All Praises: Remembering Poet Nikki Giovanni
Nikki Giovanni's vital and resonant poems live on the page, but out loud they really slayed.
Dimming the Lights for Ohio-Born Broadway Star Gavin Creel (1976-2024)
Megawatt performer Gavin Creel leapt from Ohio to Broadway but never discarded his midwestern decency.
Kris Kristofferson Has Shuffled Offerson (1936-2024)
Feelin' good was easy when he sang the blues -- and, as it turns out, also when he did a lot of other things.
Out, Brief Candle: 15 Singular James Earl Jones Stage Performances
Some of the late James Earl Jones's greatest accomplishments as an actor were in performances nobody will ever see again.
James Earl Jones Was More Than Just the Voice
Sadly, the only person who could bring enough magnitude and gravitas to announcing the news of James Earl Jones’s death is James Earl Jones.
Remembering Shelley Duvall
She didn't look like anyone else in the movies and she didn't act like them either. The talented Shelley Duvall, famously of Popeye and The Shining, was a true original.
Forget It, Jake: It’s Robert Towne
Hey! You just wrote Chinatown, which many acclaim as the greatest screenplay of all time – what are you gonna do next? If you’re Robert Towne, you write another one. And another one. Repeat as needed until you’re a Hollywood legend.
Remembering Two Behind-the-Scenes Visionaries Who Reshaped Our Culture
Without the transformative contributions of Steve Albini and Roger Corman, music and movies wouldn't be the same, but almost nobody could pick them out of a lineup.
10 Examples of the Masterful Short Fiction of Alice Munro
A good short story can change the way you look at the world, and all of Alice Munro's short stories were good.
Celebrated Postmodernist John Barth Goes to the Big Funhouse in the Sky
This is a blog post about being a blog post about John Barth, who wrote a story about a character who was a character in a story.
Remembering Faith Ringgold, Groundbreaking Artist and Classic Picture Book Creator
Everyone's read "Tar Beach," but not everyone knows that its writer and illustrator Faith Ringgold was also a formidable visual artist who did things with quilts your sewing circle never dreamed of.
Remembering Christopher Durang, the Playwright Who Explained it All For Us, Only Funny
When Christopher Durang sat down to write a play about something, it's like he asked "Am I allowed to make this funny?" and if the answer was no, he did it anyway.
Remembering Edward Bond, Scandalous Playwright
The playwright Edward Bond wasn't famous, exactly. But he was a little infamous, which was probably good enough for him.
The Curtain Comes Down on Two of Broadway’s Legendary Dancers
No one else could move like them, but plenty wanted to try. Chita Rivera and Hinton Battle were true Broadway originals.
9 Television Stars Who Left Us in 2023
Television personalities face the threat of cancellation but also enjoy the possibility of immortality through reruns and binge-watching. In that sense, these nine figures will always be with us.
Shane MacGowan, the Pogues, and a Christmas Classic
Shane MacGowan and the Pogues gave the world a Christmas song that's bitter, disappointed, grubby, and perfect.
Found in Translation: Literature in Other Languages
Gifted translators like Edith Grossman break through language barriers to introduce readers to the great literature of the world, so you can finally find out what people mean when they talk about Don Quixote and windmills.
Six Tons of Sand and a Dream: Remembering Playwright Tina Howe
Tina Howe was a playwright, which is to say, she wasn't a household name. But she was a beloved and respected artist whose body of work resonates through the careers of any number of artists that you've definitely heard of.
Sinéad O’Connor (1966-2023)
The Irish musician Sinéad O'Connor had one massive hit and a lifetime of influence. Regrettably for those of us who were fans, July 26 was the last day of our acquaintance.
Remembering Harry Frankfurt, Philosopher and Author
Many philosophers write about concepts that are hard to describe. Harry Frankfurt became a bestselling author by writing about one you're not supposed to say out loud.
5 Books to Read So You Can Talk About Milan Kundera (1929-2023)
The writer Milan Kundera died recently at the age of 94. So if you haven't read any of his novels -- or can't remember if you've read them -- here's your chance to catch up.
Remembering Alan Arkin, an Everyman With a Side of Chaos
The funniest grandpa in Little Miss Sunshine was also the scariest guy in Wait Until Dark and the saddest salesman in Glengarry Glen Ross. Alan Arkin could play almost anyone while always being unmistakably himself.
5 Cormac McCarthy Books You Gotta Read
The only thing more depressing than losing an author of Cormac McCarthy's stature is the stuff that happens in Cormac McCarthy's books.
Better Than All The Rest: Remembering Tina Turner
From Nutbush to Thunderdome and beyond, superstar Tina Turner put her indelible stamp on American music and American culture.
R.I.P. MTV News (1987-2023): Headbanging the Headlines
For years, MTV News told the youth of America what was happening to the nation, to the world, and to Jamiroquai. But now it's gone. Tabitha Soren, we hardly knew ye.
It’s Funny Because it’s (Sam) Gross: The New Yorker’s Most Unruly Cartooning Genius
Until he died this month, cartoonist Sam Gross was the master of making you laugh at things you felt bad about laughing at.
Okay, I Believe You: The Art and the Activism of Harry Belafonte
A movie star, a singing sensation, and a major civil rights leader, the late Harry Belafonte accomplished enough to fill several lifetimes.
The Final Snappy Answer of Cartoonist Al Jaffee (1921-2023)
For decades, cartoonist Al Jaffee was one of the most consistent fixtures among Mad Magazine's "Usual Gang of Idiots" with his sardonic and cutting observations about modern life. But he's inked his last fold-in.
The Chronicles of Lance Reddick
Some actors get typecast as Everyone's Dad. The captivating character actor Lance Reddick was more like Everyone's Lieutenant.
Too Munch of a Good Thing: Remembering Richard Belzer
A stand-up comic who got TV-famous pretending to investigate deadly serious crimes, Richard Belzer embraced contradictions.
3 Was the Magic Number
De La Soul, featuring the late David Jolicoeur, so thoroughly reimagined hip hop that their records sounded like transmissions from another reality. Plug Two, over and out.
5 Indispensable Tom Verlaine Recordings
Rock guitarist Tom Verlaine didn't sell a ton of records, but the legions of musicians he influenced did.
5 Indispensable Jeff Beck Recordings
Play a tune in memory of guitar god Jeff Beck. And play it loud.
7 Comic Voices That Went Silent in 2022
To lose one comedian in a year may be regarded as a misfortune. To lose seven looks like carelessness.
