President Trump announced plans to designate May 8 as World War II "Victory Day" and Nov. 11 as World War I "Victory Day," stating that we are "going to start celebrating our victories again."

In a large ballroom in Williamsburg, Virginia, representatives from around the nation gathered to talk about revolution. With the 250th anniversary of our nation’s battle for independence soon to commence, planners of the American Revolution 250 Commission were discussing how to reignite common cause in Americans through the mechanism of our fight for nationhood. It […]

How can it be that “laughter” and “daughter” not only don’t rhyme but don’t sound remotely alike? What about “tomb,” “bomb,” and “comb”? Meanwhile, “liar” and “choir,” which couldn’t look more different, do rhyme. How and why is the English language so messed up? And why haven’t we done anything about it? In Enough is […]

The best science fiction is either pure spaceships and aliens escapism or intelligent present-day social commentary viewed through a more pliable lens than that available to Charlotte Bronte or even Tom Wolfe. By virtue of its title, Black Mirror is prevented from being the former, so it must succeed at the latter, which it did […]

Many war movies and TV shows feature a climactic scene when a soldier finally breaks. My crisis moment in the Afghanistan War came not from combat stress, but from a TV commercial. I should probably explain. American service members serving overseas have access to Armed Forces Network television. This morale booster is a high priority […]

Without Edward Gorey, many modern classics wouldn’t exist. Edward Scissorhands, for example: The aesthetic of the movie is unmistakably influenced by the distinctive mood of Gorey’s art. In fact, when they first met, writer/director Tim Burton and score composer Danny Elfman bonded over their mutual love of Gorey’s work. Nor are they the only artists […]

William P.A. Hunt began work on what became his superb new book on Georgia’s Golden Isles in 2020, when, amid the pandemic, he perceived a hastening in the trend to erase history. Hunt will have none of it. “History is an unchangeable reality — a tapestry woven with both beauty and tragedy,” writes Hunt, whose […]

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson warned Thursday against attacks and pointed rhetoric against the judiciary in an unsubtle reference to President Trump's criticisms of judges ruling against his policies.

Spain’s government was forced to declare a national emergency at the end of April when the country’s electric grid blacked out for more than 18 hours. While the precise cause of the blackout has not been confirmed, it is clear that the widespread nature of the failure and its duration are due to Spain’s excessive […]

Ryan Coogler was born to be interesting, but fate has instead consigned him to importance.  After erupting onto the scene in 2013 with Fruitvale Station, Coogler was parachuted into the Rocky franchise to direct Creed, saving the franchise and Sylvester Stallone from self-parody. However, achieving such excellence so soon was the worst possible development of […]