Kuang continues to write with rigor and unflinching political insight, but in Katabasis, the balance tips toward thesis rather than story. As an academic, I admire her brilliance. However, as a lover of literature, I am left wishing that the fire of narrative matched her critiques.
The first breeze of the fall season has hit campus, foxes are prowling the sidewalks and we (at least most of us) are finally through with the menial duties of midterm exams. This week, we have a plentiful batch of arts, including a return from a revered hip-hop duo and an exciting underground music live show running all weekend.
With many of the semester’s firsts in a series of nightmarish midterms in our rearview mirrors, everyone deserves a moment to breathe and unwind with some of these exciting new media releases.
Is Double Infinity Big Thief’s magnum opus? No, not by a long shot. If I could, would I make it mandatory listening for all of my friends? Yeah — I wouldn’t even have to think about it. We all deserve to experience humanity, don’t we?
Welcome back to another week’s To Watch and Watch For. Now, in the midst of exams, here's to hoping that you can weather the storm and squeeze in a free hour here and there to check out the wide array of media releasing in the upcoming days.
From boundary-pushing progressive country and uncompromising hardcore hip-hop to rebellious electroclash, this recent summer’s album releases delivered something for everyone. In keeping with the Arts & Entertainment section’s yearly tradition, our writers are here to share their album of the summer picks.
Virginia Anderson is an adjunct professor in the Program of Museums and Society at Hopkins and the Baltimore Museum of Art’s (BMA) Curator of American Art and Department Head of American Painting & Sculpture and Decorative Arts. In an interview with The News-Letter, Anderson discussed her academic journey and her current experiences at the BMA.
Welcome (or welcome back) to Hopkins! If you’re a seasoned visual artist looking to continue your exploration of the arts, or if you’re just someone curious about what Hopkins and Baltimore have to offer in that regard, here’s what I’ve discovered during the past year.
This week’s installment of To Watch and Watch For comes conveniently before the inevitable onslaught of midterm season. One way to soften the unstoppable march of time is to slow down, immerse yourself in the arts and appreciate what the world has to offer at the moment.
Hopkins does not lack artists, but they are hard to find — even within themselves.
Add some class to your classes, some culture to this school year — you won’t regret it.
On April 26 and 27, the Arellano Theater came alive with more than the wafting smells of vegan sesame chicken and taco meat from the neighboring Levering Kitchen. It was the site for the Witness Theater’s 2025 Spring Showcase: a performance of student-written, student-run plays rejuvenating a campus of otherwise finals-weary Blue Jays.
Why do we keep returning to Greek tragedy? These ancient texts and the way we study them in classrooms can often feel rigid, distant and disconnected from the present. The Department of Classics’ Medea on Trial, held on April 24, offered a compelling answer.
Addison Rae’s singles since her rebrand — “Diet Pepsi,” “Aquamarine,” “High Fashion,” and most recently “Headphones On” — are nostalgic, whimsical, and sultry.
The concert only cost $21.50. The opener had an album peak at No. 19 on the 2023 Billboard Top 200, the main act won Group of the Year and Rock Album of the Year at the 2024 JUNO awards, and yet, only 122 people registered.
On March 4, more than a decade after her previous novel Americanah, Hopkins alum Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie gave the people what they wanted: Dream Count. This recent addition to her body of works is a nebulous story following the lives of four African women navigating the U.S., pinned together in the middle with a disconcertingly familiar case of sexual assault perpetrated against one of the women.
There’s this thing that happens every April. The desert shifts. Time becomes a suggestion. Sequins become currency. And the world turns its eyes toward a stretch of sun-bleached land in Indio, Calif., where suddenly nothing else matters. Yes, I’m talking about the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
It’s unfortunate that the most beautiful period of spring coincides with the most demanding stretch of the academic year. If you're looking for a reminder of what makes life worth the grind, this week’s “To watch and watch for” will have you covered.
On April 4, Djo (also known as the actor Joe Keery) released his highly-anticipated third EP The Crux. Produced in collaboration with Adam Thein, the album blends styles from a wide range of alternative artists.
On March 28, Netflix’s latest rom-com endeavor was released: The Life List. I’ll admit, I had low expectations. The alliterated title did not inspire high hopes. I love Sofia Carson — the lead actress — but mostly because I watched and loved the Descendants movies as a kid. I was not actually aware that she continued to act after those films. But mainly, my reservations stemmed from how much the plot sounded like it could belong to a made-for-TV Hallmark movie.
