Tag Archives: Arts & Entertainment

Hip-Hop and Shakespeare

Explore the connections between the rhythms and ideas in Shakespeare’s plays and hip-hop music with British MC Akala, artistic director of The Hip-Hop Shakespeare Company.

Video games’ visual effects leaking into our reality

When video game environments and real life start to merge maybe it’s a sign for computer time out! The information in this article is based on a study that investigates the experiences of hardcore gamers when they stepped away from that environment and back to “reality”.

Rick Bass on his new story collection, ‘For a Little While’

In this Q&A, author Rick Bass pushes back on the label of “environmental writer,” arguing that he sees his characters as the driving force of his stories.

At American Art: A New Look on How Artists Recorded the Civil War

This article analyzes an art exhibition that featured paintings and photographs created during the Civil War. It examines the metaphorical landscapes and realistic depictions of everyday life.

Artwork of Erie Canal from its 1825 opening found

Read about a Vermont historian’s journey to inform others of the impact of the Erie Canal and to distribute the artwork of an Episcopalian minister who recorded what it looked like when first built. Be sure to click through the slideshow of images at the top.

Tracing F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Minnesota Roots

Read about the city that influenced Fitzgerald and his work.

How a Volcano Helped Inspire Frankenstein

Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein two hundred years ago at a time when a powerful volcanic eruption had caused changes to Europe’s climate. Read to find out how this event affected the author and influenced her famous horror story.

Rings, dwarves, elves, and dragons: J.R.R. Tolkien’s Old Norse influences

J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpieces of fantasy, including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, sprang from the rich storytelling traditions of the far north.

Richard and Mildred Loving Interview

Like Romeo and Juliet, Richard and Mildred Loving married despite overwhelming opposition to their relationship. But this mild-mannered Virginia couple’s love changed the law of the land. Watch an interview from the time of their Supreme Court victory.

Driehaus exhibit flips through pages of satirical magazine Puck

A Chicago museum exhibits the lifestyle and political cartoons from Puck magazine, a source for satirical commentary during the Gilded Age.

Poems of the American Revolution

Throughout history, poets have attempted to interpret the nation’s founding.

Geology And Ancient Fossils Inspired H.P. Lovecraft To Write His Best Horror Story

H.P. Lovecraft, author of “The Outsider,” was fascinated by geology and paleontology. This article explains that his story “At the Mountains of Madness” was based in part on scientific observations from expeditions to Antarctica.

Oscars: “The Look of Silence”

Movies can be more than just entertainment. One recent documentary shines a light on state-sanctioned oppression and murder in Indonesia.

100 years ago, ‘The Rite of Spring’ incited a riot in a Paris theater

The years just before World War I marked a turning point in the arts, a shift from the romantic to the modern. Learn how a groundbreaking ballet’s modernity shocked and angered the audience at its premier.

Dark Shades for a Children’s ‘Hamlet’

Designer David Habben analyzes and explains the visual techniques he used in creating the poster for a children’s production of Hamlet.

Why Russians flock to Jack London’s California ranch 100 years after his death

Read why Russians connect with one of America’s most respected writer’s work.

How to Beat Writer’s Block

All writers suffer “writer’s block” at some time. Two psychologists have developed an intervention to get writers back to telling their tales.

Christo’s Newest Project: Walking on Water

Art is the medium that Christo Javacheff uses to make his voice heard. It took 46 years for his floating piers to be realized on a lake in Italy, but Christo was determined. Read his story.