Now that even the Boundary Waters is full of cell phones and GPS units–there’s probably even a laptop in a dry bag up there somewhere–it seems there’s no escaping technology. MIT student Eric Brende started to question his addiction to this higher power source, and decided the only way to escape technology’s grip was to … Read more
Berger is on the doorstep of eighty now, and for decades he has been one of the most elegant writers in the English language. He’s a master of the elegy and the vignette, and whether in the form of fiction or essay, his work has always had the long-view precision of a satellite photo. Berger’s … Read more
We must be closing in on peak carrying capacity for the planet, because it seems that authors are increasingly having a difficult time making up new names. Writers like Jonathan Safran Foer and our own Shannon Olson are giving their characters names that are really easy to remember–their own. Now Bret Easton Ellis has a … Read more
Ignore the unappealing title, along with any thoughts conjured by the word “quadriplegic.” Even moviegoers who couldn’t care less about rugby or haven’t yet climbed aboard the documentary bandwagon have found themselves in thrall to this film’s jaw-clenching suspense, unsentimental plot, and rugged characters. Its stars play on the U.S. “quad” rugby team, and they … Read more
For nearly thirty years, music- and film-lovers have gathered around a concrete slab in Loring Park to dance in the grass, toss Frisbees, and picnic till dusk, when Walker curators project film classics onto a modest movie screen. This year, the musical lineup emphasizes local acts, like teen idols Melodious Owl (at right, August 1) … Read more
In the early 1800s, two German brothers were looking for stable, well-paying jobs in order to support their younger siblings after their parents’ deaths, so they became librarians. (Today’s librarians might say that sounds like a fairy tale.) While working in the stacks, the brothers Grimm became the leading folklorists of their day, compiling more … Read more
The sexiest thing in this 1967 classic isn’t the young and charismatic Warren Beatty, or that tart blonde Faye Dunaway, playing the legendary bank robbers. It’s a 1934 Ford V-8, in the role of the car that Clyde stole from Bonnie’s parents, driving the lovers off into the bloody sunset. The film’s climactic shootout rivals … Read more
Our artist friends went on vacation, and all we got was this roomful of beautiful art. An inspired selection of more than seventy works from forty-four artists revels in road trips, insects, and the meaty kind of sunburn that comes from spending long days near water. Paintings, photochromes, etchings, photos, and drawings that chronicle vacation … Read more
Sure, we’re all on the lookout for self-flagellating nekkid artists rolling in paint or chocolate–but isn’t it nice, sometimes, to be able to take your grandmother to an art show? Botanical art has been used for centuries to illustrate field guides to foreign lands, medicinal and herbal guides, and provide decoration on tombs, buildings, and … Read more
Give her your dog turds, your dead bugs, your snotty noses yearning to breathe free. Sylvia Branzei has a passion for all things really gross, and has made it her mission to share them with people across the land. And the people are eating it up! Her first book, Grossology, spent thirty weeks on Publisher’s … Read more