Leonora Carrington Rewrote the Surrealist Narrative for Women
In one of Carrington’s earliest stories, “The Debutante,” a young woman who does not want to go to a ball switches places with a hyena. The débutante allows her maid…
Nothing Happened in 1999
this poem makes me think about how every year in the history of the world is a pivotal year and how quickly we forget all the monumental things that happen…
The history of Hello Kitty
Right alongside Mickey Mouse and Snoopy sits Hello Kitty, one of the most recognizable characters worldwide. Sanrio’s biggest star has won over fans of every age since her 1974 debut,…
Why rappers love Grey Poupon
Charting the rise of hip hop's favorite condiment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOgPk5T1xi0
Rachel Carson on Writing and the Loneliness of Creative Work
Many of the titans of literature have left, alongside a body of work that models powerful writing, abiding advice on the craft that examines the source of that power. Unrivaled…
The dirty secrets of Hollywood’s golden age
Karina Longworth’s podcast began as a calling card. It was an overnight success
Bela and Boris Episode 1: Where the Monsters Came From
Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff were two middle-aged, foreign, struggling actors who became huge stars thanks to Dracula and Frankenstein
From the Point of View of a Cat
By Czeck writer Karel Čapek, inventor of the term ‘robot’
Ghostbusters is a Surprising Antidote to Lovecraft’s Dismal Worldview
Ghostbusters is a perfectly structured film. Desire lines are clear scene by scene. Act breaks are sharp and propulsive. Every payoff is set up early in the film, including Mr. Stay-Puft. The…
The Great Communicator, Vietnam Syndrome and Another Mass Atrocity
Empire equals militarism. In order to maintain an empire, a nation must make either threats of violence or violence to bear to bring outliers into the fold. Both forms of…