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Irish Examiner
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Book review: Ageing sleuth fights old and new demons
Rarely do you set foot inside a bookshop without noticing the latest John Connolly novel. The only name that might be more familiar to readers is that of fictional private investigator Charlie Parker, who is about to become even more widely known thanks to an upcoming on-screen adaptation. In The Children of Eve, Parker may be getting on in years, but he can't resist taking on another intriguing and mysterious case, even if his bones creak more than they used to. The PI's old wounds still haunt him 20 years later — namely, the brutal murder of his wife and young daughter — and the world only seems to grow bleaker: all the more reason, perhaps, Parker's skills remain in high demand. 'From what I've heard, you've been at Death's door so often, he's probably left a key under the mat for you.' Zetta Nadeau, a quirky young artist from Maine waiting for her big break, turns to Parker for help with a troubling case. Her ex-military boyfriend, Wyatt Riggins, has vanished into the night, leaving behind a suspiciously outdated phone containing just one message: RUN. What initially appears to be a case of cold feet quickly spirals into darker territory, as Parker uncovers Riggins' connection to the kidnapping of four children who are all mysteriously linked to Blas Urrea, a Mexican cartel boss. It doesn't take long for Parker to realise that Urrea will stop at nothing to get the children back, including hiring Eugene Seeley, a calculating and dangerous man with no qualms about getting his hands dirty. Travelling with Seeley is a terrifying, unnamed woman who seems to take great pleasure in carving out the hearts of her victims, of which there are many. '[Seeley] looked like someone a stranger might be inclined to trust: an asset for a salesman, even if you weren't convinced you wanted what he was selling.' Possibly in over his head, Parker calls on old friends for help as they race against the clock to solve this complex case. But, as is typical of the crime genre, nothing is ever as it seems. Connolly juggles an intimidating number of perspectives during the novel and even introduces new characters right up to the story's climax, a difficult writing feat by any standard. As a result, some of these newcomers feel more like a means to an end than fully fleshed-out characters, taking attention away from the protagonist. Throughout the lengthy novel, parts of the story also tend to drift into filler-like side-quest territory, rather than adding any crucial elements to Charlie Parker's overall arc. With exciting hints dropped throughout the plot of what's to come in future sequels — particularly focusing on the eerie, supernatural relationship between Parker's living and deceased daughters, one of whom exists in a shadowy realm bordering the underworld — The Children of Eve occasionally feels more like an optional spin-off than a must-read instalment. But that's understandable given the length of the 22-book series, especially with each functioning as a standalone work. Still, the novel will undoubtedly hook die-hard Parker fans and leave them eagerly asking what's next for their favourite private detective. It also serves as an enticing entry point for newcomers, who won't hesitate to take a deep dive into Connolly's other works thanks to his immersive, clever writing.
Daily Maverick
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Maverick
Crossed Wires: AI — yeah, but is it art?
Can AI gain sufficient knowledge from ingesting uncountable examples of great art to synthesise them into something novel and moving and, well, artistic? I don't use AI to write, either as a columnist or in any other part of my writing life. But, as a frequent and enthusiastic user of AI for many other matters, I have, occasionally and experimentally, asked it to write on a subject after I have taken days, hours or even weeks to research and write a column, paper or blog on the same subject. I have been curious to see how the AI compares. Unsurprisingly, the AI often does a sterling job — in all areas, including research, writing, narrative journey, tone and voice. In some cases, I suspect the AI does a better job than I, but I always submit my own prose to my paymasters. To my mind, it would be unseemly, undignified (even emasculating) and somehow malfeasant to submit the AI's work as my own, even with accreditation. Besides, I enjoy writing, and handing the task over to AI would diminish the pure pleasure of creating something from nothing. There's the rub, of course. Writing is a creative activity — one that we humans alone have invented and practised. The best writers among us have aspired to enter the sacred edifice of Art with a capital A. Of all the things our species has created, it seems that Art is the most mystical — the apogee of our search for expression and meaning. It is here that the AI/Art debate is most fiery. Can AI ever join the club of Artists? Or is there reason to believe the sign on the clubhouse door says 'Only humans welcome here'? My original interest in AI dates back decades, to when I was a student and an aspiring jazz sax player. I wanted to play like Charlie Parker (the ultimate stretch target), but I couldn't understand why he chose the notes he did. The notes I chose to play were, at best, dull and felt somewhat embarrassing in comparison. I decided to try to use AI to uncover his secrets (and thereby improve my playing). I ended up publishing an academic paper on the subject, and I never got to play like Charlie Parker. Even if I had uncovered why those notes were chosen by him, there remained the unanswered and critical question of how he managed to invent his solos in real time — an entirely different question. Incidentally, Parker's solos counter the narrative that AI is 'too fast' to be truly creative, or that great art needs time. Clearly, not always. My experience goes to the heart of the AI/Art question: can AI gain sufficient knowledge from ingesting uncountable examples of great art to synthesise them into