Arts & Culture
Arts & Culture, Noteworthy
Noteworthy: New Music from Joe Bonamassa, Vikingur Ólafsson, and More
Jon Hersey October 13, 2023
Welcome to “Noteworthy,” a periodic update on new music and related news. This week’s noteworthy picks span the musical universe.
Arts & Culture
The Creator, Directed by Gareth Edwards
Angelica Walker-Werth October 13, 2023
Instead of dealing with serious and timely issues in a thought-provoking manner, The Creator rehashes familiar tropes and common fears to convey a shallow anti-America story that ignores the moral issues it raises.
Arts & Culture, Reviews
Ahsoka, Created by Dave Filoni
Thomas Walker-Werth October 6, 2023
Ahsoka's compelling setup makes it far more interesting than many of the recent Star Wars shows. Virtually every character has clear motivation, and the main story is supported by interesting subplots. Although it is not without flaws, it is, on the whole, compelling and exciting.
Arts & Culture, Science & Technology
Star Trek Inspires People ‘to Boldly Go’
Thomas Walker-Werth August 29, 2023
Although its vision for the future is sometimes imperfect, Star Trek has, with its unabashed optimism, celebration of science and technology, and exploration of philosophic and moral questions, inspired countless people to achieve wonderful things.
Arts & Culture
Writing against Your Life
Richard Mitchell August 29, 2023
Richard Mitchell (1929–2002), also known as “the underground grammarian,” was a champion of clarity in thought and communication.
Arts & Culture
Nine Inspiring Poems about the Future
Various Authors August 29, 2023
Including works by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, D. H. Lawrence, Edgar Guest, Arthur Hugh Clough, James Oppenheim, Langston Hughes, William Stanley Braithwaite, and Will Allen Dromgoole.
Arts & Culture, Philosophy
George Lucas Gets the Moral Meaning of Star Wars Wrong
Thomas Walker-Werth August 29, 2023
George Lucas says that selfishness puts one on the dark side, but it’s really the other way around. Selfishness, properly understood, is the rational concern for one’s own interests. It is the light.
Arts & Culture, Science & Technology
The Flower of Forest Park: Innovation in Architecture
Seamus Riley August 1, 2023
One Hundred Above the Park has something to teach us about the history of skyscraper design, the future of apartment design, and the philosophy behind great new architecture.
Arts & Culture, History, Reviews
Oppenheimer, Written and Directed by Christopher Nolan
Angelica Walker-Werth July 28, 2023
Oppenheimer was a key mind behind the invention and development of the bombs that ended World War II. He was also haunted by the question of whether producing these bombs was the right thing to do. This question runs throughout Christopher Nolan’s recent biopic, Oppenheimer, hailed by some as “the most epic WWII film yet."
Arts & Culture, Reviews
Sound of Freedom, Directed by Alejandro Gómez Monteverde
Tim White July 21, 2023
Although Sound of Freedom is emotionally straining at times, it is nonetheless an excellent and important film about heroic, inspiring people—and a film that hopefully will have a positive impact on real-life efforts to fight child trafficking.