All Culture
Aloha, adventureIt was 1968, and I was in Hawaii for Peace Corps training. One day we were dropped off in pairs along the highway, and told to fend for ourselves.
‘A revolutionary posture’: Singer Dar Williams takes a stand for optimismFor singer Dar Williams, the way to stay buoyant in the face of global challenges involves interacting with others via “positive proximity.”
First LookAfter 13 years, Britney free of father's 'toxic' conservatorshipOn Wednesday, a judge put an end to James Spears’ role as conservator of Britney Spears’ life and money. A total end to the pop star’s conservatorship is likely to follow. “I am so excited for what she has to do with the rest of her life,” said a fan.
Lights, camera, exhibits: Movie museum debutsBeyond reveling in ruby slippers, the goal of the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures should be to inspire visitors to literally think big.
‘My Beautiful Black Hair’: How a little sister’s struggle led to a celebratory bookWhat options are there for supporting Black women who face hair discrimination? One author’s solution: Reinforce the beauty of natural hair.
In a WordThe explosive origin of ‘hoist by one’s own petard’Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been “hoist on his own petard." But what, exactly, does that phrase mean?
First LookNew windows of National Cathedral will have racial justice themeThe Washington National Cathedral has chosen Kerry James Marshall, a renowned Black artist, to design new stained-glass windows to replace former ones that featured Confederate imagery. The cathedral seeks to correct a “false narrative of what America once was.”
In a WordExplaining the ‘royal order’ of adjective placementIt's a “big black dog” and not a “black big dog" – but why? Parsing the grammar that native English speakers know, but don’t know we know.
Is ‘Persuasion’ the Jane Austen story we all need right now?How relevant is the work of Jane Austen to a society making its way through a pandemic – and a racial reckoning?
What a childhood prank taught me about peopleAs a child, my prank-loving self collided with my compulsively honest one. I learned that even the strictest teachers can laugh at a joke – sometimes.
Titian paintings reunite after centuries apart. How receptive are museumgoers?Where does viewing art fit among our other attention-demanding options? In Boston, a rare exhibition of Titian paintings tests the appeal of quiet contemplation.
Going ‘bold’: How the pandemic is changing New York’s Lincoln CenterAfter being stopped in its tracks by the pandemic, New York’s Lincoln Center moved forward, finding new ways for the arts to celebrate humanity.
On an island, you can become oneIn my mind’s eye I was the solitary inhabitant of Grímsey, as much a part of the island as the island and all its graces had become a part of me.
In a WordCurbing our use of the ‘fundamentalist’ labelThe word's connotations can lead to the dismissal of certain ideologies, closing off the chance to dig into understanding why people might hold them.
After 9/11, this chaplain sows seeds of religious understandingAfter the 9/11 attacks, our essayist, a chaplain, was suddenly in demand to explain the roots of violence in Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.
An Afghanistan veteran’s jagged path from war to peaceAn Afghanistan veteran reflects on his path from war to peace and the need for both separation and connection in order to heal.
In a WordWhat makes ‘statue’ and ‘statute’ so alike?These words are indeed similar – and swapping the the word statue for statute would not have been an error in the Middle Ages.
Why tender grass requires nerves of steelThe Greek gods should have given Sisyphus a lawn mower instead of a rock, and put him in Coral Gables instead of on a hill in Hades.
First LookEd Asner left his mark as blusterous and beloved 'Lou Grant'Ed Asner, a prolific character actor who became a star as the news editor in the hit comedy “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and later in the drama “Lou Grant,” died Sunday.
‘On Broadway’ filmmaker explores the pull of the stageThe new documentary “On Broadway” explores the resiliency of the theater – and why it matters in people’s lives today.
