5AM StoryTalk Coffee Reading: Issue 4
A compilation of arts-related articles you might've missed
On the first and third Wednesday of every month, I share a list of arts-related articles (and occasionally podcasts) I’ve recently read that I think you might find illuminating/challenging/inspiring, too. I don’t necessarily agree with everything in each article/episode, but I don’t need to entirely agree with something to think it’s worthy of my time - and, when it comes to art, I encourage you to embrace the same philosophy.
Today’s links come to you in three different sections: the Arts, the Film/TV Industry (i.e. strikes, why studio/streamers are the worst these days, unionization efforts), and Fucking AI. It’s capped off with some recommendations about newsletters to read here on Substack.
Thanks for being part of this conversation!
Cole
THE ARTS
The Images of Decision to Leave: Inside Park Chan-wook’s Noir Masterwork
By David Canfield; Vanity Fair
The director goes deep on six pivotal frames from his new film, which unfurls a spellbinding romantic mystery in the language of old-school film noir.
Writer-Director Mike Flanagan Writes a Blog on Why Film/TV Piracy Might Be Necessary Today
By Mike Flanagan
I’ve previously written about this subject, as well, if you’re curious: “What If the Only Way to Protect Films and TV Series from Streaming Platforms...Is to Break the Law?” But the argument, as laid out by the creator of “THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE” and writer-director of DOCTOR SLEEP in this blog post, carries much more weight given that he’s discussing his own work.
Frank Ocean, Harper Lee, and the Reclusive Artist
By Eve L. Ewing; The Atlantic
After To Kill a Mockingbird, readers didn’t demand more from its author. For fans of the musician behind Channel Orange, it’s a different story.
The Defiance of Salman Rushdie
By David Remnick; The New Yorker
After a near-fatal stabbing—and decades of threats—the novelist speaks about writing as a death-defying act.
‘Everything I do is saying Black lives matter’: how artist Amy Sherald defined an era
By Gloria Oladipo; The Guardian
She has painted Michelle Obama and her depiction of Breonna Taylor was called the most important painting of the 21st century. Now, in a new show, Sherald highlights Black subjects who are centre stage in America’s historical moments.
Sherald has become an obsession of mine over the past several months. I’m sharing two articles about her here for that reason.
'The most important painting of the 21st Century'
By Precious Adesina; BBC
Her painting of the late Breonna Taylor was hailed as groundbreaking, and artist Amy Sherald has blazed a trail with her portraits depicting black America. She talks to Precious Adesina about history, storytelling and the possibility of a new art canon.
How Art Erases Artists – A Labour Day Special
By
;Can pursuing a career in art rob you of your humanity?
A Knot in the Throat
By Rafaela Bassili; MUBI
Joanna Hogg's "The Souvenir Part II," a follow-up to her 2019 film, is a distillation of autobiography in the purest sense.
Verbing the apocalypse: Alisson Croggon’s Rilke
By Josie/Jocelyn Suzanne; Overland
Unearthing the History of Anaheim
By Gerlado Cadava; The New Yorker
William Camargo’s photographs confront the city’s racist past, provoking controversy in the present.
FILM/TV INDUSTRY
Hollywood studios have already lost the strikes. Now It’s time to surrender
By Mary McNamara; Los Angeles Times
Majority of Americans Support Writers, Actors Over Studios in Strikes, Gallup Poll Finds
By Caitlyn Huston; The Hollywood Reporter
Union support remains high among Americans, as more than 70 percent side with the writers.
Fallout from Hollywood labor unrest deepens as strikes drag on
By Ryan Faughnder; Los Angeles Times
Barry Diller Says Studios Should Split From Netflix and Amazon by Cutting Their Own Deals With Guilds
By Alex Weprin; The Hollywood Reporter
The mogul argues that the traditional studios should go to the guilds and cut their own deals: "We are your natural allies, not your enemies."
Netflix Agrees to Pay Royalties to Creators of German Series in Line With EU Directive
By Ed Meza; Variety
Oh, so streamers do know how many people are watching their series now?
Investors Sue Disney Over Alleged Chapek Era “Cost-Shifting Scheme” to Hide Streaming Losses
By Winston Cho; The Hollywood Reporter
The suit takes aim at former CEO Bob Chapek's lofty subscriber growth and profitability targets for Disney+. The entertainment giant faces a host of litigation dealing with efforts to boost subscriptions for its streaming service.
Walt Disney Pictures VFX Workers Move to Unionize
By Jazz Tangcay; Variety
The studios and streamers thought they would break the Hollywood labor movement. Instead, they lit a fire in the industry and across the globe. Awkward.
The Hollywood Strike Forces A Reckoning For The Trades
By Katharine Trendacosta; Defector
DGA Email Scandal: Members Urged Not to Elect 10 Writers to Board, Including Boots Riley and Craig Mazin
By Matt Connelly; Variety
In case there weren't enough reasons for the WGA to never trust the DGA again...
The Great Cancellation: Why Megabucks TV Shows Are Vanishing Without a Trace
Stuart Heritage; The Guardian
To save money, streaming services are axing finished shows without bothering to air them and deleting classics. What next? Game of Thrones? Succession? It doesn’t bear thinking about.
FUCKING AI
How to think about AI
By Colleen Walsh; Harvard Law Bulletin
Delving into the legal and ethical challenges of a game-changing technology
What Stephen King — and nearly everyone else — gets wrong about AI and the Luddites
By Brian Merchant; Los Angeles Times
My views on A.I. get quoted in this article.
‘Life or Death:’ AI-Generated Mushroom Foraging Books Are All Over Amazon
By Samantha Cole; 404 Media
Experts are worried that books produced by ChatGPT for sale on Amazon, which target beginner foragers, could end up killing someone.
Might seem like an odd pick for an arts-focused Substack newsletter, but I’m fixated on the threat of AI to both the arts and our civilization. AI killing people via books feels relevant to me.
SUBSTACK RECOMMENDATIONS
I enjoy reading the following Substack newsletters about art. Maybe you will, too.
Story Club with George Saunders from George Saunders
In the Writing Burrow from Margaret Atwood
LegalDispatch from Marc Guggenheim
Thin Ice from Christopher Derrick
The Cavletter from Cavan Scott
Inkygirl from Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Re:Writing from Ben Blacker
Development Hell from Julian Simpson
Frame by Frame from Clay Kaytis
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Thank you for introducing me to Amy Sherald's work.