Arts
The Stale Taste of 'Fresh Off the Boat'
"Fresh Off the Boat" might be a step forward in terms of Asian-American representation in popular culture and television, but it somehow manages to lose valuable nuance in its quest for palatability.
Hear Me Out: "FourFiveSeconds"
Music’s most exciting odd couple has struck again, teaming up with Rihanna on “FourFiveSeconds,” the catchy, folk-tinged lead single from the reigning princess of pop’s yet-to-be-titled eighth studio album.
'Leviathan' a Monster of Cliché, Craft
A Russian drama manages both to be entirely imbued in cliché and to provide singularly beautiful images.
'The Country of Ice Cream Star' Shines
If there is any weakness in “The Country of Ice Cream Star,” it is that it tries too hard to do too many things. Newman seems driven by a compulsion to ensure no dystopian trope is neglected.
Zambra's Zesty 'Documents' of Life and Revolution in Chile
Zambra's "My Documents" shows his deftness as a miniaturist. He knows when to employ simplicity and when to highlight certain details, and he understands how to grant individual stories their own flavor while maintaining their connectivity.
Scott McCloud Discusses Comics, Love, and "The Sculptor"
“Those who can’t do, teach.” It’s an age-old mantra and one commonly rejected by artists who double as educators. But for award-winning cartoonist and comics theorist Scott McCloud, the saying has always rung a little true.
'A Quiet Place' Overcomes Constraints
Plays often rely on elaborate lighting, lavish costumes, and richly decorated sets to entertain; “A Quiet Place” featured none of these. But, in spite of some elements that made the play feel unfinished, this 80-minute production was never boring.
Harvard College Opera’s 'Hansel and Gretel' Captivates
“Hansel and Gretel” is a familiar tale. But Harvard College Opera's version of this candy-sweet tale, which ran at the Agassiz Theater from Feb. 4-8, presented an impressively layered interpretation of the classic Grimm story.
Wilder Wohn’s book collection Blank on My Map: Unraveling Asia’s Mystique
Wilder Wohn’s book collection Blank on My Map: Unraveling Asia’s Mystique won the Visiting Committee Prize for Undergraduate Book Collecting in 2013-2014. The collection is currently on display at Lamont Library.
Letters and Symbols of the Movable Type at "Bow and Arrow"
Different letters and symbols comprise the movable type which is used for Adams House’s Bow and Arrow Printing Press.
Of Paper and Pixel: Book as a Medium
While members of the Harvard community admit that electronic texts have many advantages over physical books, the act of reading—of turning a page, of holding a book in one’s hands—has kept the physical book at the center of the reading experience at Harvard and elsewhere.
‘Funny Girl’ A Hilarious Entertainment Odyssey
Despite Nick Hornby’s broad and occasionally derided appeal, the British novelist is never as simple as he seems. His latest novel, "Funny Girl," is a brilliant look at the changing priorities of youth and the fleeting nature of artistic ingenuity.
Hear Me Out: Pond, "Zond"
“Zond” is a fresh addition to Pond’s output because Allbrook crafts a sound that is self-aware of its outlandishness without sacrificing its spontaneity. If the single reflects what is to be expected in the rest of the “Man, It Feels Like Space Again,” then listeners are in for a wild ride.
Gaiman's 'Trigger Warning' a Disturbing Success
Although “Trigger Warning” isn’t Gaiman at his absolute best, it’s certainly valuable as his most experimental work in fiction. Each short piece serves as an exciting foray into some macabre microcosm of his mind.
'Jupiter Ascending' a Flop
Though the Wachowskis may yet release a movie that rivals their previous filmography in complexity and mesmerism, “Jupiter Ascending” is an unoriginal attempt to release a more palatable film, which, to Wachowski fans, may be the hardest part to stomach.
At the Black Lives Matter protest in Central Square
A protestor holds up a sign at the Black Lives Matter protest in Central Square during a January demonstration.
Protests march up shouting "We Can't Breathe"
Protesters marched up Western Avenue towards Central Square shouting “We Can't Breathe” in December.
Protests staging die-ins in Central Square
Protesters in the Black Lives Matter campaign staged die-ins around Central Square in January.
Iconic Revolutions: Art and Protest at Harvard
The energies that fuel art are similar to the ones that power politico-economic movements, and the line between the two can often blur. The protest can be considered a form of performance art, and movements at Harvard and beyond have utilized the intersection between the two.
Conductor Vance George
Conductor Vance George visits a Music 121a course Wednesday in Paine Music Hall.
'The Sculptor' Doesn't Shape Up
McCloud’s evident desire to convey complex insights is commendable. However, the embodiment of these insights remains disappointingly basic. McCloud’s strengths as an explainer of theory become his weaknesses in this new context.
Canaday B-12 Transforms into "A Quiet Place"
“A Quiet Place,” which will run from Feb. 6 to 8 in Canaday B-12, centers around David (Nicolas E. O’Connor ’17) and Henry (Thomas W. Peterson ’18), two men who are trapped in a black box theater without any idea of how they arrived there.
Come (Re)Experience Your Childhood With “Hansel And Gretel”
Harvard College Opera’s production of “Hansel and Gretel, which runs Feb. 4-8 at the Agassiz Theater, promises to bring a favorite childhood story to life with a full orchestra, soaring arias, sumptuous costumes, and even a giant gingerbread house.