Arts

Column

The Book Nook: ‘Always the Almost’ is a beautiful story of queer, trans joy

By Layla Noor Landrum | November 10

Edward Underhill’s debut novel, “Always the Almost,” is a heartfelt and emotional young adult contemporary romance releasing next year from Macmillan. Midwestern pianist and high schooler Miles Jacobson has just come out as trans — the result of which is a strain on his relationship with his parents and his boyfriend, Shane, ending things with him. And while his friends are accepting of him, ever since Miles and Shane began dating, he’s felt out of place. It doesn’t help, either, that his new piano teacher keeps telling Miles that he needs to figure out who he is. Desperate for a win, Miles resolves to get back together with his ex and beat his stuck-up rival at an upcoming piano competition. But when Miles meets Eric, a new boy who’s just moved into their small town, everything changes. Asthe two bond over their art — Eric with his cartoons and Miles with his music — and go from friends to more, Miles begins to question who he is, what he truly wants, and why he’s never felt like he’s enough for anyone, especially himself.  

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Arts

'Life Magazine and the Power of Photography' illustrates history

By Siavash Raissi | November 9

For much of the 20th century, LifeMagazine conquered mass media as the primary visual source for current events. From 1936 to 1972, the magazine presented the public with carefully crafted images that captured real-world social and political narratives. Henry Luce, the publication’s founder, was able to expose readers to a wide variety of images outside of their immediate community, shaping discussions about contemporary issues in the process. As the Museum of Fine Arts puts it in its new exhibit, “with its visually revolutionary brand of storytelling, Life fundamentally shaped how its readers understood photography and how they experienced and remembered events.”

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Columns

The Art of Good Soup: A STEWpid debate

By Ellie Lester and Cole Reese | November 9

Listen up, nerds. This is serious business … we need ANSWERS. 

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Arts

Enter a fairytale in 'The School for Good and Evil'

By Alexis Enderle | November 8

One of the newest movies on Netflix, "The School for Good and Evil," is based onSoman Chainani's 2013 novel of the same name. Have you ever wondered where fairy tales like Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk come from? Two best friends, Sophie and Agatha of Gavaldon, have long used them to escape their mundane lives. Sophie dreams of a future where she is a princess, but Agatha just wants her best friend to stay by her side while she endures daily harassment as the daughter of the town's "witch." Though they are extremely different, their friendship remains strong, at least until magic joins the equation. The rumored School for Good and Evil enters their lives, taking them away from their homes and into an environment where the rules don't always make sense. Will their friendship survive this school of heroes and villains or will they face consequences far more dire than bad blood as the semester continues?

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Local

Winkler's Weekly Symphony Guide: The BSO’s fall finale

By Matthew Winkler | November 8

On Nov. 3 the Boston Symphony Orchestra showcased their third and final program that they will be performing on their week-long tour of Japan. The program consisted of Caroline Shaw’s “Punctum” for string orchestra, Mozart’s “Symphony No. 40” and Richard Strauss’ “An Alpine Symphony.” In addition to these pieces, the BSO is taking the past two weeks of performances on the road. Between Mahler’s “Symphony No. 6,” Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 5” and now Strauss’ “An Alpine Symphony,” the consistent theme behind their Japan tour is gargantuan catharsis that showcases the orchestra's virtuosity.

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Columns

Looking Through the Met: Anna Wintour

By Ryan Fairfield | November 7

Today we take a break from our regularly scheduled programming of judging specific Met Galas, and instead choose to rate one specific person’s outfits in honor of her recent birthday on Nov. 3. Dame Anna Wintour, I wish you the happiest of birthdays; please enjoy a ranking of some of your best Met Gala looks to date. 

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Arts

Is Amber Riley the Harp in 'The Masked Singer'? Signs point to yes

By Ryan Fairfield | November 3

The premise of “The Masked Singer” (2019–) is fairly simple: A panel of judges attempts to guess the identity of a celebrity contestant who performs in an absurd, extravagant costume, eliminating a contestant each week until there is a winner. Some contestants are talented music artists, such as Natasha Bedingfield, the singer of “Unwritten” (2004) and “Pocketful of Sunshine” (2007), while others are definitely not great singers, but stand out for their hilarious performances — look no further than Wendy Williams’ iconic performance of “Native New Yorker.” This season, with 22 contestants, has many fans of the pop culture phenomenon “Glee” (2009) on the edge of their seats as many think the Harp is Mercedes Jones actress Amber Riley. 

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Columns

The Book Nook: ‘How to Excavate a Heart’ is a Jewish, lesbian rom-com full of humor and warmth

By Layla Noor Landrum | November 3

Jake Maia Arlow’s debut young adult novel, “How to Excavate a Heart," is a warm and tender lesbian rom-com released Nov. 1 from HarperCollins. A Jewish lesbian, Shani, plans to spend her winter break after her first semester of college studying fish fossils at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, not thinking about her recent breakup with her ex-girlfriend. Things get off to a rough start when she and her mother almost hit a pedestrian while trying to navigate Washington, D.C. roads in the snow, but luckily no one is harmed. Shani’s internship begins; she moves into a house with other college students and an old woman who calls them “doll” and begins getting to know her housemates. So, when she agrees to do one of them a favor and take over their dog-walking gig for a few weeks, she doesn’t think much of it. That is until she comes face to face with May — the girl her mother almost ran over. As Shani finds herself coming to May’s house in order to walk May’s father’s corgi, the two inevitably learn more about each other. Shani comes to find out that May is a Jewish lesbian too, and she’s just as passionate about atmospheric science as Shani is about paleoichthyology. While the two don’t get along at first, they’re forced to spend Christmas Eve together due to inclement weather, and they find themselves growing closer as a result. As Shani finds herself falling for May, she can’t help but worry about the risk of heartbreak in the aftermath of her ex-girlfriend’s harsh rejection.

