From Ocean Park, California to Arlington Cemetery, Virginia, dreams come in many forms. Between wakefulness and slumber, the artist can find inspiration for his or her next creation. For West Coast abstract painter...

There’s been much speculation as to whether Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling’s first book strictly for adults would be noticeably different from the series that made her a worldwide sensation. Just a few pages...

The Medieval Rivalry, Bribes and Bareback Horse Riding of Il Palio di Siena

We travel to Siena, by bus, from our hostel in Florence. The green hills of Tuscany roll outside my window; inside the bus, the entire tour...

Two decades ago and some change, Meg Ryan’s character, Sally Albright, in When Harry Met Sally gave the waitress of a Manhattan deli the order of a woman who knows exactly what she wants: “I’d like . . . the...

Ever since 9/11, the American public’s fascination with the possibility of a post-apocalyptic, doomsday scenario in our country has manifested itself time and time again in our artistic output (think Cormac...

Once you’ve saved your child’s life, you’d think that would forever cement your worth as a parent. Still, there are always more bad guys the world over plotting to harm your kid and make you suffer for their...

What happens when you take an opera, and throw everything conventional about it out of the window? Get rid of the plot. Trade soaring music and lyrics for soothing repetition. Tell the audience that, due to a lack of...

In Craig Wright’s play, Grace, currently premiering on Broadway, “Grace” is not an angry housewife set on mortal revenge. Rather, it’s a message-loaded melodrama of what can happen when two otherwise...

“I’m not a bad guy… I’m like everybody else: weak, full of mistakes, but basically good.” That’s Yunior speaking, the hardheaded young Dominican-born protagonist of Junot Diaz’s new book of short...

Russian artist Dina Johnsen has only recently jumped headfirst into the constantly evolving field of photography. Before her plunge into the flash induced world of ballerinas, actors, and opera singers of the National...