Peter Hujar’s Darkroom Floor

Peter Hujar's contact sheets are on display at the Morgan Library and Museum in Manhattan. Coco Fusco is worried about the whereabouts of jailed Cuban performance artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara. The Louvre heist is back in the news.

New rules are the receipt for digital laissez-faire

The times of idealization are over and freedom is falling by the wayside. The signs in Brussels point to a social media ban in the near future, according to Jasper von Altenbock. He was commenting on a report on the safety of children on the Internet.

Children’s books about Black people’s everyday, joyful lives are sometimes banned – but they help all kids explore what it means to be human

Since 2021, there have been nearly 23,000 bans on individual books in libraries and public schools. Many of these bans remove Black and LGBTQIA+ literature from bookshelves. Research shows that children’s literature can help readers see into others’ worlds and explore what it means to be human.

This Luddite Puppet Hopes You’re Not Reading This on Your Smartphone

Gowanus is the media representative for the Summer of Ludd, a Luddite festival that took place in New York earlier this month. The festival included everything from workshops on how to flirt IRL to an evidence box where people could submit testimonies on how Big Tech has negatively impacted their lives. The original Luddites were British textile workers who organized against being replaced by technology during the Industrial Revolution in the early 19th century.

For Sean Astin, it’s see and be seen … on C-SPAN

Sean Astin is president of SAG-AFTRA, the union representing 160,000 actors, dancers, DJs, stunt performers and other media professionals. He wants to expand a tax deduction for performing artists’ expenses, create a federal tax incentive to lure productions back from filming abroad, and counter deepfakes by defining intellectual property rights in voice and likeness. Astin succeeded Fran Drescher last fall as leader of the union.

Vinyl in the Veins

Vinyl record sales in the US have increased for 19 consecutive years, surpassing $1 billion in revenue in 2025. Liz Dunster is the founder and CEO of Erika Records, which has been pressing vinyl in factories near Los Angeles since 1981. Liz and Ashby Baum of Westlake Chemical, a Houston-based Fortune 500 petro-polymer giant, distanced their company from lead. Stoughton Printing has been making record jackets, jackets, inserts and inserts since 1964.

The fight over teaching race and gender in college classrooms is escalating

A federal appeals court blocked Florida’s “Stop WOKE Act,” a 2022 law that limits what schools and companies can teach about gender, race and privilege. Texas Tech University system is being sued by a group of legal advocates over curriculum restrictions they say have created a chilling effect at the institution.

Is ambient music evil?

Jonah and Erin are fans of Nick Cave and ambient music. Nick Cave believes that music has a moral dimension and that it works to improve matters. Jonah and Erin think that music can be twisted for evil purposes. Jonah is a fan of Eno, Satie, Aphex Twin, Widespread Panic, and others.

PEN America president’s resignation marks latest anti-Zionist uproar in literature

Last week, PEN America published an article about the "cultural isolation" surrounding Jewish and Israeli authors. One writer was told to strip Jewish references from her novel, another was accused of "supporting genocide" and other writers were targeted in coordinated "review bombing" and harassment campaigns online. PEN's president, Dinaw Mengestu, resigned in protest over the article.

Columbia Journalism Review

The Montclair Pod is a hyperlocal news podcast that focuses on transportation, dining, and education in Montclair, New Jersey. It has nearly 70,000 downloads and 2,000 subscribers. It's generated 80,000 dollars in revenue from ads and sponsorships. It won a Signal Award for the "Best Local News Podcast" category.

Peter Hujar’s Darkroom Floor
Peter Hujar’s Darkroom Floor

Peter Hujar's contact sheets are on display at the Morgan Library and Museum in Manhattan. Coco Fusco is worried about the whereabouts of jailed Cuban performance artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara. The Louvre heist is back in the news.

Hyperallergic
culture
New rules are the receipt for digital laissez-faire
New rules are the receipt for digital laissez-faire

The times of idealization are over and freedom is falling by the wayside. The signs in Brussels point to a social media ban in the near future, according to Jasper von Altenbock. He was commenting on a report on the safety of children on the Internet.