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Arts

'House of the Dragon' keeps 'Game of Thrones'' legacy alive

By Carl Svahn | November 2

The final season of “Game of Thrones” (2011-19) was not bad. For all its fumbling and all its bluntness, the way the world last left Westeros was emblematic of the environment that the show and books that inspired it created. In the show’s aftermath, the prequel show “House of the Dragon” (2022) was released in August of this year. Though the prequel seemingly tried to become “the next” “Game of Thrones” or “fix” what the original had wrong at its core, this isn’t the case. Because not only is “House of the Dragon” good, but also it has also effectively resurrected its predecessor’s cultural relevance in an expert display of craft, acting and writing.

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Columns

The Art of Good Soup: Mukbang gang

By Ellie Lester and Cole Reese | November 2

Where do we even begin? Like… what?

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Columns

K-Weekly: A week of mourning for South Korea

By Odessa Gaines | November 2

This week’s K-Weekly will cover a much more serious and heavy topic out of respect for the events that occurred in Seoul on Oct. 29. 

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Local

Steve Lacy finds his groove at Roadrunner

By Henry Chandonnet | November 1

We’re currently living through a chill-rock renaissance. That genre title may sound a bit quaint and a bit overblown, but it perfectly encapsulates just where modern rock music is headed. Think of artists like Omar Apollo, Dominic Fike or even Remi Wolf. They use traditional rock tropes but slow them down to create a more calming, smooth vibe. Add in some R&B influences, you’ve got yourself a new genre. And nobody is leading the chill-rock charge like Steve Lacy. 

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Columns

Queeries: A rant about inclusivity on TikTok

By Saba S. | November 1

Content warning: This article discusses transphobia.

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Local

Winkler’s Weekly Symphony Guide: Two titanic fifths

By Matthew Winkler | November 1

The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s most recent Oct. 27–30 performance of two fifths: Beethoven's “Piano Concerto No. 5”, and Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 5,” proved among their best yet. Both pieces delighted in virtuosic furiosity, pianistic virtuosity for the Beethoven and orchestral virtuosity for the Shostakovich, but ultimately the slow movements stole the show with their emotional potency and heart wrenching sincerity. 

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TV

'Abbott Elementary': An honest, hilarious love letter to teachers

By Nate Hall | October 28

In the 2000s and 2010s, network sitcoms were some of the biggest shows on television — think “The Office,” (2005–13) “Modern Family” (2009–20) and “The Big Bang Theory” (2007–19). These days, the era of broadcast dominance is in the past as most network comedies have very little to offer compared to their streaming counterparts. That’s why it’s been such a pleasant surprise to see “Abbott Elementary” (2021–), a half-hour sitcom on ABC, emerge as one of the sharpest and funniest comedies of the last few years. 

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Column

Looking Through the Met: Heavenly Bodies

By Ryan Fairfield | October 28

It is hard to think of a more iconic Met Gala than 2018’s “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” So, let’s get into it, starting with Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Breaker of Chains and the Mother of Dragons, also known as actress Emilia Clarke. 

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Music

Taylor Swift navigates her insecurities on 'Midnights'

By Jack Clohisy | October 27

Taylor Swift is a mastermind; she said it herself. The effortless sonic transitions from country to pop to alternative records cement the songstress as an unwavering force in the music industry. A country legend who ushered in a new era of crossover country-pop. A pop titan who invigorated the 2010s mainstream scene. An unlikely, but welcomed, alternative experimenter who comforted the masses with quarantine albums to cling to. The groundwork was laid, and it was only a matter of time before Swift returned with her latest effort. With her milestone 10th studio album “Midnights” (2022), Swift returns to her most successful battleground: pop music.

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Arts

Need a spooky read? Try 'The Butcher and the Wren' by Alaina Urquhart

By Alexis Enderle | October 27

Hidden in Louisiana’s bayous resides a serial killer whose shifting MO (modus operandi) has stumped investigators. Dr. Wren Muller, the local forensic pathologist, provides her own insights as the mystery unravels. As it becomes clear that Dr. Muller’s path has crossed the Bayou Butcher previously, time begins to run out, and she joins the detectives on the case in a race against the butcher before more people can be sadistically murdered. 

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Columns

The Book Nook: ‘If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come’ is a story of queer love, hope and healing at the end of the world

By Layla Noor Landrum | October 27

Content warning: This column discusses suicide.

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Arts

Tegan and Sara throw a (disjointed but semi-mature) tantrum on 'Crybaby'

By Madeleine Aitken | October 26

Over the course of a career that has spanned nearly 25 years, Tegan and Sara have been through a lot, and their latest album “Crybaby” (2022) shows it. The Canadian indie pop duo released their first album, “Under Feet Like Ours” (1999), when they were a mere 18 years old. Since then, they’ve put out another nine albums, most recently “Crybaby” on Oct. 21. Over those decades, they’ve evolved from an Alanis Morissette-esque angsty pop-rock sound — “If It Was You” (2002) and “So Jealous” (2004) — to a more mature, poppish tone with “Heartthrob” (2013) and “Love You to Death” (2016). Their musical journey has been analogous with their journey of growing up out of high school adolescence and into adulthood, and now, having just celebrated their 42nd birthdays last month, they’re showing the most mature versions of themselves yet on “Crybaby.” 

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