The future, and present, of fiction is cli-fi – books about what humans do while, and after, we change the climate. “We need to show people what life will look like under current and future climate-change conditions, and to share ideas about how to mitigate those conditions. We know that people are more likely to absorb information from stories than from data and lectures.” – The Millions
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The Star Of ‘Roma’ Wasn’t Plucked From Obscurity
Here’s some of the real story of Yalitza Aparicio, the first indigenous woman nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. Sure, she didn’t know cinema that well – and here’s why: “She simply wasn’t all that enamored of an industry that rarely depicted indigenous life in a meaningful way. … ‘I never found a representation that seemed similar to me or that touched on the ways I was raised.'” – Los Angeles Times
Books: Not Dead At All, Not Even Dying
So, to quote a great movie whose screenwriter had also written the book, stop saying that! “The reality is that if 76% of any population is participating in a single activity then you are surrounded by people doing that very thing. The article said that books are dying; the research said—to me, at least—that we are a nation of readers.” – Time
Protesters Hit Guggenheim For Its Sackler Family Ties
As fake OxyContin prescription slips fell from the upper walkways of the Guggenheim Museum, protesters explained this action against the museum, which has accepted rather a lot of money from the Sackler family, “was a response to a recently disclosed statement by Richard Sackler, the son of a Purdue [Pharma] founder, who said years ago that OxyContin’s launch would be ‘followed by a blizzard of prescriptions that will bury the competition.'” – The New York Times
A Brief Timeline Of All Of The Shady ‘National Enquirer’ Doings, Pre-Bezos
Just in case you haven’t been following along, here’s the deal. “The Enquirer makes no pretense of following journalistic norms, and its parent company has a longer history of ethical indiscretions. The warning signs have been there, from David Pecker’s early years in magazine publishing.” – Slate
Suddenly, London Is Getting Two World-Class Concert Halls
Will Frank Gehry’s new Wimbledon concert hall outshine the also new Centre for Music in the City of London? That’s a lot of new musical architecture all at once. – The Observer (UK)
How The Weinstein Company’s Bankruptcy Continues To Hurt Native Women
The deal was to take the Weinstein company name off, and donate future from, the film Wind River to the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center. “For the center, which is run out of a woodstove-heated bungalow in snow-swept Lame Deer, Mont., this was a potentially huge boon. The nonprofit addresses violence against Native American women, runs a national helpline for domestic violence survivors, and provides assistance to tribes and tribal programs across the country.” Now, they’re likely to see nothing. – The New York Times
James Baldwin Deserves Better Than Barry Jenkins’ ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’
Sure, it’s a nice celebration of two young Black people in love, but: “It has been defanged, declawed—and Baldwin’s novel works precisely because of those jagged, painful edges.” – LitHub
Actors Equity Strike Ends For Shows In Development
The strike was against the Broadway League; Actors Equity said that actors and stage managers involved with readings, labs, and developmental shows hadn’t seen a raise since 2007. “The new agreement will include profit sharing, higher wagers, and additional stage manager contracts.” – American Theatre
Why Do We Keep Forgiving Facebook? [AUDIO]
It’s rewriting our brains, maybe? Because “it seems no breach of trust, misuse of data or dissemination of damaging falsehoods rattles the company’s bottom line.” – The 1A (WAMU)