With gentle humor and insight, Lea Ypi draws rich portraits of the three caring adults she grew up with in the authoritarian world of her childhood in Albania.
Television Review: “Ozark” — Nowhere to Go But Down
Ozark supplied some vital, if depressing insights, about what liberal Americans really value: money and power, rather than what they say they treasure, family and equality. The catch is that this is no longer news.
Jazz Album Review: Ches Smith’s “Interpret It Well” — Confident Improvisations
I am not sure where the track titles come from, but I am guessing the problems the band had getting together under Covid must have something to do with them.
Music Commentary: The Gershwin Prize and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — Selling Out Quality for Profit
Both the Gershwin Prize and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame exist to glorify popular song. Both, in fairly short order, relaxed their initial high artistic standards.
Album Review: Omar Apollo’s “Ivory” — Making Good on His Promise
Ivory is at its best when Omar Apollo fully commits to taking adventures into different sonic spaces.
Television Review: “Senior Year” — A Mindless Trip Down Memory Lane
Like the films of the 2000s, Senior Year is filled with chuckles but eschews substance.
Coming Attractions: May 15 through 31 — What Will Light Your Fire
As the age of Covid-19 finally wanes, Arts Fuse critics supply a guide to film, dance, visual art, theater, author readings, and music. Please check with venues when uncertain whether the event is available by streaming or is in person. More offerings will be added as they come in.
Book Review: “The Poetics of Cruising” — Imaginative Acts of Capture
By exploring the historical and artistic significance of cruising throughout poetry, photography, and visual culture, the book produces a rich and exciting topography of queer culture that posits a reflexive relationship of vicarious cruising between “cruising texts” and their consumers.
Film Review: “The Automat” — A Documentary Love-In to the Restaurant Chain
What could have been a fantastic twenty-minute short becomes a tedious slog as a stretched-out feature.
Visual Arts Review: BarabásiLab — Where Art and Technology Meet, Beautifully
This BarabásiLab exhibition is inspiring because it exemplifies a powerful integration of art and technology.