V.S. Naipaul’s Defense of Civilization
As a public figure, V.S. Naipaul is often outrageous, but his 30+ books speak eloquently in defense of civilization.
500 Years of Hell With Hieronymus Bosch
Hieronymus Bosch died 500 years ago, but we can't take our eyes off of his paintings.
Colson Whitehead
Colton Whitehead's new novel The Underground Railroad, and how he researches his books.
Leni Riefenstahl’s Nazi Olympics
Leni Riefenstahl was the Nazi regime’s most artistic propagandist. She is also remembered for Olympia, her documentary of the 1936 Olympics.
The Linguistics of Other People’s Pants (and Other Dishonorific Epithets)
The linguistics behind "dishonorifics." In this kind of naming construction, clearly honorifics are added in an ironic, tongue-in-cheek way.
‘The Devil Wears Prada’ and the Retail Orgy in Film
On the film portrayals of women that equate consumption and love.
Russia, China, and Patty Hearst
News books from Han Han, Jeffrey Tobin, Lara Vapnyar, and more with related links to JSTOR.
Why Was Turkish Delight C.S. Lewis’s Guilty Pleasure?
Austerity during WWII was hardly the time for pounds of exotic candy. Yet The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe prominently features Turkish delight.
Olympic Art: Mega Events and the Museum
Can the Olympics increase museum attendance in both the long and short-term? Carol Scott and her team proved just that in documenting Sydney's case study.
The Olympics, Dave Eggers, and Your Idiot Brain
Our Friday Reads are these five new books out this week, and links to related content you won’t find anywhere else.