All Culture
Moments of stillness, in a city of millionsMexico City is a place where you’re never alone – well, it used to be, before social distancing set in.
In a Word‘Bring home the bacon’ and other tasty idiomsNo one knows how bacon became associated with money, but etymologists have fun speculating. Possible answers are county fairs and English traditions.
In the desert, I find my wayThree years after the Six-Day War, I joined other foreigners at a program in Israel’s Negev, hoping to prove my independence.
In a WordWhen is the proof in the pudding, anyway?The strange phrase – the clue is in the custard? – is just one of many odd and interesting food idioms in English.
The lesson of the leather suitcaseMom had slighted me. I was determined that I’d show her what life was like without me, and the old suitcase was perfect for my plan to run away.
With ‘Soul,’ Pixar animator finds an outlet for life’s big questionsIn an interview, Pixar director and Oscar winner Pete Docter talks about how his own search for meaning resulted in his latest project, “Soul.”
From ‘American Utopia’ to ‘Ma Rainey’: The 10 best films of 2020The year’s top picks from the Monitor’s film critic include adaptations of Jane Austen’s “Emma” and August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”
Romanian documentary chases Oscar, and the truth“Collective” chronicles a 2015 nightclub fire and the aftermath that shook a country.
From H.E.R. to Taylor Swift, women deliver the best songs of 2020Music often kept people going in 2020, and some of the best songs were from female artists, including Taylor Swift, H.E.R., and Rina Sawayama.
FocusMultigenerational households confirm: The more the merrierMultigenerational households have been on the rise since the 1980s. Families value the practical advantages and the closeness across generations.
In a WordWhy the British are firmly set on ‘pudding’
‘Ma Rainey’ a triumph for Viola Davis and the late Chadwick BosemanThe new adaptation of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” is an example of just how good filmed theater can be if both the play and the acting are first rate.
What do ‘Elegy’ and ‘Nomadland’ say about Hollywood’s view of rural life?At a time when the U.S. is divided along political and urban-rural lines, what do recent films about country lives add to the conversation?
Unpacking Great-Aunt Gertrude’s plum puddingAs a child, I knew her only as the quirky lady with the odd gifts. It turns out there was much more.
A holiday lift to play out a long year: Bring on the tubas (animation)While the pandemic has affected many traditions, thoughts of holidays past can be a source of great warmth and comfort. Even if those memories involve pouring rain and a cacophony of tubas.
First LookCharley Pride: A legacy of big hits and breaking racial barriersCountry music legend Charley Pride had more than 30 No. 1 hits and broke racial barriers in the music industry. He died Saturday.
Whose ‘Nutcracker’? Rethinking a Christmas staple.“The Nutcracker” is a beloved holiday classic. But in recent years, choreographers have been reimagining the ballet to be more inclusive.
In a WordFlappers said ‘baloney!’ to the idea that slang was for menHave you heard the phrases the cat’s pajamas or the bee’s knees? Flappers, bent on enjoying social freedoms obtained by suffragists, coined them both.
He doesn’t know it, but he’s in my book clubI felt a kinship with him immediately when I saw him during jury duty, but we did not speak. The books do the talking.
Holiday TV shows bring the comfy and cozy – and better reflect societyBesides cheerful decor and happy endings, diversity and acceptance have become part of the message of this year’s holiday TV fare.
