Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
December 12, 2025
December 12, 2025 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

Arts & Entertainment



JIYUN GUO / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR
This week’s picks includes a book of letters by Oliver Sacks and the Hopkins Theater’s production of Passage!

To watch and watch for: Week of Nov. 4

Hello and welcome! It’s time for another week of new media. Whether you’re on the lookout for inspiration, entertainment or both, the Arts & Entertainment section is here with our list of fresh recommendations.


RAPH_PH / CC BY 2.0
Zhu describes that although Tyler, the Creator's latest project, Chromakopia, lacks the innovation suggested by the promotional material, the album’s vulnerability and introspection is refreshing. 

Tyler, the Creator’s Chromakopia prioritizes introspection over innovation

The rollout for Chromakopia — a series of dystopian, auteurist videos set to abrasive musical snippets — felt like deceptive advertising...There is a disconnect between the album’s industrially-tinged, barren aesthetic framing and its actual lyrical themes. On first listen, I found myself questioning: Why the mask, the military-inspired imagery and the shipping containers?  


COURTESY OF LAVANYA GUPTA
The cast of The Barnstormers' production of Twelfth Night, imitating the famous photo of the 2012 Public Theater production featuring Anne Hathaway. From left to right: Katherine Budinger as Countess Olivia, Emma Peralta as Viola and Ander Diez as Duke Orsino.

Art Deco Shakespeare: The Barnstormers' performance of Twelfth Night

For their Fall 2024 show, Hopkins’ longest-standing theater company, The Barnstormers, performed one of Shakespeare’s most performed plays, the romantic comedy Twelfth Night. I made sure to attend their first performance on Oct. 24, which had a sparse crowd — likely due to it being on a Thursday — but an energetic atmosphere. 



COURTESY OF JIMMY JOE ROCHE
Still frame from Jimmy Joe Roche's Manger, which is an adaptation of the Book of Genesis. 

Film and Media Studies Faculty Showcase highlights four labors of love

On Oct. 13 from 2—4 p.m., four faculty filmmakers from the Film and Media Studies department screened their work... The event highlighted the presenters’ labors of love, with a program that featured the following works: unravelling by Susan Leslie Mann and John Bright Mann, Manger by Jimmy Joe Roche, Turf Valley by Adam Rodgers and Tom Ventimiglia, and I’m Not Your Monster by Karen Yasinsky. 



RUI DO ROSARIO / DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR
Picks for this week include Chromakopia by Tyler, The Creator, The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins, Juror #2 by Clint Eastwood and Fountains of Rome and La Mer performed by the BSO and the Aaron Diehl Trio on Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.

To watch and watch for: Week of Oct. 27

Whether your Halloweekend just passed, or for some reason you’re celebrating in November (weird choice), there are plenty of new releases and events which will soothe your soul — perhaps enough to reinhabit your body. 


PRINTERVAL / CC BY-NC 4.0
Lizzy McAlpine’s most recent release, Older (and Wiser) contains several emotional deluxe tracks that complement the original release. 

Older (and Wiser): a musical reflection on growing up

Lizzy McAlpine’s most recent release, Older (and Wiser) won me over before I even listened to it. I cannot emphasize how much I love a good — or bad — pun, and deluxe albums with witty titles are my guilty pleasures (see: guts (spilled) by Olivia Rodrigo and Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale by Tyler, the Creator).


COURTESY OF ISABELLA WANG
Megan Pinto performed her debut poetry collection Saints of Little Faith at Bird in Hand cafe, alongside Hopkins MFA student Yuan with their collection Slow Render, and Seo's OSSIA.

Megan Pinto presents debut poetry collection at Bird in Hand

Poet Megan Pinto held an event at local cafe Bird in Hand to present her debut poetry collection, Saints of Little Faith on Sunday, Oct. 6. Alongside Pinto, Samuel Cheney, Jimin Seo and Jess Yuan presented their work. After the attendees had settled into their seats inside of the atmospheric bookstore, the poets were introduced and the event began. 



Chris Boland / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Strait believes that Rooney’s latest novel, Intermezzo, does not match the quality of her previous books. 

Sally Rooney's Intermezzo: Smut or sophisticated?

Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo, the Sept. 24 addition to her oeuvre, is a novel chronicling the tumultuous relationship between the Dublin-based 22-year-old competitive chess player Ivan Koubek and his 32-year-old barrister brother Peter after the death of their father. Or, more suitably, Intermezzo is a novel chronicling the men’s relationship with women. What could have been a novel interrogating a variety of worthy themes — the function of grief and trauma in love, the explosive or inopportune nature of fate or the destructiveness of family — is instead a novel that reads like a pubescent teenage boy preoccupied with sex.


COURTESY OF RUBEN DIAZ
Tana Mongeau and Brooke Schofield's parting Cancelled tour came to Baltimore at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.

Unfiltered fun: My night at the Cancelled podcast live show

You know that moment when a podcast becomes more than just a weekly listen? When it transforms into a cultural phenomenon, sparking debate, drama and endless TikTok commentary? Yeah, that’s what Cancelled , a podcast hosted by Tana Mongeau and Brooke Schofield, has done — taking the world of pop culture, scandals and the art of calling out influencers to a whole new level. 



COURTESY OF JORDAN JACKSON
Wang shares moments from a presentation by Jordan Jackson, a Baltimore based comic artist, during her First Year Seminar, Writing with Pictures: An Introduction to Writing Picture Books and Graphic Novels.

Jordan Jackson shares his creative journey and artistic perspective

“I was always a nerd,” said Jordan Jackson — a Baltimore-based comic artist, writer and faculty for animation at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) — during my First-Year Seminar: Writing with Pictures: An Introduction to Writing Picture Books and Graphic Novels. On Monday, Sept. 30, my class was honored to have Jackson join our class to discuss his journey as an artist and his creative process. 




COOPER HEWITT SMITHSONIAN DESIGN MUSEUM / PUBLIC DOMAIN
If a scrapbook transcending temporal and spatial boundaries was condensed into an album, it would be Kate Bollinger’s new album Songs From a Thousand Frames of Mind.

Kate Bollinger's Songs From a Thousand Frames of Mind: a sweet scrapbook for autumn

Whether it’s the bittersweet realizations of "I See It Now" or the gentle resolve of "In A Smile," Bollinger’s melodies feel like quiet moments of self-discovery. As the days grow shorter and colder, this album invites listeners to pause, look inward and embrace change, making it the perfect companion for those crisp, contemplative fall days.


NINE STARS / CC BY 3.0
Day6 from left to right: pianist Wonpil, guitarist Sungjin, drummer Dowoon and rapper-vocalist Young K .

The best B-sides of Day6

In all, Day6 has had a remarkable, unconventional career in K-pop, partly due to their strength to put out timeless music — whether it be a title track or a b-side. If you haven’t already, give Day6 a try. 


JIYUN GUO / Design & Layout Editor
This week’s picks from the Arts & Entertainment section include a few horror movies, a memoir by Al Pacino and an arts walk in Hampden. Please enjoy our media picks for the upcoming week.

To watch and watch for: Week of Oct. 14

This week’s picks from the Arts & Entertainment section include a few horror movies, a memoir by Al Pacino, an arts walk in Hampden and a new album from Jordana. Please enjoy our media picks for the upcoming week.


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