Whether or not you had an eventful or ordinary month, the last week of February is an uplifting time with the promise of March and warmer weather ahead. Before spring can get started, you may be struggling to push through the last bits of remaining snow or chilly wind. If that’s the case, we have some media recommendations to help you persevere through this midway point of the semester.
Starring Jessica Chastain as a wealthy socialite in a rocky marriage, Dreams (2025) is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States this week after it had its run at film festivals in 2025. Chastain’s character, Jessica, becomes involved in a relationship with a younger, undocumented immigrant named Fernando (Issac Hernández). The drama film explores the power dynamics found in class, gender and race, but ultimately, it questions the true reality of alleged freedom and its actual manifestations in this intriguing portrait of an affair.
Motherhood and all its complexities are examined and deconstructed in Alex Bollen’s Motherdom: Breaking Free from Bad Science and Good Mother Myths. In this book, through detailed research and insight, Bollen exposes shaky science and misconceptions about motherhood, as well as what she deems as “Good Mother Myths.” Concepts from the validity of judgements concerning bottle feeding to the notion of attachment styles are closely analyzed to develop a better understanding of what it means to properly parent and how to do so.
Mitski’s newest studio album, Nothing’s About to Happen to Me, is scheduled for release this Friday. This newest album has what we’re familiar with when we think about the singer-songwriter: unabashedly honest and vulnerable lyrics like in the album’s first released single, “Where’s My Phone?,” and melancholic but beautiful, yearning storytelling found in “I’ll Change for You.” Mitski’s music is softly destructive, and her next album looks to elicit the same feelings of inevitable but meaningful sadness.
The Writing Seminars’ Reading Series presents the Pulitzer Prize finalist author, Chang-rae Lee, as a visiting writer this Wednesday. He has been a recipient of numerous awards and accolades such as the Heartland Prize for his novel On Such a Full Sea, a Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award and the American Book Award. Last year, he was elected to membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Hearing Lee talk about his work will be particularly engaging and rewarding for any current or inspiring humanities students.
If you’re looking for more recommendations or events, we have a full list below:
To watch...
- Twenty One Pilots: More Than We Ever Imagined, directed by Mark C. Eshleman — Feb. 26
- Dreams (2025), directed by Michel Franco — Feb. 27
- EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, directed by Baz Luhrmann — Feb. 27
- What Does That Nature Say to You, directed by Hong Sang-soo — Feb. 27
- Scream 7, directed by Kevin Williamson — Feb. 27
To read...
- Motherdom: Breaking Free from Bad Science and Good Mother Myths, written by Alex Bollen — Feb. 24
- The Story of Capital: What Everyone Should Know About How Capital Works, written by David Harvey — Feb. 24
- Kin, written by Tayari Jones — Feb. 24
- More Than Enough, written by Anna Quindlen — Feb. 24
- Saoirse, written by Charleen Hurtubise — Feb. 24
To listen...
- Nothing’s About to Happen to Me, by Mitski — Feb. 27
- DEADLINE, by BLACKPINK — Feb. 27
- The Romantic, by Bruno Mars — Feb. 27
- The Mountain, by Gorillaz — Feb. 27
- TAHOE, by Red Leather — Feb. 27
Live events...
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Chang-rae Lee: Chaffee Visiting Writer — Feb. 25, 6–7 p.m. at Gilman Hall 50
- This event is free.
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Student Film Screening: Baltimore School for the Arts — Feb. 26, 4:30–6:30 p.m. at The Walters Art Museum
- This event is free with registration.
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Torches: an Emerging Writer’s Circle — Feb. 26, 6 p.m. at Bird in Hand
- This event is free with registration.
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Erin Somers Presents The Ten Year Affair — Feb. 26, 7–8:30 p.m at Greedy Reads in Remington
- This event is free with registration.
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Friday Night Movie at the BSC: Captain America - Brave New World — Feb. 27, 6–8:30 p.m. at Bloomberg Student Center, 2nd Floor Grand Staircase
- This event is free with registration.
