Commentary

Arts Reconsideration: The 1971 Project — Blue Lives Madder, “Dirty Harry” Turns 50

June 4, 2021
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The path Dirty Harry (and too many of his defenders, then and now) chose to pursue — the urban policing version of “killing the village in order to save it” — was outdated and discredited even in 1971.

Theater Commentary: A Time for Tragic Reflection

June 1, 2021
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“We can, of course, be deceived in many ways. We can be deceived by believing what is untrue, but we certainly are also deceived by not believing what is true.” — Søren Kierkegaard

Book Review: “The New Climate War” — Enough of the Doomsayers!

May 22, 2021
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This incisive volume will assist the creation of a much-needed collective effort, helping to frame a unified approach to waging combat on those who are destroying the environment for the sake of short term profit.

Book Interview: Translator Julie Rose on the Lyrical Power of Émile Zola’s “Doctor Pascal”

May 12, 2021
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Published in August of 2020, Oxford University Press’s English translation of Doctor Pascal marked the first time that Émile Zola’s 20-book Les Rougon-Macquart series was available in print under one publisher.

Cultural Commentary: “Dogefather” Elon Musk on SNL – Banking on the Irony of the Rich

May 9, 2021
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“Fate loves irony” opines the billionaire. Will we be in on the joke, or left out in the cold?

Theater Commentary: Who’s Agitating for a “Green New Theatre”?

May 3, 2021
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The arrival of Groundwater Arts suggests the birth of efforts to organize artists and others to press cultural organizations to take meaningful action on the climate crisis.

Film Commentary: “Minari” — An Immigrant Tale with a Southern Accent

April 28, 2021
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Minari is about the triumph of folkways, both Ozark and Korean.

Book Commentary: Literary Legacies — Children’s Literature

April 10, 2021
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2020 and 2021 saw the deaths of five titans of children’s and young adult literature. Here’s to revisiting old “classics” and discovering new ones.

Film Interview: Bertrand Tavernier (1941-2021) Talks About – What Else? – French Cinema

April 1, 2021
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We mourn the loss of an affable generous man, a bridge to a vast history, who also knew and loved American culture.

Music Commentary: The Seven Ages of Jazz-Kind

March 28, 2021
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With apologies to the Swan of Avon.

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