Latest news with #Holmes
Atlantic
3 hours ago
- General
- Atlantic
The Birth of the Attention Economy
This is an edition of Time-Travel Thursdays, a journey through The Atlantic 's archives to contextualize the present. Sign up here. Early in the Civil War, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. announced in The Atlantic that the necessities of life had been reduced to two things: bread and the newspaper. Trying to keep up with what Holmes called the 'excitements of the time,' civilians lived their days newspaper to newspaper, hanging on the latest reports. Reading anything else felt beside the point. The newspaper was an inescapable force, Holmes wrote; it ruled by 'divine right of its telegraphic dispatches.' Holmes didn't think he was describing some permanent modern condition—information dependency as a way of life. The newspaper's reign would end with the war, he thought. And when it did, he and others could return to more high-minded literary pursuits—such as the book by an 'illustrious author' that he'd put down when hostilities broke out. Nearly 40 years after Holmes wrote those words, newspapers were still on the march. Writing in 1900, Arthur Reed Kimball warned in The Atlantic of an ' Invasion of Journalism,' as newspapers' volume and influence grew only more intense. Their readers' intellect, Kimball argued, had been diminished. Coarse language was corrupting speech and writing, and miscellaneous news was making miscellaneous minds. The newspaper-ification of the American mind was complete. The rise of the cheap, daily newspaper in the 19th century created the first true attention economy—an endless churn of spectacle and sensation that remade how Americans engaged with the world. Although bound by the physical limits of print, early newspaper readers' habits were our habits: People craved novelty, skimmed for the latest, let their attention dart from story to story. And with the onset of this new way of being came its first critics. In our current moment, when readers need to be persuaded to read an article before they post about it online, 19th-century harrumphs over the risks of newspaper reading seem quaint. Each new technology since the newspaper—film, radio, television, computers, the internet, search engines, social media, artificial intelligence—has sparked the same anxieties about how our minds and souls will be changed. Mostly, we've endured. But these anxieties have always hinted at the possibility that one day, we'll reach the endgame—the point at which words and the work of the mind will have become redundant. Worries over journalism's invasive qualities are as old as the modern daily newspaper. In New York, where the American variant first took shape in the 1830s, enterprising editors found a formula for success; they covered fires, murders, swindles, scandals, steamboat explosions, and other acts in the city's daily circus. As James Gordon Bennett Sr., the editor of the New York Herald and the great pioneer of the cheap daily, said, the mission was 'to startle or amuse.' Small in size and packed with tiny type, the papers themselves didn't look particularly amusing, but the newsboys selling them in the street were startling enough. Even if you didn't buy a paper, a boy in rags was going to yell its contents at you. These cheap newspapers had relatively modest urban circulations, but they suggested a new mode of living, an acceleration of time rooted in an expectation of constant novelty. Henry David Thoreau and other contrarians saw the implications and counseled the careful conservation of attention. 'We should treat our minds,' Thoreau wrote in an essay posthumously published in The Atlantic, 'that is, ourselves, as innocent and ingenuous children, whose guardians we are, and be careful what objects and what subjects we thrust on their attention.' This included newspapers. 'Read not the Times,' he urged. 'Read the Eternities.' But the problem was only getting worse. The Eternities were steadily losing ground to the Times—and to the Posts, the Standards, the Gazettes, the Worlds, and the Examiners. In the last third of the 19th century, the volume of printed publications grew exponentially. Even as more 'serious' newspapers such as the New-York Tribune entered the marketplace, the cheap daily continued to sell thousands of copies each day. Newspapers, aided by faster methods of typesetting and by cheaper printing, became twice-daily behemoths, with Sunday editions that could be biblical in length. A British observer marveled at the turn of the century that Americans, 'the busiest people in the world,' had so much time to read each day. American commentators of high and furrowed brow