Moshe Safdi: We Need To Rethink How We Build Cities

“Safdi said that proliferating downtown high-rises — he called them “object buildings” — sitting atop retail spaces around the world are creating cities that are “disjointed and disconnected and not worthy of our civilization.” He said these buildings fail to nurture community spaces like the squares and piazzas of the past, so that the very idea of shared space is becoming extinct.”

What Happens When National Geographic Uses Your Art Without Telling You (Or Paying For It)?

“National Geographic used artist Barrett Lyon’s internet image (opte.org) on the cover of its bookazine, 100 Scientific Discoveries that Changed the World, and in the book, The Big Idea, without Lyon’s permission or respecting the Creative Commons license that allows it to be used free of charge for non-commercial purposes.”

Atlanta Symphony Lockout: How The Musicians Are Coping

“The cellist, who has barely slept, searches his laptop for a secret recording of a former symphony executive. The clarinetist is gone, joining two other musicians now playing in the New York Philharmonic. And the percussionist, who practiced all summer for a star turn that may never come, spent a recent morning packing bottles at a local brewery. He got $45 and, he adds, a case of ale.”

Lost Stories By Truman Capote Published

“A Swiss publisher was searching for chapters of Truman Capote’s unfinished final novel last summer when he stumbled upon a different find … a collection of previously unpublished short stories and poems from Capote’s youth.” Four of the stories (in translation) are being published this week in a German magazine.