Most of the stories we remember hearing as young children avoid content that is gruesome or unsettling. But some writers feel that it’s healthier to share stories with a more frightening side.
Tag Archives: Arts & Entertainment
Art + Technology = New Art Forms, Not Just New Art
Maybe you’ve always wanted to express yourself through art but didn’t feel talented enough. No problem! Technology isn’t just a shortcut to creating art; it’s the basis of whole new forms of art that you can explore.
What makes a hero? – Matthew Winkler
What do you have in common with heroes in literature, movies, and television? It may be more than you think. Watch this short video to learn about the the hero’s journey myth.
This Is Your Brain on Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s writing style can be challenging to read. Not only did he write four centuries ago, but he also played with language, coining new words, rearranging syntax, and using words as different parts of speech. Now, researchers have discovered that this last feature—using a noun like child as a verb instead, for example—excites the human brain because it is so unexpected.
Holocaust Survivor: Without Music, “I Wouldn’t Be Alive”
In this video clip from the nightly news, a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor takes the stage to share the music he played for fellow concentration camp prisoners.
Welcome to the Matrix: Are Humans Just a Computer Simulation?
Stories, novels, and movies allow us to consider possibilities beyond our everyday experiences. Some philosophers and nuclear physicists have begun to question whether the science-fiction movie The Matrix might have touched on a scientific reality.
With Utah’s concerns about youth suicide, should students study ‘Romeo and Juliet’?
Mental health advocates argue that Shakepeare’s play could help start important conversations with teenagers.
Pharrell Williams on How Taking Risks Can Lead to the Biggest Successes of Your Career
Hip hop artist and producer Pharrell talks about creating his biggest hit song, “Happy.”
Classic protest film ‘The War at Home’ back in theaters
Inspired by current political protestors, documentary filmmaker Glenn Silber restored and redistributed his 1976 film about Vietnam War protests at the University of Wisconsin.
Freedom Writer
This article profiles poet Jimmy Santiago Baca, author of “Cloudy Day,” and describes a documentary film about his discovery of poetry while he was imprisoned as a young man.
Artists Who Lose Their Vision, Then See Clearly
Read this article to learn about several visual artists who continue to create works of art after suffering vision loss.
Who Gets to Claim Kafka?
The national archives of both Germany and Israel have laid claim to the writings of Franz Kafka, author of The Metamorphosis. Read to learn more about the influential author and the legal battle over his manuscripts.
Why ‘The Monkey’s Paw’ Is Still the Scariest Story of All Time
On the occasion of a new film adaptation of W.W. Jacobs’s classic tale, a reviewer digs into what makes this “be careful what you wish for” lesson so memorable.
How Jhumpa Lahiri Learned to Write Again
Pulitzer-prize winning author Jhumpa Lahiri, know for writing about themes of nationality and belonging, discusses how learning the Italian language helped her re-discover herself.
Retelling Romeo and Juliet at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage
Visitors to the historical site in England contribute their thoughts and feelings about the well-known play to re-create the story.
Poetry and the Environment
Read about the difference between nature poetry and environmental poetry and explore a curated colletion of poems.
Toil and trouble: How ‘Macbeth’ could teach computers to think
Read this article to learn about a professor who is trying to teach an artificial intelligence system to interpret stories by having it read Macbeth.
What horror movies do to your brain
Even though you know that what you’re seeing onscreen isn’t real, your brain can react to a horror movie as though it is.
Augmented Reality Recreates A New York City Not Seen for Centuries
Tourists of Governor’s Island can now travel back in time to the 17th century as a colonist with their own storyline and cast of characters thanks to augmented reality.
How Misty Copeland is empowering at-risk youth through dance
For Misty Copeland and MindLeaps, dancing provides more than physical benefits. Dancing can cause changes in a child’s mindset that can change their lives for the better.