worried less that newspapers were being left unread and more that they were actually being devoured. The evidence was everywhere—in snappier sermons on Sundays, in direct and terse orations at colleges, in colloquial expressions in everyday usage, in the declining influence of certain journals and magazines (including The Atlantic). If I may apply what Kimball deplored as 'newspaper directness,' people seemed to be getting dumber. Those who were reared on slop and swill wanted ever more slop and swill—and the newspapers were all too ready to administer twice-daily feedings. Writing in The Atlantic in 1891 on the subject of ' Journalism and Literature,' William James Stillman saw a broad and 'devastating influence of the daily paper' on Americans' 'mental development.' No less grave were the political implications of a populace marinating in half-truths, seeking the general confirmation of what it already believed. In such a market, journalists and their papers had an incentive to perpetuate falsehoods. Was all of this hand-wringing a little too much? Has not one generation predicted the doom of the next with each successive innovation? Socrates warned that writing would weaken thought and give only the appearance of wisdom. Eighteenth-century novels occasioned panic as critics worried that their readers would waste their days on vulgar fictions. And as for newspapers, didn't Ernest Hemingway famously take 'newspaper directness' and make it the basis for perhaps the most influential literary style of the 20th century? Each innovation, even those that risk dimming our broader mental capacity, can stimulate innovations of its own. But at the risk of sounding like those 19th-century critics, this time really does seem different. When machines can so agreeably perform all of our intellectual labors and even fulfill our emotional needs, we should wonder what will become of our minds. No one has to spend much time imagining what we might like to read or pretend to read; algorithms already know. Chatbots, meanwhile, can as readily make our emails sound like Hemingway as they can instruct us on how to perform devil worship and self-mutilation. Thoreau may have never divined the possibility of artificial intelligence, but he did fear minds smoothed out by triviality and ease. He imagined the intellect as a road being paved over—' macadamized,' in 19th-century parlance—'its foundation broken into fragments for the wheels of travel to roll over.' 'If I am to be a thoroughfare,' Thoreau wrote, 'I prefer that it be of the mountain-brooks, the Parnassian streams, and not the town-sewers.'
Yomiuri Shimbun
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Darvish Sharp for 7 Innings, Sheets Homers and the Padres Beat the Mets 5-0 for 3-Game Sweep
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Yu Darvish pitched seven impressive innings for his first win of the season, Gavin Sheets hit a two-run homer and the San Diego Padres beat the NL East-leading New York Mets 5-0 on Wednesday for a three-game sweep. Manny Machado added a two-run, bases-loaded single for the Padres, who won their fifth straight game as they continue to chase the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. Slugger Juan Soto was out of the lineup for the Mets a day after fouling a ball off the top of his left foot. Darvish (1-3), who turns 39 on Aug. 16, held the Mets to two hits, struck out seven and walked none in his fifth start. After allowing Mark Vientos' single with one out in the first, Darvish retired the next 13 batters. He had been sidelined by right elbow inflammation from mid-March until making his season debut on July 7. Darvish got a nice ovation as he headed to the dugout after pitching a perfect seventh in what became the Padres' big league-high 15th shutout. It was Darvish's 111th big league win, which, combined with his 93 in Japan, allowed him to break out of a tie with Hiroki Kuroda and take sole possession of first place on the combined all-time list. Sheets' homer off Clay Holmes (9-6) came after Jose Iglesias reached on shortstop Francisco Lindor's throwing error with two outs in the third. Sheets then drove an 0-2 pitch an estimated 427 feet to right-center, his 15th. Holmes retired the first two batters in the second before allowing a single by Martin Maldonado, hitting Fernando Tatis Jr. on the top of the left hand with a pitch and walking Luis Arraez. Machado then singled to left for a 2-0 lead. Machado hit a three-run homer in a 7-1 win on Tuesday night. Holmes lasted only 3 2/3 innings, allowing four runs — two earned — and eight hits. The Mets were swept in a series of three or more games at San Diego for the first time since 2008.
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Robert Carlyle joins 'Watson' season 2 as Sherlock Holmes in CBS drama twist
Robert Carlyle is set to play Sherlock Holmes in the second season of CBS' drama series Watson, according to Variety. The Scottish actor, known for his roles in Trainspotting, The Full Monty, and Once Upon a Time, will appear in a recurring guest role opposite Morris Chestnut's Dr. John Watson. Season 1 of Watson followed Dr. Watson as he opened a clinic specializing in rare conditions following Holmes' apparent death during a confrontation with Moriarty (played by Randall Park). Throughout the season, Holmes only appeared as a hallucination, voiced by Matt Berry. However, Season 2 brings a major twist: Sherlock Holmes is revealed to be alive. According to the official synopsis, Watson 'faces an unexpected twist when Sherlock Holmes, who was presumed dead, resurfaces, forcing him to confront a buried secret from his past — one that lies hidden within his own body.' Showrunner Craig Sweeny expressed excitement over Carlyle's casting, calling him 'the mighty Robert Carlyle' and praising his history of iconic roles. Sweeny noted, 'He now steps into the shoes of the most iconic detective of all, Sherlock Holmes.' Carlyle is the second actor to portray Holmes on CBS in recent years, following Johnny Lee Miller's seven-season run in Elementary. The new season also stars Eve Harlow, Peter Mark Kendall, Ritchie Coster, Inga Schlingmann, and Rochelle Aytes. Morris Chestnut previously hinted in interviews that he believed Sherlock was still alive, and now the storyline confirms that suspicion. The return of Holmes is expected to reshape the dynamic and deepen the emotional arc of Watson's character. Watson Season 2 premieres Monday, October 13 at 10/9c on CBS and streams the following day on Paramount+.
Elle
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
Inside Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson's 'Special Bond' as Reunion Fuels Romance Rumors
THE RUNDOWN Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson have officially reunited. The former Dawson's Creek stars are collaborating on Holmes's upcoming film Happy Hours, which she is set to direct and star in alongside Jackson. Since the pair have been spotted filming scenes around New York City, fans are speculating about a possible romantic rekindling as they previously dated decades ago. But a source recently clarified that they aren't back together. The insider told Entertainment Tonight that Holmes and Jackson are 'just friends.' The source added, 'They have a special bond and love how excited fans are. Rekindling a romantic relationship is not likely.' Ahead, the full history of their relationship. Holmes and Jackson met in the '90s when they co-starred on the hit teen drama, Dawson's Creek. The show ran for six seasons from 1998 to 2003. Their characters, Joey Potter (Holmes) and Pacey Witter (Jackson), engaged in an on-again-off-again relationship throughout the series before finally getting married in the end. And the actors took their romance offscreen. In a 1998 Rolling Stone interview, Holmes, then 19, alluded to her IRL relationship with Jackson, which reportedly had already ended by then. 'I had really good luck this past year, and I had a really wonderful, amazing experience,' she said. The journalist then mentioned that she has it on 'good authority' that her great dating experience was with her Dawson's Creek co-star. 'I'm just going to say that I met somebody last year,' she responded. 'I fell in love, I had my first love, and it was something so incredible and indescribable that I will treasure it always. And that I feel so fortunate because he's now one of my best friends.' She continued, 'He's been in the business so long, and he's really helped me. I respect him as a friend and as a professional.' Jackson appeared on an episode of the Canadian talk show, George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight. In the interview, he spoke about a recent phone call he received from Holmes. 'Like any old friend, it was like, 'Oh, hi, how are ya? What's going on?,' 'I had a kid,' 'Yeah, that's crazy, I heard.' It was nice, it was very nice, actually.' At the time, he was in a relationship with the German actress Diane Kruger. In an interview with The Times, Jackson spoke about his former relationship with Holmes. 'We were kids,' he said, 'so it was a full-on stars-moon-sky romance.' He also shared that the Dawson's Creek cast have a WhatsApp group chat. 'It doesn't get a lot of use but every once in a while someone will crop up,' he said. '[In January] we passed the 25th anniversary [of the show] so there was a flurry of texts. It really centers around, 'Oh my God, I can't believe that we all went through that thing together.' It's obviously such a formative point in all our lives.' Holmes was interviewed for The Times and was asked about the Dawson's Creek WhatsApp group, which she seemingly didn't know anything about. 'All of us text every now and then, but I wasn't aware of the WhatsApp,' she said. 'But you know what? I'm really bad at WhatsApp. I never check it because it's a little too much.' But she did share that she keeps in touch with the cast 'every now and then.' She added, 'Everyone's grown up and is busy, but the bond will forever be there.' Jackson appeared on an episode of Jesse Tyler Ferguson's podcast, Dinner's on Me. During a conversation about Dawson's Creek, Jackson revealed that he and Holmes were still 'very close.' He said, 'It's not a daily call. Sometimes it's not a weekly, or monthly, or even a half-yearly call, but when you're always that, like, I know you know.' Holmes announced that she and Jackson were going to be working together again on a new film, Happy Hours. 'Working with Josh after so many years is a testament to friendship,' she wrote. ' HAPPY HOURS is a love story that includes so many people I adore. We can't wait for everyone to see what we make.' Holmes is set to direct, write, and star in Happy Hours with Jackson. According to Deadline, the forthcoming trilogy is 'a story about two people (played by Holmes and Jackson) navigating their relationship within the challenges of careers and family responsibilities and the pursuit of love, despite life's inevitable obstacles. It's a character-driven dramedy that explores the emotional journey of young loves who reconnect as adults, with the connective thread of shared joys, loss, and hope.' The rest of the cast includes Constance Wu, Mary-Louise Parker, Donald Webber Jr., and John McGinty. Production on the first of the three films is currently underway in New York. The same day as Holmes' Instagram post, she and Jackson were spotted filming Happy Hours in NYC. Holmes and Jackson were photographed running lines. A source shut down offscreen dating rumors, telling Entertainment Tonight, 'Rekindling a romantic relationship is not likely. They are just friends.' The insider added, 'Josh and Katie are excited to be working together again. They have a special bond and love how excited fans are.' They were seen shooting a scene in Washington Square Park. Jackson was pushing a stroller, possibly hinting that their characters will have a baby in Happy Hours. The actors ventured to Brooklyn to film, and Holmes was in director mode.
