The Best Albums of 2020 The Best Albums of 2020
Our music critic’s 11 favorite pieces of music from this year.
Dec 18, 2020 / Books & the Arts / David Hajdu
Shakespeare’s Contentious Conversation With America Shakespeare’s Contentious Conversation With America
James Shapiro’s recent book looks at why Shakespeare has been a mainstay of the cultural and political conflicts of the country since its founding.
Dec 17, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Alisa Solomon
Serenade Behind a Floating Stage Serenade Behind a Floating Stage
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Dec 15, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Shangyang Fang
Lightning Strike Lightning Strike
A movement called the Women’s Strike has been drawing hundreds of thousands of people to protest drastic abortion restrictions in Poland in recent months.
Dec 14, 2020 / OppArt / Various Contributors
How Bob Dylan Wrote the Second Great American Songbook How Bob Dylan Wrote the Second Great American Songbook
The sale of the singer-songwriter’s catalogue is a reminder of his massive cultural legacy.
Dec 11, 2020 / Jeet Heer
The Vanishing Queer Underground of Los Angeles The Vanishing Queer Underground of Los Angeles
Reynaldo Rivera’s photos of the city's nightlife document a time of cheap rent and possibility.
Dec 10, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Kate Wolf
A Salacious Press, an Unchecked Government: Heinrich Böll’s Prescient Fiction A Salacious Press, an Unchecked Government: Heinrich Böll’s Prescient Fiction
A 1975 film adaptation of his novel The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum looks how fragile freedom is under democracy.
Dec 8, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Phoebe Chen
Movie Theaters Aren’t Dying—They’re Being Murdered Movie Theaters Aren’t Dying—They’re Being Murdered
The Covid-19 pandemic is providing a perfect cover for media giants bent on replacing theatrical moviegoing with streaming at home.
Dec 4, 2020 / Jeet Heer
9 Months Into Touch-Free Living, What Shall We Birth? 9 Months Into Touch-Free Living, What Shall We Birth?
“Thanks Forgiving,” a poem.
Dec 2, 2020 / Verandah Porche
John Wilson’s Magically Poignant Urban Histories John Wilson’s Magically Poignant Urban Histories
His documentary series for HBO is a head-spinning interrogation of the chaos of New York City life.
Dec 1, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Vikram Murthi