The Psychology of a Horror Movie Fan
Source: Pacific Standard
Discover the reasons why people say they love horror movies, while others hate them.
Arts & Entertainment
Who Was Edmund Pettus?
Source: Smithsonian
Just who was Edmund Pettus, and why was the famous bridge in Selma named for him? Find out here.
The Don’s Don: J.R.R. Tolkien’s Beowulf translation finally arrives.
Source: Slate
Katy Waldman, a correspondant for Slate, reviews J.R.R. Tolkien’s translation of Beowulf, published in 2014.
Edith Wharton Reveals the ‘Deeper Processes’ Behind Her Art
Source: The Atlantic
In 1933, author Edith Wharton revealed her writing process in an article published in The Atlantic.
Thoreau’s Walden, Present at the Creation
Source: NPR
Listen to the radio piece to learn what inspired Thoreau to live at Walden Pond and what he experienced while he was there.
Odysseus’ Ship
Source: History
In 1988, an ancient ship was found in the sea near the coast of southern Sicily. Learn how scientists and scholars decided that this old vessel could possibly be of the same time period as one of Odysseus’ ships.
Cave Paintings and Artifacts
Source: How Stuff Works
The ideas of people who lived tens of thousands of years ago are preserved in cave paintings. Read what art historians speculate cave dwellers were trying to communicate.
World War II in a New ‘Light’: Empathy Found in Surprising Places
Source: NPR
Author Anthony Doerr discusses his new award-winning book, All the Light We Cannot See.
Akira Kurosawa: Throne of Blood
Source: The Guardian
The Tragedy of Macbeth has been produced for the stage and screen innumerable times in the past 400 years. Perhaps the most powerful version so far has been an adaptation by famed Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. Find out how “the Scottish play” translates to an ancient samurai setting.
Film Review: ‘Selma’
Source: Variety
The Academy Award-nominated film Selma centers on a key struggle in the American civil rights movement. Read one reviewer’s appraisal of its artistic and narrative achievement.