It just takes some thought, and some very good design. “'We are social animals, and play fosters social relationships,’ says landscape architect Meghan Talarowski, executive director of Studio Ludo, who is also a certified playground safety inspector.” - Bloomberg

The challenge universities are confronting is not just the law but also their own rhetoric. Many universities at the center of the ongoing police crackdowns have long sought to portray themselves as bastions of activism and free thought. - The Atlantic

Even if we are fated to anxiety by our very nature, we needn’t be anxious about being anxious. Contra those who would abolish every form of friction or frustration, he insists that anxiety is a way of honoring who and what we are. - Washington Post

For years, we have heard a litany of reasons why our capacity to pay attention is disturbingly on the wane. Technology hounds us. Modern life, forever quicker and more scattered, drives concentration away. For just as long, concerns of this variety could be put aside. - The New Yorker

If a computer can write like a person, what does that say about the nature of our own creativity? What, if anything, sets us apart? And if AI does indeed supplant human writing, what will humans—both readers and writers—lose? - The New Republic

When it comes to how you would ideally plan your days, the research suggests that people differ, with some more drawn to clock time and some more to event time. - Psyche

"For decades, beginning with the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, the Olympics included competitions in painting, sculpture, architecture, music and literature — a 'pentathlon of the Muses,' as Pierre de Coubertin, the founder and leader of the modern Olympics, called them." - The New York Times

"Don’t worry, this sudden cardiac arrest is not in vein. The Giant Heart will reopen in November as the centerpiece of a new, permanent exhibit about the human body, … one of six (such) exhibits that are planned to replace 12 existing ones." - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)

In New York, the neighborhood restaurant doesn’t have much room for neighbors anymore... Reservations are scooped up fourteen days in advance by residents of SoHo, Aspen, and East Hampton, who likely saw the place on some list, or while doomscrolling TikTok or Eater. - The New Yorker

Unfortunately, it’s not only large-scale music festivals that are copping severe losses, as many other vital players within the performing arts are battling rising costs in a funding environment that is simply not keeping pace with the price hikes associated with presenting arts events. - ArtsHub

"On average, organizations retained their full-time staff through pandemic shutdowns. Average staff size has grown over the last two years (2022 to 2023) through the addition of permanent part-time positions. Payroll has also increased over the period analyzed, outpacing inflation by 11%." - SMU DataArts

Last year, 125 grassroots music venues closed permanently and 1,293 pubs shut their doors across Britain. According to the Night Time Industries Association, more than 3,000 pubs, clubs and venues have closed down in London alone since the pandemic began in March 2020. - The Guardian

His Persian style lives “on account of something internal to his virtuosity: a sublime rubato that penetrates beneath the level of surface and releases melodies that cultivate and nourish the soul." - Van Magazine

That answer is something a little different whether you’re talking what you’re listening to - or music copyright law. - The New York Times

"Widely interpreted as Beethoven’s plea for a global ‘brotherhood,' the fourth movement has been incorporated into ceremonial events sponsored by international organizations such as UNESCO, the Olympics, the Council of Europe and the European Union … has also been appropriated for propaganda by supporters of Nazism." - The Conversation

"I had reached a point where I didn't have the physical time to digest everything that was going on in my professional and personal life. I wasn't happy, and I think that was the main reason I made the decision I did." - Le Monde (in English)

Max Brod, the friend who disregarded Kafka's dying request to burn all of his writings, heavily bowdlerized the author's personal journals before he published them. A new, complete edition "reveals Kafka warts and all – as a sexual, troubled, sometimes self-loathing, literary experimenter and a man knowingly compromised." - The Guardian

Opera, too, is no stranger to intersections of camp and politics, and some of Eurovision’s campest entries have been sung by opera singers. - Van

That’s right, it’s 200 years old - and its director welcomes the opportunity to reconsider how to present art to a public that, occasionally, greets that art with hammers or paint. - The Art Newspaper

