RECESS  |  CULTURE

Maggie O’Farrell’s “Hamnet” shines a necessary light on Shakespeare's early career

By Bates Crawford | August 19, 2021

Even now, with such a famous individual in the family, Shakespeare’s wife and children remain comparatively tucked away in the fringes of popular culture. Their oversight has become acceptable, with much of Shakespearian education emphasizing his singularity. In the novel, though, O’Farrell shakes things up.

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CULTURE  |  TV

‘Loki’ was great — until it wasn’t

By Jonathan Pertile | July 26, 2021

For a good five hours, I was captivated — between the spectacular worldbuilding and attention-grabbing fight scenes that have come to define Marvel, “Loki” dramatically expanded the scope of its cinematic universe. That was, until the last episode, where the show suddenly fumbled the ball entirely. 

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CULTURE  |  TV

An inconvenient truth: How 'Kim's Convenience' became a cautionary tale for Asian representation

By Megan Liu | July 5, 2021

Claims of a racist writers' room — by the stars of the show themselves — quickly extinguished the glowing reviews of “Kim’s Convenience,” and perhaps the warm comfort of the sitcom itself.

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RECESS  |  CULTURE

Bo Burnham's 'Inside' and the funny feeling of growing up online

By Skyler Graham | June 28, 2021

Bo Burnham was always funny, smart, self-aware and slightly cynical. He still is. But the growing demands of the internet, and the world, for that matter, may require that more of his content involves “just me and my camera, and you and your screen, the way that the lord intended.” 

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RECESS  |  CULTURE

Every game you need to know about from E3 2021

By Devinne Moses | June 21, 2021

Now more than ever, there is a game out there for everyone’s tastes. Whether you’re into cozy, cinematic or challenging games, the next few months will allow audiences to finally play highly-anticipated releases while hopefully making delightful discoveries along the way.

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CULTURE  |  MUSIC

A love letter to the Beatles, who built my love for music

By Kerry Rork | June 7, 2021

At one point in my childhood, my dad could play five seconds of any Beatles song on his guitar and I would proudly identify it with ease. While my abilities have since subsided in that department, my passion has remained. 

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CULTURE  |  MUSIC

Olivia Rodrigo's 'Sour' is a delightfully messy debut

By Jonathan Pertile | June 7, 2021

As long as she isn’t parallel parking, there probably isn’t anything that Olivia Rodrigo could do wrong.

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CULTURE  |  MOVIES

‘Mortal Kombat’ is a surprisingly decent video game film

By Devinne Moses | June 7, 2021

In the traditional sense, it is not a good movie, but its thrilling moments are well worth watching from the comfort of your home. 

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RECESS  |  CULTURE POP CULTURE

Eight video games to help you make the most of your free time this summer

By Devinne Moses | June 7, 2021

Whether you’re hard at work this summer and looking for ways to relax or have more down time since the semester ended, video games can bring fun and relaxation to your home. 

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CULTURE  |  MOVIES

Finding neurodiversity acceptance in ‘Finding Nemo’

By Skyler Graham | June 7, 2021

Even if we can’t find a diagnosis for ourselves, we could always use a gentle reminder to support one another on all of our own adventures.

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RECESS  |  CULTURE

Elle Cosimano’s ‘Finlay Donovan Is Killing It: A Mystery’ is a perfectly clever summer read

By Bates Crawford | May 31, 2021

If you, like me, are looking to enjoy a season of reading, or perhaps are interested in picking up a few books here and there, I would recommend starting your summer days on this adventure with Finn. 

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CULTURE  |  MOVIES

Q&A: Duke alum Prashanth Kamalakanthan on creating his first feature film

By Tessa Delgo | May 22, 2021

After graduating from Duke, Prashanth Kamalakanthan, Trinity ‘14, went on to pursue a career as a journalist and filmmaker. Over the past few years, he has been working on his first feature film “Have a Nice Life,” of which he is writer, director and editor. It will premiere for North American audiences at the 2021 Maryland Film Festival on May 23 at 4 p.m. EST. 

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CULTURE  |  MOVIES

I didn’t watch the Oscars, and you didn't either

By Jonathan Pertile | May 3, 2021

Never before have award shows held such little cultural relevance. 

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RECESS  |  CULTURE

Stupid as a noun

By Sydny Long | April 23, 2021

Intelligence is not everything. It is the only thing.

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RECESS  |  CULTURE

10 fashion tips for summer 2021

By Kerry Rork | April 19, 2021

With summer just around the corner and the idea of leaving our houses becoming more and more possible, it is time to think about non-pajama outfits.

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CULTURE  |  MUSIC

BROCKHAMPTON brings the band back together for a successful penultimate album

By Ben Smith | April 19, 2021

BROCKHAMPTON’s maturation process continues with their new album, “ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE,” which may be the most polished and cohesive project to come from the group yet.

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CULTURE  |  MUSIC

Taylor Swift's re-recorded 'Fearless' is more than an improvement

By Jonathan Pertile | April 19, 2021

For Swift’s statement to work though, her new version of the album needs to be better than the original to get people to listen to her rerecording. Thankfully for Swift, “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” does that and more thanks to her vastly improved vocals and six previously-unreleased songs, marketed as “From The Vault.” 

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CULTURE  |  MUSIC

After a seven-year hiatus, The Antlers are back with the jarringly gentle 'Green to Gold'

By Sydny Long | April 5, 2021

While “Green to Gold” is far from ambitious or even striking, it does follow the band’s legacy of novelty, however softly. 

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RECESS  |  CULTURE

Bob Odenkirk reveals his action journey in 'Nobody'

By Skyler Graham | March 30, 2021

Wake up. Shower. Make coffee. Go to work. Take out the trash moments before the garbage truck arrives. It’s a monotony we know all too well, and one that often calls for an escape.

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RECESS  |  CULTURE

Marilynne Robinson's 'Gilead' mines epic emotion out of quiet drudgery

By Bates Crawford | March 29, 2021

When reading, I often felt as though I was part of a conversation not meant for me.