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“Prayer for the French Republic” is of interest because it raises significant questions about faith during a hate-filled time.
Biographer John Szwed proves masterly at decoding even Harry Smith’s zaniest works and he’s excellent at offering us the narrative of Smith’s raggedy and colorful life. “The Life and Times” is a very good read.
Marin Marais, memorably enacted by Gérard Depardieu (and his son Guillaume) in the film “Tous les matins du monde,” proves a master of Baroque opera in this splendid recording.
In this book, Cedric G. Johnson perceptively sees that our current emphasis on identity politics is a troublesome diversion in which various groups treat improvements as a zero-sum game.
Reviews of three films at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival that draw connections between class, violence, and politics.
These witnesses to history are no longer playing with the fire of their youth, but they exude the confidence, warmth, and sure instincts of veterans.
Godspeed’s left-wing view was most clearly reflected at a merch table dominated by books on working-class resistance and anarchism, while the group’s dissonant post-rock embodied tension.

Fest Review: IFFBoston Shorts — Part One