Arts & Culture

The new film Europa Report, showing in select theaters and online, is a finely produced, directed, and performed “hard” (realistic) science-fiction film—with a terrible theme. Set in the not-too-distant future, Europa Report tells the story of six astronauts who travel to Jupiter’s moon Europa in search of alien life. (Spoilers…

When Jimmy Rose performed part of his song “Coal Keeps the Lights On” on America’s Got Talent, he struck a chord with both the audience and the judges. Rose’s lyrics depict a coal miner whose hard work shows in his calloused hands and whose rewards shows in the “sundress on…

Did the Miami Heat win the NBA Finals championship against the San Antonio Spurs June 20 because the Heat’s players acted unselfishly, on the premise that “there’s no ‘I’ in ‘team’”? That’s the view Magic Johnson—the former pro turned ABC sports analyst—expressed when talking with the Heat’s Dwyane Wade after…

Imagine a romantic opera that features such revolutionary era characters as Paul Revere, Sam Adams, and James Otis. You might understandably assume that such a work had been written a long time ago, when romanticism and the American Revolution were more highly regarded by the culture. This opera, however, was…

The new Superman film, Man of Steel, is a good movie with a great theme. It is a competently directed story of a powerful alien who grows up on Earth with human parents; who comes to love his adopted planet and the people living on it; and who, as an…

“‘Elizabeth,’ he cleared his throat, ‘there’s something I need to ask you.’ She stopped breathing. If this was the question, the timing was odd—but she didn’t care.” These lines set the tension in Quent Cordair’s latest short story, The Match. Frank does not ask the question Elizabeth hoped for. Instead,…

Teenager Zach Sobiech recently died of a rare form of cancer, osteosarcoma. His premature death is tragic; however, the enthusiasm and joy with which he lived his final years, even knowing he had a terminal illness, is inspiring. As documented by the media company SoulPancake, Sobiech pursued a loving romantic…

Daniel Wahl reviews Island, by Thomas Perry.

Ifat Glassman discusses her artwork, her atelier education, and her plans for the future. The interview is accompanied by images of several of her artworks.

Ari Armstrong reviews The Sessions, directed by Ben Lewin.