culture

Jessica (Tilda Swinton) consults an engineer (Juan Pablo Urrego) in an effort to understand the mysterious sound she's hearing in Memoria.

Arts

'Memoria' is a marvelously strange sonic detective story

1:06pm May 13, 2022

by Justin Chang

Tilda Swinton plays a botanist who is haunted by a mysterious sound in an intriguing new film. Reviewer Justin Chang says Memoria's climax will leave your jaw on the floor.

Kalush Orchestra, the Ukrainian band favored to win Eurovision, performing during the semifinals.

A fight to the glitter end: Your guide to Eurovision 2022

11:07am May 13, 2022

by Glen Weldon

Peacock will stream the 66th Eurovision Song Contest live on Saturday, May 14th. Here's a highly opinionated guide to keep handy as you watch 25 countries vying for gleefully over-the-top glory.

Virtual worlds sustained Alexander Tuerk as he navigated his life and the loss of his father.

Arts

How a father's gift brought sense to an uncertain life, from 'Zelda' to 'Elden Ring'

11:02am May 13, 2022

by Alexander Tuerk

Contributor Alexander Tuerk revisits departed family and the virtual worlds that sustained him in uncertain times.

Arts

Actor Fred Ward dies. He had the right stuff in movies from 'Tremors' to 'The Player'

10:44am May 13, 2022

by Neda Ulaby

Ward died on Sunday at age 79.

Playwright Terrence McNally pictured at a Tony Awards function in 2019.

Arts

In memory of cultural figures the U.S. lost to COVID-19

9:07am May 13, 2022

by Fi O'Reilly

Groundbreaking artists and thinkers are among those whose deaths are blamed on the illness caused by the coronavirus.

Read Dangerously, In the Margins, Write for Your Life (Dey Street Books, Europa Editions, Random House)

Books
Arts

Three female authors show us how writing can turn adversity into beauty

8:11am May 13, 2022

by Sharmila Mukherjee

In their latest works, Azar Nafisi, Elena Ferrante, and Anna Quindlen vigorously assert that reading and writing can pull us out of our mess. In their hands, reading and writing are worth celebrating.

Chef Sean Sherman, a member of the Ogalala Lakota Sioux tribe, is trying to change the representation of American cuisine by serving food that celebrates and preserves Lakota cooking.

Arts

COMIC: One Sioux chef's attempt to reclaim Native American cuisine

5:01am May 13, 2022

When it comes to North American cuisine, Indigenous foods don't typically come to mind. Chef Sean Sherman is changing that by serving food that celebrates and preserves his ancestors' Lakota cooking.

Queue Listen Now

Sofia Kappel is Bella Cherry in Pleasure.

Arts

'Pleasure': A young woman's matter-of-fact pursuit of porn stardom

5:01am May 13, 2022

by Aisha Harris

Ninja Thyberg's film about an aspiring porn star challenges conventional wisdom around sex work and women's agency.

Tarriona "Tank" Ball, singer of Tank and The Bangas, photographed on Jan. 24, 2020 in West Hollywood, Calif.

Tank and the Bangas' album tackles serious issues including the Capitol attack

12:31am May 13, 2022

by Leila Fadel

Tank and the Bangas' third studio album, Red Balloon, celebrates Black life and reckons with America's ills. NPR's Leila Fadel talks to lead singer Tarriona "Tank" Ball.

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Books
Arts

'Nasty, Brutish, and Short' contends that all parents are raising little philosophers

2:35pm May 12, 2022

by Thúy Đinh

Author Scott Hershovitz sets out to prove that philosophy, like inquisitive, rowdy children, can offer illuminating insights — even when addressing complex subjects related to misbehavior.