The Spinoff
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Spinoff
‘I never used to admit to all the smut I was reading': Ruby Wallace's books confessional
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits of Aotearoa writers, and guests. This week: Ruby Wallace, founder of Enamoured Books, a bookshop dedicated to romance. The book I wish I'd written Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid – I was completely obsessed with this not only while I was reading it, but for a long time after! Jenkins Reid wrote this novel in the form of a transcript from interviews. I was a bit unsure of that form going into it but quickly found this to be one of my favourite styles: you can so clearly envision the characters and what they would be like in real life. Jenkins Reid outdid herself with the relationship dynamics in this novel too – especially with the love triangle towards the end. She also wrote music for the band when writing the novel! The songs were recorded when the book became a TV series, and even though the band isn't real, they've become a fave. Everyone should read Don't Hold My Head Down by Lucy-Anne Holmes because it's the true story of Holmes' discovery in her mid-30s that her sex life wasn't as fulfilling as she wanted it to be and her subsequent journey of sexual self-discovery. What I love about Holmes is that she's not telling people to follow what she did, but rather sharing her experiences without shame so readers can take what they want from it. While the book covers some serious topics, Holmes has you laughing all the way through. The book I want to be buried with I can't possibly think of just one book! I would choose to be buried with them all – chuck my bookcase in with me and I will be a happy gal. The first book I remember reading by myself Sleepovers by Jacqueline Wilson. This book had a hold over me as a kid – I remember reading it more than once. She ended up coming to New Zealand for an event when I was younger, so my mum took me to get this book signed and let me tell you – my life was made that day! Fiction or nonfiction I am a fiction girlie hands down, particularly romantic fiction. I love the escapism of fiction, especially when life is overwhelming. Being able to pick up a romance book and escape to another world is a dream. I will sometimes mix this up with a nonfiction audiobook, but it is still always within the relationships / sexual wellness vibe. The book that haunts me I so often think about The Affair by Santa Montefiore. She is such a beautiful writer – I finish her books in day. But the way this particular novel played out will often pop into my head. The book I never admit I've read Back in the day I used to never admit to the smutty books I was reading, and I used to play down the romance novels I was devouring. If I was ever asked about what I enjoyed reading I would make a joke about silly little romance novels and then turn the conversation away from me immediately. But one day I realised – this is ridiculous. Romance is a stunner of a genre and should never be played down – so now you will catch me talking about all the smutty scenes to anyone who asks. The book I wish would be adapted for film or TV Greatest New Zealand book Beach Rivals by Georgie Tilney. It wasn't until long after I had read this book that I realised Georgie Tilney was a New Zealand author. And it was such a wonderful discovery! Beach Rivals was such an enjoyable book – I read the whole thing in a day! Best thing about reading I absolutely love being able to have a quiet moment to myself and away from devices. I am for sure a paperback girlie over Kindle (hence the bookshop!) so I value the time without digital distraction. I find reading to be one of the most cup-filling and refreshing activities! What I'm reading right now The Spinoff Books section is proudly brought to you by Unity Books and Creative New Zealand. Visit Unity Books online today.
