Read the Poems of “Genius” Grant Recipients Ellen Bryant Voigt & Ben Lerner
We've made available two poems each by Ellen Bryant Voigt and Ben Lerner, 2015 recipients of the MacArthur "Genius" Grant.
The John Lennon Memorial
Strawberry Fields, the John Lennon memorial in Central Park, has become somewhat of a pilgrimage for Beatles and non-Beatles fans alike.
Remembering the Dalai Lama’s First U.S. Tour
The Dalai Lama has been admitted to a hospital and has cancelled his schedule U.S. tour. We look back to 1979, the first year His Holiness came to America.
The Myth of Henry David Thoreau’s Isolation
The famous writer-observer of nature, Henry David Thoreau, fills the popular imagination. But have we mythologized the image of him as a recluse?
In Praise of the Messenger: Janus Films & The Criterion Collection
William J. Becker, co-owner of Janus Films, was instrumental in bringing art house and foreign cinema to American audiences. We reflect on his influence.
Eco-Art: Where Art Meets Education
In the case of eco-art, the artists have become educators and translators of environmental science and data.
Do the Hustle: How Disco Was Marketed
Disco changed the way the music industry marketed music to the public. The genre innovated an industry and changed our interaction with popular music.
The History of the Poet Laureate
Juan Felipe Herrera is the new U.S. Poet Laureate. It is a position that has had a long life, dating back to the Greeks.
Syllables Without Vowels? Pfft, Inconceivable!
Is the syllable universal? Maybe. We look at how languages use (and don't use) syllables, and what this says about language itself.
Wordsworth and the Invention of Childhood
Prior to the 18th century, children were considered little adults. It was only during the Romantic Era that the concept of childhood emerged.