Perhaps unsurprisingly, “the design and necessity of the new stadium have faced objections from the community. It has an estimated to cost over $4.2 billion, with … approximately $1.5 billion, be drawn from state taxpayers." - Dezeen

“'This is a day for Asante. A day for the Black African continent. The spirit we share is back,’ said Asante King Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.” Of course, Britain has only “loaned back” the looted items for three years. - BBC

"Historic houses across the United States are targeted for teardowns every week, often under cover of night with little to no warning. Increasingly, preservationists say, these demolitions are not driven by changing tastes but rather by (the) ravenous desire for larger and larger homes." - The Washington Post (MSN)

"The team responsible for the beloved Bay Lights art installation, which dimmed 14 months ago, announced on Thursday that it secured over $10 million in funding to illuminate a 1.8-mile section of the bridge. … The revived installation will boast 50,000 LEDs, doubling the count from the original." - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)

The 250-pound bronze statue was commissioned by State Street Global Advisors to express its support for gender diversity in the corporate world. State Street sued the artist, Kristen Visbal, in 2019, alleging that she had committed breach of contract and trademark infringement by selling replicas of the sculpture. - The New York Times

The collective putting it on could use an equivalent funder, but they don’t trust the Smithsonian after last year’s sudden, unexplained cancellation weeks before the kick-off. - Washington Post (MSN)

This episode of the podcast There's More to That tells the whole story, from how these papyruses buried by the Vesuvius eruption of 79 CE were discovered were rediscovered in the 1700s to how a trio of scientists solved the problem and won a $700,000 prize. (audio plus transcript) - Smithsonian Magazine

A book’s demand, condition, publishing history, whether it is signed or inscribed, and even the timing of when a book enters the market are all factors that affect its value. - The Atlantic

"Since 2022, more than 170 books valued at more than $2.6 million ... have vanished from (national and university libraries across Europe). The books are worth tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars each. In most cases, the originals were replaced with high-quality copies that mimicked even their foxing." - The New York Times

"According to the report (commissioned by HarperCollins), 74% of YA readers were adults, and 28% were over the age of 28. The research suggests this is due to behavioural changes described as 'emerging adulthood': young people growing up more slowly and delaying 'adult' life." - The Guardian

"Inspired by the existing Albatross Books, (Allen) Lane’s nascent company wanted an animal for (a) mascot. Many years (later), designer Edward Young explained that after a couple hours of fruitless brainstorming, 'we were in despair. Then suddenly the secretary’s voice piped up from behind the partition. ‘What about penguins?''" - JSTOR Daily

Syrian director Soudade Kaadan: "I wanted to show a film where you can see our tragedy with dignity, when you can sympathise with us and not see us only as victims. I opted for dark humour because I believe we laugh with people who we feel equal with.” - The Guardian (UK)

“Our editorial model is to publish not nearly as many stories as many of our peers but to every now and then, as best as we can, publish stories that lots and lots of people talk about." - Press-Gazette

Last year WNYC cancelled the popular podcast and laid off its staff, which actually planned out a sort of funeral. But Slate picked up Death, Sex & Money and relaunched it last month. In a Q&A, host Anna Sale talks about the move and what she's been learning from it. - Columbia Journalism Review

"Funding of public radio has long had critics in conservative circles, but the recent controversy involving allegations of political bias at NPR is giving new energy to the effort to cut off taxpayer dollars. Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee have opened an investigation into (the organization)." - Inside Radio

"After (a 2020) border skirmish, the Indian government banned the app. … As the app's 150 million US users swipe through videos in limbo, the story of India’s TikTok ban shows that users are quick to adapt, but also that when TikTok dies, much of its culture dies with it." - BBC

He loved cinema all his life and wrote some genuinely great film criticism. Yet, says one Baldwin scholar, he "craved an Oscar almost as much as he did a Pulitzer" and pitched a number of ideas to directors. Some filmmakers approached Baldwin themselves; Fassbinder suggested filming Giovanni's Room. - The Guardian

Choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa: “He seemed caged because of the fame he encountered at a very young age. … I decided to make a mosaic portrait of his persona, music, inspirations, beliefs and struggles. Ultimately, fame alienated him from reality and destroyed him.” - Bay City News

There aren't many open calls anymore; the first audition today is usually a self-shot video. Otherwise? "Please, God, I need this job" is as true-to-life as it was 50 years ago. The difference nowadays, says one former dancer, is that "we’re trying to make the industry a better place." - The Guardian

"Reasons for the closure (of the Cowles Center) … include the lingering financial effects of the pandemic shutdown, lower ticket sales since 2020, and changes­ in funding priorities from both individual philanthropy and the education world. But the biggest factor? The owner of the building." - Dance Magazine

The technique uses a wave-like visualization of model dancers, enabling learners to anticipate and execute dance moves without prior rehearsal. - Neuroscience News

"That commingling has Atlanta’s stalwart skaters concerned about keeping their distinctly energetic and percussive style alive. They say Atlanta’s newer skaters, who have wide access to regional variants, increasingly practice a hybridized type of skating that’s not rooted in any one tradition." - The New York Times

"Briony’s idea of being able to rewrite someone’s life for the better is, for any sensible brain, a ridiculous notion. Yet there's scientific evidence that we feel our experiences differently according to the stories we tell about them. … Whether we change the truth through stories we tell is a very relevant topic." -...

Redmayne, just nominated for a Tony, explains, “We’ve had sort of moments where the audience interaction can get a bit too vocal ... and we’ll have to sort of clamber through and improvise around the situation but that, again, keeps us on our toes.” - The Hollywood Reporter

"The hope must be that the more traditional audiences will move with the times, and come around to new visions. You can’t please all of the people all of the time — but you can do your best to take them with you." - The New York Times

Playwright Eleanor Burgess's "Galilee, 34" at SoCal's South Coast Rep depicts Jesus's family and followers months after the Crucifixion as they try to figure out — sometimes arguing and frequently cussing — what to do next and whether to continue the preaching that got Jesus executed. - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)

Throughout his time in Seattle, John Langs has become known as a champion of new work, an advocate for local artists, and a director who values long, collaborative working relationships.  - Seattle Times

The Sherman, Texas school board finalized a separation agreement with former superintendent Tyson Bennett, who had forbidden a high school production of Oklahoma! that included a transgender student in the cast. The cancellation was reversed after heavy pushback from students and parents. - The Dallas Morning News (MSN)

Well, turns out there's a history of very bad things happening during productions of "the Scottish play" going all the way back to Shakespeare's own company in 1606. Actors getting injured or killed onstage. Theaters burning down. Massive audience brawls. The 1849 Shakespeare riots in New York? Yep, over Macbeth. - Mental Floss

"What I didn’t do was lose consciousness. People who were there have said that I was ... screaming with pain. Inside my head, I was not aware of the pain, ... so there was a strange disconnect between my inside feeling and my outside behaviour." - The New Statesman (UK)

“I arrived in New York at a time when the most beautiful paintings being shown in the city were on wheels,” Haring wrote. This was 1978. His infatuation with the graffiti enveloping the city’s trains and buildings was hardly anomalous. - BookForum

When he’d auditioned for a British TV adaptation of David Copperfield, it was less out of great hope or ambition than because he’d been having a rough time at school and his parents (his father was a literary agent; his mother, a casting agent) thought that the experience of auditioning might boost his confidence.  -...

"Called the 'dean of American post-modernists' and 'the most meta of American meta-fictional writers,' Auster blended history, politics, genre experiments, existential quests and self-conscious references to writers and writing. ... Starting in the 1970s, Auster completed more than 30 books, translated into dozens of languages." - AP

The document, carbonized by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE and deciphered using advanced imaging techniques, recounts the last evening of the philosopher's life and reveals his burial place as well as the point when he was sold into slavery. - The Guardian

"A trial will start in October 'for sexual assaults likely to have been committed in September 2021' against 'two victims, on the set of the film The Green Shutters,' the statement said. It did not name the alleged victims." - AP