Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
April 29, 2026
April 29, 2026 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

Arts & Entertainment



SYDNOR DUFFY / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR 
Pre-game our end-of-the-semester celebration a little earlier with these forthcoming selections.

To watch and watch for: Week of April 20

The allure of the sun and the Beach nearly manages to distract from the looming threat of finals, but in spite of future stress, perhaps we can pre-game our end-of-the-semester celebration a little earlier with these forthcoming selections.


COURTESY OF WILL KIRK

Remembering Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and being bound together

Each year, the Billie Holiday Center for Liberation Arts sponsors a free public lecture. The most recent lecture covered Frances Ellen Watkins Harper in celebration of her 200th birthday. Harper was the most prolific Black female writer of the 19th century and among the first African American women to be published in the United States.



Lhumpel / Creative Commons Attribution

Our Picks for National Poetry Month, 2026

In honor of National Poetry Month, the Johns Hopkins News-Letter’s Arts & Entertainment section presents our specially curated picks of poetry from various contributing writers, staff writers and editors. 


SYDNOR DUFFY / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR
Enjoy the nicer spring weather with these picks from the Arts and Entertainment team!

To watch and watch for: Week of April 13

As the prospect of the end of the semester looms on the horizon, student-hosted events are cropping up in record numbers! If you’re looking for new albums to listen to on the way to your next show or for easy reads to pick up while sunbathing on the Beach, look no further.



SYDNOR DUFFY / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR
Seeking suggestions on how to weather another spring tease? Look no further!

To watch and watch for: Week of April 6

Among all of this instability, we can at least take solace in new media releases, as the Arts section has been enabling readers to do every week. Whether sunshine, rain or cold, begin with these personal recommendations of new media releases.


COURTESY OF LUCA FANG
Chen interviews the Hopkins Breakers dance group, whose members describe how you build connections through art.

Backstage with the Hopkins Breakers

On a Thursday night in the back practice rooms of the Bloomberg Student Center, the Hopkins Breakers were practicing past bedtime. I caught the Hopkins Breakers just starting a night of dancing, and I noted down their reflections on the past year, their breakdancing journey and their upcoming performance at the 2026 Culture Show.



SYDNOR DUFFY / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR
Welcome in spring with these picks from the Arts and Entertainment team!

To watch and watch for: Week of March 30

With March wrapping up and April starting, spring is ahead of us. The warming weather presents the perfect opportunity for a break between grueling midterms or other obligations. What’s better than reading in the sun or walking to a show when it's 70 degrees outside?


KENWARD ELMSLIE / PDM 1.0
Oh and Saeed both discuss their personal O'Hara favorites, bringing unique interpretations for the poet's 100th birthday. 

A century of Frank O'Hara: celebrating the poet's life and works

We live in a world of great uncertainty and violence, yet we’re forced to go through life with an unshakable smile and determination. If you too feel the heaviness of the world weighing your heart down, sit somewhere comfortable, prepare your favorite drink and allow O’Hara’s words to remind you of humanity.





SYDNOR DUFFY / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR
In order to properly welcome spring weather, seize the chance to slow down with these media picks!

To watch and watch for: Week of March 2

With the first signs of sun, slow down to appreciate the pleasant weather, even if it’s not possible right now to slow down in classes. To help you reach calm in at least some facets of your life, the Arts section presents our weekly picks for new media releases, beginning with my personal recommendations.


GAGE SKIDMORE / CC BY-SA 2.0
Hallett conveys mixed feelings about Bart Layton’s most recent heist film.

Crime 101: an intro to the average heist movie

The Los Angeles heist thriller is scarcely an original premise, but Bart Layton and his star-studded cast fully lean into the intrigue in this adaptation of Don Winslow’s short story. This film succeeds in presenting an interesting heist plot and is able to flesh out most of its characters to provide the tension on which the story relies.



NINECALLING / CC BY 4.0
He reviews the esoteric musical style on xaviersobased’s recent release.

Xavier is everything the internet ever wanted

Are you an Opium-pilled truecel chud? Have you heard about Clavicular being frame-mogged by an ASU frat leader? If even some of this makes sense to you, you might sit nicely at the intersection of Gen Z brainrot and the underground rap scene. 


 SYDNOR DUFFY / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR
Get through the end of February with these picks from the Arts and Entertainment team!

To watch and watch for: Week of Feb. 23

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 starts, you may be struggling to push through the last bits of remaining snow or chilly wind. If so, we have some media recommendations to help you persevere.


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