All Culture
First LookEurovision 2023: A message of hope, reprieve from war, for UkraineEurovision returned to the U.K. after 25 years, but the focus this week has been on Ukrainian culture. The finals take place Saturday in Liverpool, England. Fan favorites include Finnish K盲盲rij盲鈥檚聽 鈥淐ha Cha Cha鈥� and聽 鈥淭attoo鈥� by Sweden鈥檚 Loreen.
First LookCheckmate! Custodian coaches school to chess championship.A real-life version of 鈥淭he Queen鈥檚 Gambit鈥� is playing out at a school in Maine. David Bishop, a custodian in Hampden, Maine, is also a chess coach who has led the elementary and middle school teams to state championship titles this year.
Catcher and philosopher: Yogi Berra gets his dueWhen one of baseball鈥檚 greats seems to be overlooked, what鈥檚 the best way to correct that? The director of 鈥淚t Ain鈥檛 Over鈥� offers a documentary that looks fondly at famous Hall of Famer Yogi Berra.聽
For this Minnesota choir, 鈥榤usic makes community鈥�What does it take to create unity? An amateur choir in Minneapolis fosters opportunities to connect 鈥� and spread joy.聽
In Pictures: In Senegal, the kora 鈥榖rings me closer to God鈥�The kora fundamentally changed the monks鈥� worship. But the monks also transformed the kora, modernizing its tuning pegs and spreading its popularity.
In a WordA scholar who finds the good in 鈥榖ad鈥� EnglishIn her book, 鈥淟ike, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English,"聽Valerie Fridland聽argues that many maligned verbal tics play useful roles.
As 鈥楪uardians of the Galaxy鈥� ends, Marvel keeps asking 鈥榃hat if?鈥�How has 鈥淕uardians of the Galaxy鈥� influenced diversity and creativity in Marvel offerings? Our commentator reflects on the legacy of the film trilogy as the last volume debuts in theaters.聽
Writers鈥� strike: Has the gig economy come for Hollywood?The first writers鈥� strike in 15 years comes down to an all-too-familiar dispute in Hollywood: How much are writers worth?- Writers鈥� strike: Has the gig economy come for Hollywood?The first writers鈥� strike in 15 years comes down to an all-too-familiar dispute in Hollywood: How much are writers worth?
- Writers鈥� strike: Has the gig economy come for Hollywood?The first writers鈥� strike in 15 years comes down to an all-too-familiar dispute in Hollywood: How much are writers worth?
Love and patience, I discover, go hand in paw"I like to think I have an affinity for befriending animals. But Rocky was a difficult case," our essayist writes
First LookWriters' block: Hollywood strike is pulling the plug on productionsHollywood writers are on their first strike in 15 years to demand better pay and job security, now threatened by streaming services.聽Some scripted productions have paused, and with no resolution in sight, the situation is likely to drag on.
In Pictures: For blind musicians, Khmer culture singsA small school in southern Cambodia runs a dual-track mission:聽to care for orphaned children and preserve the traditional arts.
The perfect garden? I鈥檝e learned to leave it to nature.In spring, a gardener鈥檚 fancy turns to thoughts of creating a perfect garden.聽But one person鈥檚 perfection is another鈥檚 jungle.
In a WordWhen we 鈥榙o good,鈥� is it for ourselves or others?When we 鈥渄o good,鈥� is it for ourselves or for others? Etymologically, it can be both, our language columnist writes.
Searing drama 鈥楻.M.N.鈥� asks, who belongs and who doesn鈥檛?What happens when humanity and bigotry collide? 鈥淩.M.N.鈥� does not offer easy remedies.
First LookHarry Belafonte remembered as a beloved 鈥榗elebrity activist鈥�Harry Belafonte, who died Tuesday, was one of the first Black performers to gain a wide following on film and to sell a million records as a singer. But he was also a civil rights activist, a businessman, and a mentor to younger Black celebrities.聽
In a WordMay Day meanings, from holiday to distress callIn the U.S., May Day was thought to be too 鈥渃ommunist.鈥� So President Dwight Eisenhower declared May 1 as 鈥淟aw Day,鈥� to 鈥渃elebrate the rule of law.鈥�
The case for running an analog errandShopping, banking, and book-borrowing can be done digitally 鈥� but at the cost of聽kind words and friendly smiles along the way, our essayist writes.
First LookStreaming services find unlikely outlet: Big-screen movie theatersAs streaming services grew and the pandemic kept people at home, the future of the movie theater industry was unclear. But Amazon and Apple are increasingly leaning into big-screen releases, and moviegoing is approaching pre-pandemic levels.
