Arts & Culture

Michael Crichton is a source of unparalleled inspiration, demonstrating the power of an extraordinary imagination and showing how a few bold ideas are capable of sparking a worldwide revolution in entertainment.

“One of the most extraordinary features of Ibsen’s works,” Sprinchorn writes, is the way “each play grows out of its predecessor.” By examining them in order, he draws out their weightier elements, combining an acute understanding of theater and a thorough grasp of the political, social, and artistic controversies that set the background for Ibsen’s career.

If the Oscars are to continue “celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking,” the Academy must scrap the preposterous idea of inclusion requirements and—as it has, historically—instruct its voting members to judge films “solely on . . . artistic and technical merits.”

Louis Menand is a writer of great gifts, whose 2000 book The Metaphysical Club is a masterpiece of intellectual history. Unfortunately, The Free World: Art and Thought in the Cold War fails to recapture the magic. That’s partly because despite its bulk—880 pages—it’s curiously incomplete.

Award-winning writer Virginia Postrel discusses the stasist/dynamist divide, how it impacts people’s views on such things as style and glamour, and the incredible (though oft-overlooked) achievements that made possible the modern textile industry.

WandaVision makes the viewer think while also providing a feast of artistic detail and a gripping mystery story. It’s a rare gem in today’s television landscape.

Cheerful songs, witty writing, benevolent humor, and contagious optimism make Phineas and Ferb a great work of soul-fueling art, not only for children but for adults as well. Its brilliant optimism and reality-first approach make every episode a delight.

Oedipus the King has been considered a masterpiece for two and a half millennia. No less a luminary than Aristotle called it the ideal tragedy. But today’s readers are often disturbed by its apparent injustice. How is it fair that the gods consign Oedipus—a genuine hero who strives to avoid committing the sins for which he is damned—to such an awful fate?

Margaret Thatcher is one of the most controversial figures in modern history. Some consider her to have been a cruel, heartless villain who destroyed jobs and livelihoods, whereas others revere her as a valiant defender of liberty and the free market who saved her country’s economy.

If we want a color-blind and merit-based classical music industry, then merit is the only thing we should consider. Such an industry would enable musicians to thrive and foster a culture in which they can create and perform the best quality music.