Arts
The Arts
BOOK REVIEW: ‘The Downstairs Girl’ Faces Difficult History With Joy And Style
In Stacey Lee’s new novel, an opinionated and talented Chinese American girl makes her way in Reconstruction-era Atlanta while preserving her secret work as an advice columnist in the local paper. Continue Reading BOOK REVIEW: ‘The Downstairs Girl’ Faces Difficult History With Joy And Style
Julia Louis-Dreyfus: ‘I Don’t Think I’ve Made It … And I Like That’
Nominated for a ninth Emmy Award in acting, the star of Veep and Seinfeld talks about getting her first laugh, her rocky start at Saturday Night Live and the #MeToo movement. Continue Reading Julia Louis-Dreyfus: ‘I Don’t Think I’ve Made It … And I Like That’
FILM REVIEW: ‘Give Me Liberty’ Is A Brilliant, Transporting Movie About A Medical Driver’s Busy Day
A young Russian-American (Chris Galust) drives a beat-up medical transport van full of demanding, quirky passengers through Milwaukee’s backstreets in this funny, authentic film. Continue Reading FILM REVIEW: ‘Give Me Liberty’ Is A Brilliant, Transporting Movie About A Medical Driver’s Busy Day
BOOK REVIEW: ‘Inland’ Creates A New Myth Of The Old West
Téa Obreht’s new novel is set against a familiar old West backdrop, but it tells a fresh story of two people, both haunted in their own ways — a tough frontier woman and an immigrant camel driver. Continue Reading BOOK REVIEW: ‘Inland’ Creates A New Myth Of The Old West
‘One Child Nation’ Documentary Explores The Dark Side Of Chinese Policy
Director Nanfu Wang, who grew up in rural China, has made a film about the painful, unintended consequences of the Chinese government’s one-child rule — including how it affected her own family. Continue Reading ‘One Child Nation’ Documentary Explores The Dark Side Of Chinese Policy
THEATER REVIEW: ‘Moulin Rouge!’ Is An Extravagant, Triumphant Jukebox Musical
With 71 hit songs performed on a decadent nightclub set, the new stage adaptation, based on Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film, is not particularly profound. It is nonetheless a knockout night at the theater. Continue Reading THEATER REVIEW: ‘Moulin Rouge!’ Is An Extravagant, Triumphant Jukebox Musical
A Novel Concept: Silent Book Clubs Offer Introverts A Space To Socialize
When the bell rings, it’s reading time. At over 70 chapters around the world, people gather at Silent Book Clubs to read whatever they like, as long as it’s in silence. Continue Reading A Novel Concept: Silent Book Clubs Offer Introverts A Space To Socialize
BOOK REVIEW: ‘When I Was White’ Centers On The Formation Of Race, Identity And Self
As the U.S. becomes more brown and black — resulting in a xenophobic backlash and nostalgia by some for white European immigrants — the ideas in Sarah Valentine’s memoir become even more necessary. Continue Reading BOOK REVIEW: ‘When I Was White’ Centers On The Formation Of Race, Identity And Self
Toni Morrison, Whose Soaring Novels Were Rooted In Black Lives, Dies At 88
Morrison was the author of Beloved, Song of Solomon and The Bluest Eye. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Continue Reading Toni Morrison, Whose Soaring Novels Were Rooted In Black Lives, Dies At 88
‘Double Indemnity’ Is 75, But Anklets (And Film Noir) Are Forever
Double Indemnity is classic film noir: Men in fedoras walk mean streets shrouded in shadow and women are sometimes the sirens to beckon them to their doom. It’s a film — and a genre — that endures. Continue Reading ‘Double Indemnity’ Is 75, But Anklets (And Film Noir) Are Forever
A Rediscovered John Steinbeck Short Story Is A Comical Tale Of A Chef And His Cat
While Steinbeck’s estate was aware of the short story’s existence, it is being made available to read in English for the first time by literary quarterly The Strand Magazine. Continue Reading A Rediscovered John Steinbeck Short Story Is A Comical Tale Of A Chef And His Cat
A Kinder, Gentler Wave Of Reality TV Tries A Little Tenderness, For A Change
It’s a genre historically known for screaming matches and backstabbing competition. But lately, the shows at its forefront — say, Queer Eye or Marie Kondo — feature a lot more generosity of spirit. Continue Reading A Kinder, Gentler Wave Of Reality TV Tries A Little Tenderness, For A Change
