What if We Were All a Little More Like Yo-Yo Ma? by Joshua Barone

This profile of Yo-Yo Ma is only lightly concerned with his formidable stature as an artist. Yes, he’s inarguably one of the greatest cellists in the long history of the instrument. This article makes it clear that Ma is also a kind, empathetic person who has used his fame as a springboard to community building. As the headline suggests, Ma is a role model. The world would be far better off if everyone — especially our government leaders — followed his example. Joshua Barone wrote this for The New York Times. The above image is taken from Yo-Yo Ma’s Instagram page. He makes a point of adding the following citation — “Photo: Puerto Rico, 2019 © Erika P. Rodríguez.” So, I will, too.

The Real Lesson of the Summer Box Office: Fans Want to Feel Connected by Alissa Wilkinson

Grousing about Hollywood’s inability to learn the right lessons from box office successes is a pastime I’ve indulged in for decades now. Alissa Wilkinson isn’t really grousing in this piece. She does effectively get at the overlapping characteristics of the films that broke through this summer. The major hits created a sense of urgency. They needed to be seen in the theater, either because their scope merited the largest screen, they so dominated the cultural conversation that a viewing became required, or they were just plain fun to see with an auditorium full of people. Wilkinson also argues that a sort of parasocial pact is formed between audience and creator, and that strikes me as right, too. This article is published by The New York Times.