Arts

Arts

WEEKENDER: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston’s timeless gem

By Urvija Mafatlal | February 15

“C’est mon plaisir,” which translates to “It’s my pleasure,” is inscribed on a crest that hangs above the original entrance to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Gardner’s welcoming spirit greets visitors with open arms. So if you are looking for a little adventure in Boston, look no further! This place is more than just a museum — it’s a portal to another era, packed with history, art and a whole lot of charm.

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Columns

The Bookmark: ‘Writers and Lovers’ by Lily King

By Natalie Bricker | February 15

Let’s start this column out strong with a recent favorite read: “Writers and Lovers” (2020) by Lily King. This novel is smart, fun, reflective and just an all-around great read. It’s guaranteed to make you feel the full range of emotions, prompting you to laugh one second and cry the next. Narrator and protagonist Casey Peabody is very lovable in her awkwardness and determination to make it as a writer. We see her face the complexities of life: grief, love and, of course, geese. More on the geese thing later…

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Columns

For the Culture: Women in hip-hop breaking barriers

By Paul Osmond | February 15

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill and Lil’ Kim deconstructed barriers that negated the artistic expression of female rappers in mainstream hip-hop music. In their records, the trifecta explicitly and implicitly subverted patriarchal binaries. Fundamentally, these rappers envisioned liberation through the expression of female sexuality, romance and emotions.

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Music

BSO’s spring program welcomes the next generation of classical musicianship

By Erin Zhu | February 14

American violinist Randall Goosby made his debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra on the Symphony Hall stage on Feb. 2, the first of two performances.

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Columns

Confessions of a Cooking Fanatic: Cheesus Christ

By Elizabeth Foster | February 14

Now, I have colloquially described my college house as “The Cheese House,” firstly, because my roommate (now abroad) is Coby Formaggio, founder of the current Tufts Cheese Club, and because I am from the grate state of Wisconsin. Refusing cheese feels a little blasphemous, and yet, I blaspheme.

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Arts

Linnea Axelsson’s ‘Aednan’ is an epic story of stories

By Sadie Leite | February 13

The English translation of “Aednan: An Epic,” by Sámi-Swedish writer Linnea Axelsson, came out on Jan. 9. Saskia Vogel completed the translation. The highly anticipated translation comes after much praise for the original, which was initially released in Swedish in 2018. That same year, it won the prestigious August Prize, which Sweden gives annually to the country’s best books.

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Columns

Brown and (Usually) Blue: Imagining the environment

By Ishaan Rajiv Rajabali | February 13

My room back home in Bombay (or Mumbai, depending on who you’ve heard it from) faces the Arabian Sea. I’ve gone to sleep listening to the soothing lull of waves since before I learned the meaning of the word, walked past couples posing against clear blue skies and admired crimson west coast sunsets, especially since my foray into Instagram. But the rose-tinted glasses (or filters, if you will) of social media can’t hide the reality of where we’re headed.

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Columns

Public Cinemy No. 1: Reality television in the digital age

By Sacha Waters | February 13

Compared to the rest of the world, American television is infamous for its glossiness. Whereas British soaps and Italian reality TV shows tend to feature girls-next-door and regular Joes (Giuseppes?), US shows are chock-full of toned abs, low-cut tops, gleaming white teeth and other trademarks of the young and fit.

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Arts

‘Expats’ review: Three women and a baby

By Ishaan Rajiv Rajabali | February 9

Warning: This review contains spoilers for the miniseries “Expats.”  The first episode of the miniseries “Expats,” directed by Lulu Wang and based on Janice Y. K. Lee’s novel “The Expatriates,” premiered on Jan. 26. Following an array of expatriates in Hong Kong, the ...

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Arts

WEEKENDER: ‘The Zone of Interest’ cures all ailments of war, terror

By Ethan Essner | February 8

When you sit down to watch “The Zone of Interest” (2023), the first thing you may question is the bitter blackness that chokes the screen. It is then complemented by the faint sound of chirping birds, rustling trees and then a deep-pitched overture. The screen remains static, as you stare into dark nothingness.

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Columns

For The Culture: Don’t bite the bait!

