Credits To This Week’s ‘Game Of Thrones’ Turned Down The Same Opportunity In Season Two
Florence and the Machine sang a haunting song over the end credits of the second episode of the final season of Game of Thrones, and they’re one of a very few groups who have gotten that opportunity. The band’s singer and leader wasn’t a fan when the showrunners first asked the band to sing, eons ago in Season 2, but now she is – and that helped win the band over. – The New York Times
Everyone Draws, And Everyone Should Appreciate Drawings A Whole Lot More
If you can doodle, you are drawing. And you’re not alone. “When I was a baby critic, a veteran colleague once told me to avoid drawing shows at all costs, since they were just preliminary exercises. But some of the greatest shows I have ever seen were composed entirely of graphic masterworks.” – The Observer (UK)
The Impossible Dream (Come True) Of Scoring A Documentary
When students get a chance to write music for a documentary about a musician, one composer, who had never been into TV or movies, realizes this is the path: “I see media like TV and film in a different light now. I see it as a medium to explore the narrative of our humanity. It’s this process of sharing our stories, our lives, and our dreams that makes it so compelling, and music can participate by highlighting these aspects.” – NewMusicBox