something novel and moving and, well, artistic? Consider the following example. You are driving in a car at night and a piece of music is played on the radio — let's say a violin concerto. It moves you to tears. You pull over to the side of the road, overcome, and listen in awe to the end of the piece. Later, the host tells you that the piece was entirely AI-generated. Before we take this thought experiment further, let me counter objections that such a thing could never happen, that AI could never do that. This is simply not true. I have heard AI-composed music (and read AI prose) that is undoubtedly moving. Those who claim that AI art has 'no soul' are projecting something they wish to be true. Without a definition of 'soul' that all (or even most) people can agree on, it's a meaningless statement. If your definition of art includes elements such as novelty and surprise and the ability to move people, then there are already plenty of examples made by AI — and they improve and multiply daily. Intention Back to the question posed by the violin concerto that had you sitting in tears on the roadside: Was it Art that the AI produced? In terms of the effect on the listener (or viewer or reader in other thought experiments), one could certainly argue yes. But what about intent? Surely the intention of the artist has to be a component of the entire package. This is where it gets a little hazy. For instance, one could argue that someone was at the start line 'prompting' the AI, and therefore that human is entitled to accreditation as the artist. But this fails an important acid test because, as someone who occasionally uses AI to generate images, I know that the prompter can never predict exactly what the AI will produce. At best, we give it a nudge and wait to see what comes out, perhaps adding a few more nudges before settling on what we consider to be the 'best' output. That's hardly akin to Vermeer sitting at the easel, paintbrush in hand. With AI, the human agency is reduced to little more than an optimistic switch operator. Worse, there are AI systems that require no human prompting at all. Just an objective like 'Make 3,000 renderings of great art — you are free to choose your own style and influences.' Certainly, among that pile, there will be a rendering that someone is likely to experience as Art. There is a trope that has arisen in the reams of debate about this subject: that AI is simply a new and powerful 'tool' for artists to use, akin to any other tool used by artists historically. I don't buy that. A paintbrush is a tool to manifest what the artist imagines onto the canvas. Ditto the typewriter or word processor. AI is not such a tool. It is something else, an entirely independent creator of its own output. And yet, it is not an artist — not by any interpretation. It does not have a visceral need to create as we humans do. So, finally, do we, the beholders, really need to be able to tell the difference? Do we need to know or understand the provenance of what we see or hear? Not really. If it moves you and pleases you, be grateful. We need more of that. Do humans still need to create art? Yes. Because it is in our nature. It is who we are. It is what has always marked us out as a species. And, as for this new species now spilling into our lives, well, okay. Nice to meet you. Too bad we can't discuss art over a bottle of wine at the local tavern and then go home, take off our clothes and fall into bed. DM Steven Boykey Sidley is a professor of practice at JBS, University of Johannesburg, a partner at Bridge Capital and a columnist-at-large at Daily Maverick. His new book, 'It's Mine: How the Crypto Industry is Redefining Ownership', is published by Maverick451 here.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Officials break ground on The Parker, 18th and Vine development
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City's newest planned development at 18th and Vine has a new name. Stakeholders broke ground on The Parker Monday in the Historic Jazz District named for jazz icon Charlie Parker. More than 100 people turned out for the groundbreaking event that they hope will be just the start of $400 million worth of new investments up and down the 18th and Vine corridor. Sidewalk Talk in downtown Kansas City brings attention to mental health 'This is an amazing time guys and you are here to watch it you are here to witness it and there will be children and grandchildren that will know of this day,' Kelvin Simmons, 18th and Vine Developers LLC, said. The project has been called Jazz District III as they work to get funding, including $4 million from Central City Economic Development sales tax funding. The $24 million project is set to go up on the Southwest corner of 18th and Vine where they will renovate the former home of the Kansas City Monarchs Office at what became the House of Hits and clubs like Fox's Tavern and Piccolos. 'This is hollowed ground and we intend to respect that hollowed ground as we look into the future,' Leonard Graham, 18th and Vine Developers LLC, said. Plans call for two new mixed-use buildings with more than 10,000 square feet of commercial space and 48 residential units. 'We will have an 18th and Vine that is a wonderful experience to live work and play. We'll have an 18th and Vine that has outstanding outdoor space,' Mayor Quinton Lucas said. Kelvin Simmons, 18th and Vine developer and a former City councilman who is also behind One Vine Nine around the corner said with other projects like the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum expansion near the old Paseo YMCA, Boone Theater's Black Movie Hall of Fame and redevelopment plans for Parade Park of Homes, the Jazz District is ready to hit another high note. KC firefighter's death highlights rise in violence against health care workers nationwide 'We can't bring it to where it used to be, but we want to revive it, revitalize it and make sure that it is something special like it has always been,' Simmons said. Once they finalize details and really get going on the project, they hope to be complete construction in about 16 months. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
