All Arts & Culture
Light from without 鈥� and from withinThe changing patterns of light illuminate our homes, and during the pandemic, noticing these small moments can lead to inspiration and discovery.
First LookLarry King: From presidents to faded stars, he welcomed them allDoing thousands of on-air interviews, Larry King made his mark as a classic conversationalist, whose show would feel foreign on cable news today.
Japanese comic creators grapple with racismBy portraying Black characters with more respect and dignity, some Japanese manga creators are beginning to move beyond damaging stereotypes.
In a WordAnimal traits 鈥榙og鈥� the English languageMany animal names have undergone verbification, or turned from nouns into verbs. To聽parrot聽is to 鈥渞epeat by rote鈥� without understanding, for example.
From Ella to Beyonc茅: New museum celebrates African American musicThe new National Museum of African American Music聽chronicles聽the rise of Black musicians and their influence on American culture.
Dr. King was tracked by the FBI. In 鈥楳LK/FBI,鈥� filmmakers explore why.Why did the FBI follow Martin Luther King Jr.? The documentary 鈥淢LK/FBI鈥� examines how King became a target, and considers his legacy.
In a WordBlursday, doomscrolling, and the words of 2020The year 2020 gave rise to so many new words that the editors at Oxford Languages couldn鈥檛 pick just one word of the year (WOTY).
Difference MakerIn a Brooklyn kitchen, a Statue of Liberty spirit offers a fresh startTraining for newcomers to the United States focuses on 10 weeks of culinary and job skills in the Brooklyn, N.Y., cafe of nonprofit Emma鈥檚 Torch.
The ExplainerHow will Warner Bros. streaming impact moviegoing? Three questions.Releasing each of 2021鈥檚 films in theaters and on HBO Max at the same time, Warner Bros. calls it a solution to benefit all. Except the competition?
Bucking predictions, some couples are bonding not breaking during pandemicFor some Americans, pandemic confinement has led to breakups. But for others, like those spotlighted here, it marks a deepening commitment.聽
In a Word鈥楤ring home the bacon鈥� and other tasty idiomsNo one knows how bacon became associated with money, but etymologists have fun speculating. Possible answers are county fairs and聽English traditions.
In a WordWhen is the proof in the pudding, anyway?The strange phrase 鈥� the clue is in the custard? 鈥� is just one of many odd and interesting food idioms in English.
With 鈥楽oul,鈥� Pixar animator finds an outlet for life鈥檚 big questionsIn an interview, Pixar director and Oscar winner Pete Docter talks about how his own search for meaning resulted in his latest project, 鈥淪oul.鈥�
From 鈥楢merican Utopia鈥� to 鈥楳a Rainey鈥�: The 10 best films of 2020The year鈥檚 top picks from the Monitor鈥檚 film critic include adaptations of Jane Austen鈥檚 鈥淓mma鈥� and August Wilson鈥檚 鈥淢a Rainey鈥檚 Black Bottom.鈥澛�
Romanian documentary chases Oscar, and the truth鈥淐ollective鈥� 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.聽
FocusMultigenerational households confirm: The more the merrierMultigenerational households have been on the rise since the 1980s.聽Families value the practical advantages and the closeness across generations.
In a WordWhy the British are firmly set on 鈥榩udding鈥�
鈥楳a Rainey鈥� a triumph for Viola Davis and the late Chadwick BosemanThe new adaptation of 鈥淢a Rainey鈥檚 Black Bottom鈥� is an example of just how good filmed theater can be if both the play and the acting are first rate.
What do 鈥楨legy鈥� and 鈥楴omadland鈥� say about Hollywood鈥檚 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?