By Paul Osmond | February 8

Hip-hop has a problem: unoriginality. Espoused by “oldheads” and hip-hop traditionalists for years, criticism of unoriginality in hip-hop is now an established sentiment within the community. Although some hip-hop artists and groups like JPEGMAFIA, Smino, EARTHGANG and Griselda maintain the experimental and innovative spirit of the genre, mainstream hip-hop is overwhelmed with strikingly stale records.

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Columns

Confessions of a Cooking Fanatic: Starting Sohla’s ‘Start Here’

By Elizabeth Foster | February 7

The thing I will grieve the most about leaving Boston is that I will not have access to the network of events and intellectuals that Boston ushers in. Spending a weekend at MIT’s iQuHACK? Attending Hilary Hahn’s performance with the Boston Symphony Orchestra? Listening to Sohla El-Waylly’s book conversation at the Harvard Book Store?

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Arts

(G)I-DLE is back with ‘2’

By Odessa Gaines | February 7

The five-member K-pop girl group (G)I-DLE released their second full-length album on Jan. 29, titled “2.” The group, consisting of Soyeon, Minnie, Miyeon, Shuhua and Yuqi, debuted in 2018 and has consistently put out hit after hit since then. So, does “2” continue their rise in the industry?

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Arts

‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ is still a must-read and watch

By Ryan Fairfield | February 6

Twenty-five years ago, on Feb. 1, 1999, Stephen Chbosky introduced the world to a character named Charlie through a series of letters in the phenomenal coming-of-age novel, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” “ Perks” tackles themes of love, sexuality, abuse, mental health and much more. The novel captures many of the struggles of a teenager, and while it can be intense at times, its relatability is what has allowed it to remain a must-read for teenagers 25 years later.

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Columns

Public Cinemy No. 1: Is ‘Barbie’ a feminist film?

By Sacha Waters | February 6

​​One of the most talked-about films of this past year is undoubtedly Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” (2023). The public consensus on the film’s politics is divided: In one camp, many praise it for portraying their experiences and highlighting feminist principles; in another, they complain of its attacks on patriarchy and toxic masculinity.

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Arts

Did ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ live up to expectations?

By Caroline Vandis | February 5

“Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” (2010) is a widely condemned film adaptation of the beloved “Percy Jackson & the Olympians” book series (2005–). While many fans were left disappointed by the film, its biggest hater could be found in the man who started it all. Rick Riordan, the series’ creator, described the movies on Twitter as his “life’s work going through a meat grinder.” 

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Arts

WEEKENDER: ‘The Rite of Spring’ comes to life at the Boston Symphony Orchestra

By Sarah Firth | February 1

The Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Andris Nelsons, presented its final performance of Igor Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring” on Friday. “The Rite of Spring,” or “Le Sacre du printemps” in its original French, was composed by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky and premiered in Paris in 1913 at Russian impresario Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes dance company.

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Arts

Keep your eyes on TWS

By Odessa Gaines | February 1

TWS, the South Korean boy band, recently made their debut on Jan. 22 with their mini-album “Sparkling Blue,” following the pre-release of their single “Oh Mymy : 7s” on Jan. 2. The PLEDIS Entertainment-backed group is comprised of six members: Dohoon, Shinyu, Youngjae, Kyungmin, Jihoon and Hanjin. The members were officially announced a month before their debut in a series of videos and shorts on the YouTube channel of HYBE LABELS, PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT’s parent company.

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Arts

What to expect at the 2024 Grammy Awards

By Elsa Madsen | January 30

The Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy, have been a nationwide favorite since their inception in the 1950s. The 2024 Grammys will take place on Sunday, Feb. 4, and the event is a source of anticipation as listeners from all over the world tune in to see if their favorite artists will leave with any gilded gramophones. The excitement around this year’s awards ceremony continues to rise as CBS, which broadcasts the ceremony, unveils more artists in the event’s lineup.

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Columns

Confessions of a Cooking Fanatic: Pistachio pinwheels

By Elizabeth Foster | January 30

I float several recipe ideas to friends. Among the options: Erin Jeanne McDowell’s vegan chocolate chip cookies (too safe of an option) and Sue Li’s orange, pistachio and chocolate shortbread (I read too many comments saying that people didn’t like candied orange peels). Claire Saffitz’s pistachio pinwheels are selected. I consider substitutions for the butter and egg yolk.

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