All Culture
Mapping U.S. history and culture through cookbooks“The Chinese Cook Book” by M. Sing Au, was published in 1936 – seven years before the United States repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.
Reliability took a back seat to style and priceMy first car would be one of many I owned that had mechanical quirks and character traits that forced me to adapt, improvise, and grow.
In a WordNo more glossing over ‘greenwashing’"Green" has been used since the 1970s to describe individuals, political parties, and products that take steps to preserve the natural environment.
First LookArt community fights for integrity as AI presents artificial imagesArtificial intelligence is adding art to its growing résumé. But artists and computer experts are starting to push back against companies that allow AI to create art from original works, citing copyright infringement and the possibility of misinformation.
In a WordFrom ‘watershed moments’ to ‘windfalls’The media loves to write about "watershed" moments, our language columnist writes. Geologically, though, a watershed is a drainage basin.
‘No Bears’: Iranian director’s poignant film champions freedom to createIn his latest work, “No Bears,” embattled Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi explores in a highly personal way the necessity of freedom of expression.
When hills become mountains, and other life lessons from childhoodMy old house and the public pool both seemed smaller now that I had grown up, our essayist writes. But not the hill in the park.
Bats are cool, snakes splendid: I’m on the lookout for Sudden Dave“Much of what people believe about spiders or bats amounts to slander,” our essayist writes. “We usually have to be taught what to fear.”
‘Turn Every Page’: How a famous literary team has shaped history for 50 yearsThe literary team of Robert Gottlieb and Robert Caro has shaped history with the books they’ve produced together. A new documentary, “Turn Every Page,” engagingly captures a partnership that’s endured for five decades.
On film: A veteran finds healing, with help from an orphaned ocelotTrevor Beck Frost, co-director of the film “Wildcat,” discusses how an ex-soldier discovered a deeper sense of meaning and redemption when he found an orphaned ocelot that needed him to survive.
How to roast your own chestnuts this winterHot-chestnut stands dot the streets of Basel well past Christmas, and it’s the one downside to spring to see them disappear.
In a WordFrom ‘permacrisis’ to ‘humor,’ the year in wordsThe past two years were all about COVID-19 – "pandemic," "quarantine," "vaccine." This year dictionaries have (mostly) moved on.
In a WordI’m having ‘lightbulb moments’ about ‘epiphanies’English has made a connection between light and insight – think "enlightenment" since its beginnings as a language.
First LookJoyful jazz: The lasting appeal of ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’Since first airing in 1965, Vince Guaraldi’s soundtrack for “A Charlie Brown Christmas” continues to win over generations from the gently cascading piano in “Skating,” the driving melody of “Linus and Lucy,” and the charm of “Christmas Time is Here.”
The season of light: Gifts of illumination come in small momentsCelebrate the season of light: Our writers give space and time to share discoveries of the human heart.
Beyond the blockbusters: The 10 best films of 2022Our critic’s choices for the year’s top films feature a variety of themes, including the tenacity needed for a daring, real-life Thai rescue – and the defeat of a formidable fictional headmistress.
‘We are lying to ourselves’: Ban on LGBTQ film sparks debate in PakistanDespite being banned in parts of Pakistan, the acclaimed film “Joyland” is prompting honest conversations about how women and LGBTQ people fit into the conservative society.
The presence, and the presents, of the pastAs a young boy, I don’t recall us ever walking; we ran everywhere, because there was so much to run to.
In a WordThis winter, get ‘cozy’ in your ‘snuggery’Denmark has "hygge," but don't forget the Norwegian "koselig," the Swedish "mys," or the Icelandic "gluggaveður" (window weather.)
‘So inaccurate’: Soledad O’Brien flips the narrative on Rosa ParksIn “The Rebellious Life of Rosa Parks,” Soledad O’Brien takes a fearless look at the life and work of a civil rights icon.
