Richard Kenney talks integrating poetry and science

The Writing Seminars Department invited the acclaimed poet Richard Kenney to share his philosophy on writing poetry and read some poems from Terminator, his new and fifth published book of poetry and his first since 2008. 

JPEGMAFIA concludes 2019 tour in Baltimore

JPEGMAFIA returned to Baltimore on Saturday, Nov. 9 for the final leg of his JPEGMAFIA Type Tour and played to a sold-out audience at the Ottobar. This tour follows the release of Peggy’s newest album, All My Heroes Are Cornballs. Opening for JPEG on his tour was Butch Dawson, a rapper and producer from West Baltimore. 

ASA hosts screening on African college scandals

On Friday, Nov. 8, the Hopkins African Students Association (ASA) hosted a screening of Sex for Grades, a documentary recently published by the BBC about endemic sexual harassment in African universities. 

Playlist of the Week: "Winter" Playlist

Otello production retells Shakespeare’s tragedy

“I believe in a cruel God who has created me in His image.” These sacrilegious words begin Iago’s aria in composer Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello, characterizing mankind as inherently bitter and wicked. It is in Iago’s dark worldview that director David Alden seems to base his production of the opera, now showing at The Kennedy Center with the Washington National Opera and starring Russell Thomas, George Gagnidze and Leah Crocetto.

Looking for Alaska finds new life on television

We routinely hear the phrase, “The book was better than the movie.” It is rare that a movie adaptation meets the standards that are set by the book. Only when the movie includes as many details as it can from the book does the movie begin to reach our expectations. For the screen adaptation of John Green’s first novel, Looking For Alaska, this wasn’t a problem, since it was made into a Hulu TV series.

Jesus is King, while well-produced, is enigmatic and unimpressive

Kanye West’s Jesus is King marks his ninth consecutive number-one album debut, tying him with Eminem’s record. This 27-minute-long album is Kanye’s love letter to God and his own religious calling. But why now?

Stand-up Comedy Club dresses up for Halloween

The Hopkins Stand-Up Comedy Club rocked the house this past Saturday night with their annual Halloween show, this year titled “Halloween 2: Electric Spookaloo.” The show featured nine members performing sets of five to 10 minutes. 

Queer Comedy Night empowers and celebrates LGBTQ community

LGBTQ Life at Hopkins hosted a Queer Comedy Night at the LaB on Tuesday, Oct. 29. The event featured both student comedians and a professional local comedian, Elizabeth Norman. Throughout each set, the hour was full of shared giggles, shared laughs and, most importantly, the shared theme of queer stories and comedy. 

Barnstormers go above and beyond with The Curious Savage

Over the last two weeks, for their fall 2019 Mainstage production, the Barnstormers performed The Curious Savage, a play about money, class and the all-too-thin line that separates the sane from the mad. 

Oddities Exposition captivates attendees

I’ve seen event fliers for months around Baltimore cafes and bookstores advertising the World Oddities Expo. Upon entering the lobby of the Lord Baltimore Hotel this past Sunday, Nov. 3, however, I saw little indication of the Expo’s existence, of tattooed viewers and strange relics on display. 

New Netflix show pits Paul Rudd against Paul Rudd

Netflix has recently released a new show called Living With Yourself starring Paul Rudd, and it has proven to be even better and more complicated than expected. Already having received great critiques and responses from audiences all around, it is full of twists and cliffhangers that would have even The Vampire Diaries shaking. 

King Princess’ debut is a bit monotone but a lot of fun

It has been a busy week for music. Kanye West finally dropped his highly anticipated Jesus is King, which, in a surprise to nobody, was filled mostly with cringy bars that feed his persecution complex and half-hearted attempts to redeem his public image. Rex Orange County released a disappointment of an album, Pony, his third and least likeable project yet. 

Screening explores lives of transgender athletes

In partnership with the Mountainfilm film festival and the Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation, the Hopkins Film and Media Studies program hosted a screening of Changing the Game on Thursday, Oct. 24. 

Rising artist Alexander 23 releases debut album

With music production tools becoming more accessible and music streaming services allowing for an easy avenue to distribute music, the number of prominent, young artists in the music industry has increased dramatically. 

David Keltz performs a reading of Poe’s “The Raven”

Once upon a midnight dreary, the two of us went to see Edgar Allan Poe impersonator David Keltz perform a dramatic reading of “The Raven” at The Elk Room on Fleet Street. We initially had trouble finding The Elk Room, a speakeasy hidden behind an unmarked, locked black door behind the Italian restaurant, Tagliata. 

BMA hosts Art, Youth and Justice Day events

The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) held Art, Youth and Justice Day this past Saturday. It was held as part of Youth Justice Awareness Month in October, a campaign aimed at raising awareness about childhood incarceration and engaging in political advocacy. 

Peabody features exhibit about Baltimore city life

The entrance to the exhibition City People: Black Baltimore in the Photographs of John Clark Mayden sits to the left of Peabody’s entrance. The room is small. Photographs grouped in couples and triples line the walls, all black and white, all centered around the black population of Baltimore as their subjects. 

El Camino triumphantly concludes Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad is widely considered one of the best TV shows of all time. Its creator, Vince Gilligan, took a great risk by releasing a follow-up movie, “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie,” this past Friday.