All Culture
In a WordWhat does the 鈥榝ilibuster鈥� have to do with pirates?Etymologically,聽filibuster聽has more to do with conflict than with consensus. Fittingly, conflict is what filibusters tend to create in legislatures.
First Look'A blessed gift': How one Mississippi man keeps the blues aliveJimmy 鈥淒uck鈥� Holmes is the last Bentonia bluesman to carry on the town's unique musical and oral storytelling tradition. Despite newfound fame after being nominated for a Grammy, he has never considered leaving his small Mississippi community. 聽
Art balm: A reporter鈥檚 delight after a year without museumsMuseum closures mean seeing paintings in person has not been possible. One LA-based reporter leaped at the chance to view art up close again.
First LookGolden Globes best director award: a first for Asian women鈥淣omadland" took best picture drama and the China-born filmmaker,聽Chlo茅 Zhao, became the first woman of Asian descent to win best director.
鈥楳asterpiece鈥� at 50: How has the PBS staple influenced US culture?As PBS鈥檚 鈥淢asterpiece鈥� celebrates its golden anniversary, we ask an author and aficionado聽about its appeal and influence.聽
Think you鈥檝e got winter woes? I've got a slumpy frog.Her boxwood salamander is 12 feet long, but few notice it. Still, she fusses over it when it snows.聽
In a WordWhat to call the locals in New Zealand and IndianaSometimes there are rough rules for聽forming聽demonyms, terms that denote the inhabitants of a particular place. But in irregular cases, there are none.
鈥榃e ring in the spring together鈥�: Sharing the secrets of maple sugaringHere, at the sugarhouse, a rite of spring has built a diverse community of common purpose and celebration.
In a WordWhat to call people from Wisconsin or DubaiSome聽demonyms 鈥� or聽words 鈥渦sed to denote a person who inhabits or is native to a particular place鈥� 鈥撀燼re obvious, but others are impossible to guess.
鈥楴omadland鈥�: A wispy, affecting vision of life on the roadSet in the wake of the Great Recession, 鈥淣omadland,鈥� with its focus on聽the choices people make when faced with economic hardship, resonates now.
In Maine鈥檚 winter woods, I鈥檓 never aloneWhile I鈥檓 the only human on a snowy trail at times, I鈥檓 companioned by the tracks and signs of wild creatures.
In 鈥楾he Mauritanian,鈥� Hollywood takes on Guant谩namo. Can it do it justice?With the release of 鈥淭he Mauritanian,鈥� the Monitor鈥檚 film critic wonders聽how well equipped Hollywood is to dramatize incendiary political subjects.
In a WordLearning to live with 鈥榣earnings鈥�Learnings聽is often seen as pretentious and useless business jargon, but its cousin teachings is pretty unobjectionable. What鈥檚 the difference?
Winter can鈥檛 stop these Brits from wading inSea swimming during the cold winter months attracts sturdy bands of bathers in Britain鈥檚 coastal towns.聽
First LookColumn: Window sill gardens offer warmth amid winter's chillTiny seedlings on a ledge in the pale afternoon light offer a metaphor for the coming days, this columnist writes. As bulbs sleep beneath the snow outside, inside gardeners are finding purpose in preparing for spring.
鈥淎 giving spirit鈥�: Getting children in foster care through the pandemicThe pandemic makes it harder to serve youth in the foster care system, but it has also sparked creative workarounds within programs and communities.
To each their own valentineWriting a poem to your partner is one thing. But what could be more romantic than smoke-detector maintenance?
Why few Nigerians have seen their country鈥檚 Oscar submission鈥淭he Milkmaid鈥� is Nigeria鈥檚 submission for the Oscars. But at home, censorship means few Nigerians have seen the film in full.
First LookChristopher Plummer enchanted audiences across the decadesChristopher Plummer, who died Friday at the age of 91, captivated moviegoers in his varied roles across the decades, from聽Captain von Trapp in 鈥淭he Sound of Music鈥� to the 2019 hit 鈥淜nives Out.鈥�
In a WordWhen politicians resort to 鈥榳hataboutism鈥�Whataboutism聽is an old rhetorical technique. If Mary accuses John of something, John responds by accusing Mary of something: 鈥淲hat about ... ?鈥�
