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The Lead Avigayl Sharp's debut novel, Offseason, is a wry comedy that follows the life of a frazzled 28-year-old teacher at a US girls' boarding school. A Frazzled Teacher's Story The unnamed narrator of Offseason teaches literature at a girls' boarding school in the US and is struggling with her life. She has lost touch with her friends, is hooked on prescription stimulants, and cries too easily. Her narrative voice is deadpan to the point of absurdity, making the story a humorous and intense portrayal of an enervated psyche. The Data Analysis The novel explores themes of personal neuroticism and collective experience, gently lampooning the rich tradition of fiction that delves into these topics. Sharp's protagonist is neurotic and fixated on delineating the hierarchies of causality that made her so. The Impact Analysis Offseason skewers several commonplace tropes in recent literary fiction, including the pat complacency of the trauma plot, the gooey sentimentalism of the immigrant experience novel, and the narcissism of autofiction. The novel's protagonist is a 21st-century downgrade on Muriel Spark's Miss Jean Brodie, and her predicament makes her an avatar for our increasingly beleaguered humanities. The Prediction The novel's narrative arc echoes a sense of futility, but the journey is fun, and the destination hardly matters. Offseason is a compelling read that will resonate with those interested in literary fiction and comedy.

The Graduation Backlash Against AIDuring the 2026 commencement season at American universities, several speakers faced unexpected pushback when mentioning artificial intelligence. Students at the University of Central Florida and University of Arizona booed executives who highlighted AI's role in the future, reflecting growing concerns about job prospects and the direction of technological advancement.When AI Became the Third Rail at GraduationsGloria Caulfield, an executive at real estate firm Tavistock Development Company, gave a speech at the University of Central Florida where she declared, "The rise of artificial intelligence is the next industrial revolution." The students in the audience responded with increasingly loud booing, causing Caulfield to pause and remark, "Okay, I struck a chord."Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt faced similar resistance at the University of Arizona. Despite ongoing controversy over a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault (which he denies), Schmidt also encountered boos when he told students, "You will help shape artificial intelligence." He attempted to continue by emphasizing the opportunities AI presents, but the booing persisted.Not all AI-focused speeches faced backlash. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang spoke at Carnegie Mellon's commencement without audible pushback when he noted that AI has "reinvented computing."The Economic Anxiety Behind the BooingThe negative reactions may stem from broader economic concerns. A recent Gallup poll revealed that only 43% of Americans aged 15 to 34 believe it's a good time to find a job locally, a significant drop from 75% in 2022. This pessimism reflects growing anxiety about employment prospects in an increasingly automated world.Even tech industry workers express concerns about AI's impact on employment, with journalist and tech critic Brian Merchant suggesting that AI has become "the cruel new face of hyper-scaling capitalism."Generational Divide on Technology's FutureThe backlash highlights a significant generational divide in how technology's future is perceived. While older generations often present AI as an inevitable and beneficial progression, many younger graduates view it with skepticism and fear.Schmidt himself acknowledged this divide, noting "a fear in your generation that the future has already been written, that the machines are coming, that the jobs are evaporating, that the climate is breaking, and that politics are fractured."The specific context of each speech also influenced reception. Caulfield, addressing arts and humanities graduates, may have misread her audience by beginning with "generic" praise of corporate executives like Jeff Bezos before introducing the topic of AI.The Future of Commencement MessagingAs AI continues to reshape industries and job markets, commencement speakers will need to address these concerns more directly and thoughtfully. The backlash suggests that simply celebrating technological advancement without acknowledging its challenges will no longer resonate with graduating students.Moving forward, successful commencement speeches may need to balance optimism about technological possibilities with realistic acknowledgment of the economic and social challenges ahead. The focus may shift from celebrating AI itself to discussing how graduates can navigate and shape a future where AI plays an increasingly prominent role.

