Sir Roger Deakins—An Englishman in LA
A new exhibition in LA offers a rare chance to enjoy still photography by one of the world’s most talented cinematographers.
Hannah Gal
· 6 min read
Art and Culture
A collection of 783 posts
In Memoriam, 2023
A tribute to three pop-fiction authors who passed away this year.
Kevin Mims
· 14 min read
From out of the Steppes, a ‘Whirlwind of Nations’
In the sixth instalment of ‘The So-Called Dark Ages,’ Herbert Bushman describes the rise of the Huns, who struck terror into the hearts of Goths and Romans alike.
Herbert Bushman
· 21 min read
Mutual Friends: The Adventures of Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins
A charming exhibition at London’s Charles Dickens Museum provides a fascinating glimpse into the private lives of two great English writers.
Hannah Gal
· 7 min read
Sailing Into Canada’s Great ‘Northern Sea’
In the fifteenth instalment of his series on the history of Canada, Greg Koabel describes Henry Hudson’s tragic 1610-11 voyage to the saltwater bay that now bears his name.
Greg Koabel
· 31 min read
How Superhero Franchises Are Killing Original Cinema
Most new movies feature neither good storytelling nor innovative filmmaking. Instead, they rely on the nostalgia of ready-made fan bases.
Jacob Bielecki
· 7 min read
Robots, Rats and Hoverchairs: Three Dystopian AI Fantasies
Human beings need meaning, and a life in which all one’s needs were met by external agents would fail to provide it.
Stewart Slater
· 9 min read
History on Horseback: Napoleon Bonaparte
The French emperor and military commander played a pivotal role in an epochal transformation.
Ralph Leonard
· 16 min read
The Athens of Asia: A History of Gaza
For much of its history, Gaza moved people, things, and ideas by land and sea, and its name was associated with geographic interconnectedness.
Robert C. Thornett
· 9 min read
Black Progress and Black Rage
A new biopic about Bayard Rustin and the New York Met’s opera about the life of Malcolm X celebrate very different notions of black struggle.
Joshua Muravchik
· 8 min read
Chasing the Ice Moon
A new book describes the crackpot anthropological theories that Nazis used to justify their belief in Aryan racial superiority.
Steven Tucker
· 10 min read
The Pervert’s Guide to Philosophy
Costin Alamariu’s (AKA Bronze Age Pervert's) doctoral dissertation is attracting a lot of interest but it doesn’t add up to much.
Oliver Traldi
· 19 min read
The Greatest American Western Novel of All
Elmer Kelton’s ‘The Time It Never Rained’ is an overlooked classic.
Kevin Mims
· 13 min read
The Long Road to Aquitaine
In the fifth instalment of ‘The So-Called Dark Ages,’ Herbert Bushman describes the conclusion to the Visigoths’ four-decade quest for a permanent homeland.
Herbert Bushman
· 13 min read
Concealed Carry
For more than five centuries, the humble pocket has changed the way we equip ourselves to face the world.
Virginia Postrel
· 7 min read