Lying Back, Thinking Of England, And Taking Notes

“Sex writing, as we all know so well from the Literary Review’s annual Bad Sex Awards, is hard to do well. But for women, it now seems it’s getting even harder, thanks to recent remarks from Kate Copstick, the new publisher of the Erotic Review, who’s declared her intention to scale back on female writers in the magazine – apparently, we can’t write about sex because we don’t like it that much.”

That Aha! Moment – Science Studies Daydreaming

“In today’s innovation economy, engineers, economists and policy makers are eager to foster creative thinking among knowledge workers. Until recently, these sorts of revelations were too elusive for serious scientific study… Lately, researchers have been able to document the brain’s behavior during Eureka moments by recording brain-wave patterns and imaging the neural circuits that become active as volunteers struggle to solve anagrams, riddles and other brain teasers.”

Inside The Black Hole That Is The Venice Biennale

“The show, containing the work of 90-plus artists, doesn’t offend or go off the rails. Rather, it looks pretty much the way these sorts of big international group shows and cattle calls now look; it includes the artists that these sorts of shows now include. It’s full of the reflexive conceptualism that artists everywhere now produce because other artists everywhere produce it (and because curators curate it).”

Thief Or Artist? Project With Stolen Traffic Barrels Gets Big Public Support

“With more than 3,000 people from as far away as Korea and Brazil joining a Facebook group calling for charges to be thrown out, Mr. Carnevale’s monster stunt touches on the growing legitimacy and celebrity of guerrilla artists. In many ways, sympathy for Carnevale stems from a cultural resistance to authority and the celebration of harmless fun in the face of overly serious prosecutors.”

Chicago Art Institute Cuts Staff

“The Art Institute of Chicago has laid off 22 employees, or 3 percent of its staff, as part of a larger series of cost-cutting measures. in a statement issued Friday, the Art Institute said its other cost-cutting measures include a voluntary 10 percent pay cut for the director, a weeklong unpaid furlough for employees and a salary freeze.’