The Unveiling of Oxford's Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities Oxford University has officially opened its new Centre for the Humanities, a £185m project funded by American billionaire Stephen Schwarzman. Schwarzman, a known ally of former US President Donald Trump, has made the largest single gift to Oxford University since the Renaissance. The Centre's Ambitious Design and Features The Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities is a large and ambitious academic project that brings together seven humanities faculties, along with a 500-seat concert hall, a 250-seat theatre, a black-box immersive performance space, a white-box exhibition gallery, a dance studio, a cinema, and a museum to house the Bate Collection of historic musical instruments. The building also hosts the Institute for Ethics in AI, the Oxford Internet Institute, and the new Bodleian Humanities Library. The Architect's Vision and Design The centre was designed by Hopkins Architects, who won a design competition in 2020. The architects aimed to create a building that synthesizes tradition and modernity, using high-end materials and carefully composed detailing. However, some critics have described the design as bland and bloodless. The Significance of Schwarzman's Funding Schwarzman's donation is significant not only for its size but also for his association with former US President Donald Trump. Schwarzman has advised on policy, provided funding for election campaigns, and donated to the construction of Trump's controversial new White House ballroom-cum-bunker. The Centre's Impact on Oxford's Academic Landscape The Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities is expected to have a major impact on Oxford's academic landscape, bringing together people and facilities previously dispersed in various locations. The centre will provide a new hub for humanities research and education, and its facilities will be available to scholars and the public alike.

The £185m Renaissance of Oxford’s HumanitiesThe Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities has officially opened its doors, marking a historic moment in the intersection of philanthropy and academia. Funded by a massive £185m donation from Blackstone co-founder Stephen A Schwarzman, the facility represents a bold attempt to modernize the study of the humanities through state-of-the-art architecture and technology. The project, described by COO Alexandra Vincent as a "hybrid" rather than a standard arts center, aims to provide a physical home for Oxford's seven humanities faculties and the new Institute for Ethics in AI.A Hybrid Sanctuary: Designing the Sohmen Concert HallThe centerpiece of the new complex is the 500-seat Sohmen Concert Hall, a space designed to challenge traditional acoustic norms. The building features a wood-lined interior that transitions from a stern lecture hall to a resonant musical environment. The opening weekend saw 12,000 visitors explore the Great Hall and the 360 Vessels installation by artist Es Devlin and composer Nico Muhly. The Scottish Ensemble’s launch program, featuring Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky, demonstrated the venue's unique acoustic properties, described as having a "haloed quality" that rang the space like a bell.Record Attendance and the Economics of PhilanthropyThe financial scale of this project is unprecedented for Oxford's humanities faculties. With a total investment of £185m, the Schwarzman Centre dwarfs previous academic building projects. Furthermore, the opening weekend attracted a staggering 12,000 visitors, signaling a high demand for public access to cultural and intellectual spaces within the university. This influx of visitors underscores the growing public appetite for spaces that blend high culture with academic discourse.Redefining Sustainability in Academic ArchitectureThe construction of the world's first Passivhaus concert venue sets a new standard for sustainable architecture in the arts. By adhering to rigorous energy efficiency standards, the Schwarzman Centre challenges the stereotype that high-performance buildings are purely functional. It also signals a significant shift in how elite universities are funding humanities departments, moving away from government reliance toward private philanthropy to create world-class facilities.The Future of the Secular CathedralAs the dust settles on the opening weekend, the Schwarzman Centre is poised to become a global model for the "secular cathedral." While the opening ceremony drew mixed reviews regarding its spiritual resonance compared to the music, the facility's success will likely encourage other institutions to invest heavily in physical spaces that foster interdisciplinary dialogue and cultural engagement. The challenge moving forward will be to ensure that the architectural grandeur translates into sustained intellectual vitality.

Renowned artist and stage designer Es Devlin is pioneering a unique approach to addressing AI ethics through her latest project, which combines ceramics and collaboration. At the AI and Earth conference organized by Devlin, a diverse group of artists, AI researchers, spiritual leaders, academics, and tech experts gathered at Oxford Kilns to discuss AI and create pottery.The conference, held in preparation for the opening ceremony of the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities at Oxford University, aimed to foster dialogue and understanding among individuals with varying perspectives on AI. Devlin's approach emphasizes the importance of human connection and hands-on engagement in the digital age.Participants, including Alan Turing and Isaac Asimov, discussed the implications of AI on society, while Ethan Mollick introduced his concept of centaurs or cyborgs, describing how humans use AI for specific tasks or close collaboration. The event also featured a performance by the University Chamber Choir and a choral piece by Nico Muhly, inspired by the works of 17th-century theologian and poet Thomas Traherne.Devlin's installation, 360 Vessels, will be showcased at the Schwarzman Centre's opening festival, featuring 360 pots created by participants and the public. The project serves as a platform for exploring the intersection of technology, art, and human values.As Devlin noted, 'I am aware that my art and my words and my every choice, my presence, is being used to train the algorithms that concentrate wealth among a small number of individuals, and, in spite of this – however confusing, however painful – I would like to try to stitch my digital shadow back on to my feet and dance with it myself, and invite others to dance with it too.'