Aktuelle Nachrichten online - FAZ.NET
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Children’s books about Black people’s everyday, joyful lives are sometimes banned – but they help all kids explore what it means to be human
Children’s books about Black people’s everyday, joyful lives are sometimes banned – but they help all kids explore what it means to be human

Since 2021, there have been nearly 23,000 bans on individual books in libraries and public schools. Many of these bans remove Black and LGBTQIA+ literature from bookshelves. Research shows that children’s literature can help readers see into others’ worlds and explore what it means to be human.

The Conversation: In-depth analysis, research, news and ideas from leading academics and researchers.
corporate_funded
This Luddite Puppet Hopes You’re Not Reading This on Your Smartphone
This Luddite Puppet Hopes You’re Not Reading This on Your Smartphone

Gowanus is the media representative for the Summer of Ludd, a Luddite festival that took place in New York earlier this month. The festival included everything from workshops on how to flirt IRL to an evidence box where people could submit testimonies on how Big Tech has negatively impacted their lives. The original Luddites were British textile workers who organized against being replaced by technology during the Industrial Revolution in the early 19th century.

WIRED
news
For Sean Astin, it’s see and be seen … on C-SPAN
For Sean Astin, it’s see and be seen … on C-SPAN

Sean Astin is president of SAG-AFTRA, the union representing 160,000 actors, dancers, DJs, stunt performers and other media professionals. He wants to expand a tax deduction for performing artists’ expenses, create a federal tax incentive to lure productions back from filming abroad, and counter deepfakes by defining intellectual property rights in voice and likeness. Astin succeeded Fran Drescher last fall as leader of the union.

Roll Call
news
Vinyl in the Veins
Vinyl in the Veins

Vinyl record sales in the US have increased for 19 consecutive years, surpassing $1 billion in revenue in 2025. Liz Dunster is the founder and CEO of Erika Records, which has been pressing vinyl in factories near Los Angeles since 1981. Liz and Ashby Baum of Westlake Chemical, a Houston-based Fortune 500 petro-polymer giant, distanced their company from lead. Stoughton Printing has been making record jackets, jackets, inserts and inserts since 1964.

Longreads
news
The fight over teaching race and gender in college classrooms is escalating
The fight over teaching race and gender in college classrooms is escalating

A federal appeals court blocked Florida’s “Stop WOKE Act,” a 2022 law that limits what schools and companies can teach about gender, race and privilege. Texas Tech University system is being sued by a group of legal advocates over curriculum restrictions they say have created a chilling effect at the institution.

Daily Kos
corporate
Is ambient music evil?
Is ambient music evil?

Jonah and Erin are fans of Nick Cave and ambient music. Nick Cave believes that music has a moral dimension and that it works to improve matters. Jonah and Erin think that music can be twisted for evil purposes. Jonah is a fan of Eno, Satie, Aphex Twin, Widespread Panic, and others.

Blackbird Spyplane
individual
PEN America president’s resignation marks latest anti-Zionist uproar in literature
PEN America president’s resignation marks latest anti-Zionist uproar in literature

Last week, PEN America published an article about the "cultural isolation" surrounding Jewish and Israeli authors. One writer was told to strip Jewish references from her novel, another was accused of "supporting genocide" and other writers were targeted in coordinated "review bombing" and harassment campaigns online. PEN's president, Dinaw Mengestu, resigned in protest over the article.

The Times of Israel
geopolitics
Columbia Journalism Review
Columbia Journalism Review

The Montclair Pod is a hyperlocal news podcast that focuses on transportation, dining, and education in Montclair, New Jersey. It has nearly 70,000 downloads and 2,000 subscribers. It's generated 80,000 dollars in revenue from ads and sponsorships. It won a Signal Award for the "Best Local News Podcast" category.

Columbia Journalism Review
news
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