Arts & Culture
Arts & Culture, Biographies
Leroy Anderson’s Joyful American Music
Betsy Speicher November 26, 2021
Many Leroy Anderson compositions, written more than half a century ago, have become an enduring part of both American concert and popular music. His works are joyful and have a distinctive American flavor.
Arts & Culture, Ayn Rand & Objectivism, Philosophy
Which Ayn Rand Novel to Read First
Jon Hersey November 26, 2021
Where in Rand’s corpus should a curious reader begin? As someone who’s read it all, I would say that, for most people, there’s no better place to start than with one of Rand’s major works of fiction—Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, We the Living, or Anthem—and I suspect Rand would agree.
Arts & Culture, Good Living
Eight Poems Celebrating Travelers and Adventurers
Various Authors November 26, 2021
Including works by Berton Braley, Edwin Arlington Robinson, Robert Louis Stephenson, John Gillespie Magee, Li Po, Robert Frost, and John Masefield.
Arts & Culture, Reviews
Law of the Land, by Elmer Kelton
Timothy Sandefur November 26, 2021
One reason critics often ignored Elmer Kelton was that his novels celebrate the virtues of integrity, honor, hard work, and bravery, with none of the nihilism or mournfulness that mark other Western authors. “Critics don’t read a Western unless the book is contemptuous of its subject matter,” Kelton once said.
Arts & Culture, Reviews
Lucifer, Written by Tom Kapinos and Joe Henderson
Clytze Sun November 26, 2021
If you like a romantic story with heartwarming friendships, thought-provoking questions, and a side of dark comedy, check out Lucifer. You might just become possessed by the devil himself.
Arts & Culture, Science & Technology
Robot 'Artists' Muddy the Meaning of Art
Thomas Walker-Werth November 3, 2021
Ai-Da is not the kind of tool that aids an artist in selectively re-creating reality. Rather, it’s a tool for randomizing output and removing value-based selectivity—the essence of art—from the process and the outcome.
Arts & Culture, Biographies
Ray Harryhausen: Giving New Life to Old Legends
Thomas Walker-Werth September 25, 2021
Ray Harryhausen was a maverick, path-breaking movie maker. He gave new life to old legends, created legends of his own, and inspired the legends of the next generation. It is in large part thanks to him that we have movies such as Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Indiana Jones today.
Arts & Culture, Reviews
Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles and Ted Orland
Andreea Mincu September 24, 2021
By explaining how one can create good art via hard work and rational processes, “Art & Fear” dispels myths of inborn talent and mystical inspiration, and it encourages artists to cultivate skills, just as in any other profession.
Arts & Culture, Good Living, Reviews
Touching the Art: A Guide to Enjoying Art at a Museum by Luc Travers
Angelica Walker-Werth September 3, 2021
In an easy-to-read, seventy-four-page volume, Travers relays his approach to art appreciation: You don’t connect with an artwork by learning which period it’s from or who painted it. Rather, you connect with an artwork by immersing yourself in it and finding personal connections with its characters and themes.
Arts & Culture, Reviews
Free Guy, Written by Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn
Thomas Walker-Werth September 2, 2021
The bulk of Free Guy is propelled by a compelling, original story (a rare thing in today’s movie landscape) with well-written, well-acted characters and a powerful theme, as well as a delightful dose of humor.