7. Michael Powell: “Diversity Statements by Faculty Complicate Hiring on Campus,” NYT, 9/10/23. The case of Dr. Yoel Inbar, a professor of psychology who was offered an attractive professorship at U.C.L.A. only to see it withdrawn, despite his liberal, pro-affirmative-action political history and his compliance with a DEI-statement requirement, largely because a battalion of graduate students protested to some reservations about the statement requirements he had expressed on a podcast five years earlier, is the occasion for a fairly extensive examination of the DEI gatekeeping culture in academia, “a new flashpoint on campus.” A good exposition of a particularly clear instance.

8. Heather Macdonald: “The Spanish soccer kiss of death: the end of normal existence,” 9/11/23, full article in Quillette, same date. Given the truly awful abuse of female athletes, often very young, that have come to light in gymnastics, swimming, etc., in the past few years, some hypersensitivity on the subject is understandable. But here is the case of Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish Soccer Federation, who planted a quick smacker on Jenni Hermoso, a player on the Spanish team, in the midst of the celebration following the team’s World Cup championship victory. She had no problem with it in the moment, but later decided it was sexual assault. (I’m reminded of the “Repressed Memory” craze of the 1990s—Oh yes, now it’s coming back!) Rubiales was not only removed from his position, but is now the target of a criminal lawsuit. The full article in Quillette has videos of the incident, so you can decide for yourself. My personal opinion is that Macdonald, the author of The Diversity Delusion, has nailed it.

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NEXT TIME: The Met’s new production of Verdi’s Un Ballo in maschera will be the principal topic. (Don’t worry, I’ll be doing my annual contemporary opera duty soon.) Since I see it on Oct. 24, Friday, Nov. 3, seems reasonable.