Man of Science, Man of God
In The Water-Babies, Charles Kingsley parodied the dogmatic belief held by many in Victorian England that faith and reason are incompatible.
The Legacy and Power of Performance Poetry: A Reading List
MTV might take credit for getting spoken word on the pop cultural radar, but it’s a tradition that spans millennia and continents.
Real Fake/Fake Real: Pro-Wrestling’s Kayfabe Conundrum
An anthropologist takes on pro-wrestling at the intersection of gig-economy precariousness and post-truth politics.
“Let it Go” and “Defying Gravity”: Queer Anthems in Lockstep
The leading songs from Wicked and Frozen emphasize the importance of self-determination and being true to oneself.
Arthur Miller, Comedian
Yep. The author of Death of a Salesman and The Crucible wrote comedies as well. Funny ones.
The Wonderfully Complex Whitman Sisters
A popular act on the Black vaudeville circuit, the Whitman Sisters relied on a reputation for strong morals while challenging racial and gender codes.
Why Are Video Games So Fond of Opera?
Video games have a long history of using musical excerpts from opera and classical music, but some creators take the in-game operatic sequence even further.
Bob Dylan and the Creative Leap That Transformed Modern Music
In 1964, Dylan decided that he wanted to make a different kind of music.
Henry Cowell’s One True Desire
To “live in the whole world of music” was all the influential, experimental composer wanted—and did, even while imprisoned at San Quentin.
From The Host to Parasite: Hollywood’s Hidden Hand
Bong Joon-ho’s films interrogate the ways modern Korean culture has been shaped by the post-war relationship between the United States and South Korea.