All Culture
鈥楢 sacred space鈥�: Playwrights discuss the role religion plays on stageHow are themes of religion and spirituality explored on modern stages? Two playwrights discuss their work, and how human vulnerability 鈥� and hope 鈥� can share the same theater space.
On film: How a pinball wizard fought the law, and wonWhat do people do when they encounter well-intentioned laws they disagree with? A pair of filmmaking brothers found a message about freedom in the story of the man who helped legalize pinball.
First LookDrama, emotion was 'Everything Everywhere' for 95th Academy AwardsMichelle Yeoh made Oscar history Sunday as the first Asian woman to win best actress and the first best-actress win for a nonwhite actress in 20 years. 鈥淓verything Everywhere All at Once鈥� won seven Oscars, including best picture.聽
In a WordInsiders use 'jargon' to confuse the rest of usJargon's聽second sense is that of 鈥渙bscure and often pretentious language marked by circumlocutions and long words,鈥� as Merriam-Webster puts it.聽
What鈥檚 to be done with a recliner in decline?Two cats and 35 years later, it鈥檚 lost some shine. OK, a lot of shine, our essayist writes. But it still works.聽
Oscar or not, these were some of the best performances of 2022Ahead of the Oscars broadcast on Sunday, the Monitor鈥檚 critic weighs in on the award nominees, and his own.
鈥楥reed III鈥� is a hymn to redefine Black masculinity鈥淐reed III鈥� is more than a movie about two Black men tirelessly fighting each other. It offers a deeper, and deeply needed, view of manhood.
It鈥檚 19 below zero and the bird feeder is empty. What鈥檚 a birder to do?People who maintain bird feeders are trading seeds for delight. Sometimes that exchange is inconvenient, and sometimes it鈥檚聽 unexpectedly life-giving.
Is democracy worth fighting for? Argentine Oscar nominee inspires a 鈥榶es.鈥�Argentina has a track record of producing winning films about its dictatorship. But, Santiago Mitre鈥檚 鈥淎rgentina, 1985鈥� stands out for its focus on the aftermath.
I make peace with my procrastinationFor years I took pride in arriving on the dot 鈥� sometimes to the mild chagrin of my host, author Robert Klose writes in an essay.
In a Word鈥業ntersectionality鈥� pushes political hot buttonSometime in the 2010s, intersectionality left the ivory tower and got thoroughly wrapped up in the culture wars.
In a WordCan irony really be conveyed with punctuation?For centuries, wordsmiths have demanded punctuation marks that would convey irony and sarcasm the way verbal intonation does in spoken conversation.
Make do and mend: As landfills grow, people opt for needle and threadHow are people responding to measures like one in Massachusetts that bans putting textiles in the trash? For some, it鈥檚 an opportunity to learn a new skill 鈥� while also helping the environment.
鈥楢merica鈥檚 Arabia鈥�: Dates, a desert town, and a county fairWhat turns an event into a tradition? In the Coachella Valley, a focus on the foreign origins of date crops became fairground folklore.
From 鈥榊ellowstone鈥� to 鈥楾he Chosen,鈥� boom times for small Texas townsTexas has long starred in film and TV 鈥� though in recent decades, the part of the Lone Star State has been played by New Mexico or Louisiana. Now, thanks in part to 鈥淵ellowstone,鈥� that鈥檚 changed.
First Look鈥楲ook at us now鈥�: SAG awards highlight Asian representation鈥淓verything Everywhere All at Once鈥� continued its winning streak at the SAG awards Sunday. The film picked up top accolades for acting, directing, and producing, which hints at a strong possibility of it winning best picture at the Oscars.
In a WordWhat it means to 'root' for the home teamDoes "rooting" for a sports team have to do with the underground parts of plants? Yes, etymology suggests 鈥� and pigs may be involved, too.
What my mama told me, and when I finally heard itMy mom told me that 鈥渁 to-do list is like a mental compass that you use to navigate the ocean of junk inside your head,鈥� our essayist writes.
Feeling seen: Saying goodbye to two decades of 鈥楾he Best Man鈥�Our writer鈥檚 journey started with the first 鈥淏est Man鈥� film in 1999 and ended with the recent streaming series, 鈥淭he Best Man: The Final Chapters.鈥澛�
In a Word鈥楩itting鈥� or 鈥榝illing鈥� the bill: Which one to use?From filling to fitting to footing, the English language has lots of "bill"聽idioms 鈥� but the bills involved are not the same.
