Arts May 16 In ‘The Emperor of Gladness,’ Ocean Vuong explores chosen family and acts of kindness He’s a writer who mines his own history to look deeply at broader currents of working-class American life. In his new novel, Ocean Vuong crafts a narrative that weaves together themes of grief, healing and resilience. Senior Arts Correspondent Jeffrey…
Arts May 14 New novel ‘The Director’ explores an artist’s responsibilities in a time of trauma A powerful new work of fiction, rooted in real events, explores the role of the artist in times of crisis. "The Director" by Daniel Kehlmann is resonating deeply with the challenges of our own time. Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown…
Nation May 06 How Trump’s college crackdown is raising concerns about free speech and academic freedom The Trump administration has embarked on a campaign aiming to remake how universities operate. The efforts to crack down on protests and diversity initiatives are part of what the White House says is a push to address antisemitism. But there…
Arts May 02 Conservative offers perspective on Trump’s effort to exert authority over history and art President Trump has accused the Smithsonian and other museums of promoting “narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.” Previously, Jeffrey Brown spoke with a historian critical of the president’s moves. Now, he has a different…
Arts May 01 Exploring the efforts to control how U.S. history is presented in museums and monuments The Trump administration has put its mark on the nation’s cultural sector. One focus is on how American history is told and presented in museums and monuments. That has roiled many in the academic and art worlds. Jeffrey Brown explores…
Arts Apr 25 Political cartoonists on navigating a changing media landscape "A picture is worth a thousand words." It's a well-worn phrase but there is special resonance when applied to editorial cartoons, a centuries-old tradition that is evolving as the media landscape itself does. Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown takes a…
Arts Apr 23 ‘Sonic Heritage’ project lets people experience world’s most iconic places through sound If you think of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, you might conjure an image of Michelangelo’s famous ceiling. But what does that famous place, or any place, sound like? A new project timed to World Heritage Day asks us to…
Arts Apr 09 ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ stars on the evolution of their characters as series reaches its end "The Handmaid’s Tale" began as a novel read by several generations and has been turned into a film and an opera. Then, beginning in 2017, a hit series on Hulu that is now coming to its conclusion. Senior arts correspondent…
Arts Apr 04 Kennedy Center faces a crossroads as it’s pulled into partisan politics The Kennedy Center is one of the nation’s premier performing arts centers, holding around 2,000 events each year. It’s a public-private partnership with most funding raised privately, but some coming from the federal government. The center has traditionally been a…
Arts Apr 02 West Philadelphia uses art to confront neighborhood problems and threats to democracy Local arts organizations have the power to tackle everything from community challenges to threats against national democracy by expanding access to art. That mission drives one of the country’s most vibrant and diverse artistic hubs in West Philadelphia. Jeffrey Brown…