All Culture
Overwhelmed by climate change? I started by changing me.How can we counter climate change? Turn off the lights. Buy secondhand toys. We can鈥檛 fix it alone, but we can start right where we are.
Good is 鈥榯he strongest gravity,鈥� says 鈥榃icked鈥� author MaguireFairy tales often present characters as either good or bad. 鈥淲icked鈥� author Gregory Maguire asks readers to let go of binary thinking as they consider morality.聽
Behind the stacks: The secret life of a librarianMy novel experience as a children鈥檚 librarian was not the quiet desk job I had envisioned. It was so much more.
Want to hear the latest country music? Try Broadway.鈥淢usic City,鈥� which opened off-Broadway this month, is the latest show to embrace the country genre. Can Nashville music make it in New York?- Want to hear the latest country music? Try Broadway.鈥淢usic City,鈥� which opened off-Broadway this month, is the latest show to embrace the country genre. Can Nashville music make it in New York?
Dome sweet dome: This tiny village makes most of Kyrgyzstan鈥檚 yurtsThe Issyk-Kul region has been designated the World Craft City for Yurts, with most of Kyrgyzstan鈥檚 yurt production concentrated in the village of Kyzyl Tuu.
In top-notch Indian film, three Mumbai women encounter what makes a life worth livingWith 鈥淎ll We Imagine as Light,鈥� an Indian filmmaker draws our attention to personal stories 鈥� and the many ways a life can have meaning.聽
First LookTed Olson, who argued for same-sex marriage, is remembered as a conservative legal titanFormer U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson, who died Nov. 13, who argued 65 cases before the Supreme Court, including fighting for same-sex marriage. Mr. Olson聽鈥渓eft the law, our country, and each of us better than he found us,鈥� said聽former adversary David Boies.
鈥楨milia P茅rez鈥� breaks genres and bursts into song in a one-of-a-kind movie鈥淓milia P茅rez鈥� is a feminist musical crime thriller about a transgender cartel boss. Part operetta, part telenovela, it shimmies between the archetypal and the intensely personal, writes Monitor film critic Peter Rainer.
Juan Rulfo helped invent magical realism. His 鈥楶edro P谩ramo鈥� is now on Netflix.Mexican author Juan Rulfo helped invent magical realism and influenced a generation of beloved Latin American writers. His novel 鈥淧edro P谩ramo鈥� just received a twisty adaptation on Netflix.- Juan Rulfo helped invent magical realism. His 鈥楶edro P谩ramo鈥� is now on Netflix.Mexican author Juan Rulfo helped invent magical realism and influenced a generation of beloved Latin American writers. His novel 鈥淧edro P谩ramo鈥� just received a twisty adaptation on Netflix.
A 400-lb tree weighed on our marriage. A smart solution lifted the load.My wife and I have gardened together for years without marital incident 鈥� until the great birch tree challenge of 2024.聽
A silver rush built Nelson, British Columbia. It still has polish.With over 350 buildings lovingly restored, the city of Nelson聽boasts on its website that some call it 鈥渢he prettiest small town in Canada.鈥澛�
An unwanted kiss shook Spanish soccer 鈥� and society. A new documentary explores why.Just as the Spanish women鈥檚 national team was celebrating its 2023 World Cup victory, it found itself embroiled in a fight with the soccer federation president over an unwanted kiss. A Netflix documentary looks at the scandal.
Beyond the World Series and Bronny, the enduring love of fathers and sonsThe beautiful thing about the full-circle moments experienced this week by sports stars Freddie Freeman and LeBron James is what鈥檚 at the center of them, writes the Monitor鈥檚 cultural commentator 鈥� pure and abiding love.
In 鈥楢 Real Pain,鈥� a road trip whose emotional power sneaks up on you鈥淎 Real Pain,鈥� written by, directed by, and co-starring Jesse Eisenberg, is the kind of movie that creeps up on you, says film critic Peter Rainer. It has a way of seeing that, in its own modest way, owes something to the Yiddish sensibility that informed storytellers聽like Isaac Bashevis Singer.
Candy corn and leaf-pile cannonballs: Falling in love with fall, all over againCelebrating fall: The riot of russet tones, the brisk air, the crunchy leaves. The answer to what ails us? It鈥檚 often as simple as stepping outside.
Musician Fantastic Negrito wants to spread the light. He first had to face his past.With 鈥淪on of a Broken Man,鈥� Grammy winner Fantastic Negrito tackles his relationship with his father, and considers how to overcome the darkness in our lives.
Civil rights on the red carpet: Freedom Awards honor 3 iconsFilmmaker Spike Lee, attorney Sherrilyn Ifill, and civil rights advocate Xernona Clayton were honored with the National Civil Rights Museum鈥檚 Freedom Award in Memphis, Tennessee.
For descendants of Black Caribs, this heritage sail is about resilienceThe annual pilgrimage of the Garifuna from mainland St. Vincent to nearby Baliceaux island offers tribute and connection to their ancestors 鈥� and helps keep a unique culture alive.
