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Recess

"The Favourite" follows scullery maid Abigail and Lady Sarah Marlborough as they compete for Queen Anne's affections.
RECESS  |  CULTURE

Personal rivalries become political in 'The Favourite'

By Sarah Derris | January 2, 2019

Director and auteur Yorgos Lanthimos has captured the attention of critics for his audaciously peculiar imagery and unorthodox storytelling. His repertoire includes “Dogtooth,” “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” and “The Lobster,” films that have split the opinion of viewers. Some call his work clinical and unrelatable, while others praise it as fresh and iconoclastic. 

Chinese Novelist Yan Lianke, author of "The Day the Sun Died," pictured in 2010.
RECESS  |  CULTURE

Novelist Yan Lianke underlines Nobel Prize ambitions in 'The Day the Sun Died'

By Joel Kohen | December 26, 2018

 Larry Moneta’s recent comments concerning China were heavily debated among Duke students, but they also revealed a much larger truth: Chinese culture is still a foreign world for most Americans, though more and more Americans now recognize China as a country worthy of their business interests. The language barrier is often perceived to be too large; therefore, its literature tends to receive only sparse attention.

"Krampus" tells the tale of the Engel family and their battle with an ancient spirit who punishes those who have lost the Christmas spirit.
RECESS  |  CULTURE

Making the case for 'Krampus' as a modern holiday classic

By Sydny Long | December 19, 2018

For the most part, my family’s taste in Christmas entertainment is laughably generic. We listen to the holiday radio station and soldier through a thousand wincingly pitchy covers of “Jingle Bell Rock” in the hopes of catching Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s rendition of “Carol of the Bells.” 

RECESS

Arcade Fire's 'Funeral' finds hope in death and dystopia

By Jack Rubenstein | December 5, 2018

When I first discovered Arcade Fire, I hated them with every fiber of my being. I had not heard a second of their music, but my sixth grade self was simply angry that some random indie band from Montreal with an awkward-looking lead singer had “stolen” the Grammy for Album of the Year from the Top 40 artists I listened to at the time. Nowadays, my views are radically different: Arcade Fire is one of my favorite bands, and I have zero interest in Top 40 music.  

Check out our top holiday market picks for this season, including the Durham Craft Market Holiday Craft Fair,
RECESS  |  LOCAL

A Recess guide to local holiday celebrations

By Jessica Williams | December 5, 2018

As the campus trees change color, a chill fills the air and the sense of dread surrounding finals sets in, Duke is settling into winter. Although it may be difficult to feel festive between exams and essays, the holiday season is a great excuse to take a study break. Here are some upcoming wintry events around Duke and the Triangle to explore this month.

A writer reads her work at the Archive's 2017 Salon.
RECESS  |  CAMPUS

The Archive's poetry reading showcases students' literary talents

By Joel Kohen | December 5, 2018

One of the more solitary liberal arts, poetry tends to keep a low profile. Although Duke may not offer a creative writing major, its student body and faculty contain numerous avid poets. This was literary talent was evident at the Salon, an annual public poetry reading organized by The Archive, the university’s primary literary magazine, Saturday.

RECESS  |  STAFF NOTE

What 2018 has given us, and what 2019 should deliver

By Alizeh Sheikh | December 5, 2018

The year 2018 was a year that rocked both our greater culture and our individual self-conceptions as consumers of and contributors to that very culture. Accountability is the mainstay, and self-reflection has become a daily requisite for even the most privileged. I think it is time to ask whether we want the media we consume to be held accountable, too, and inquire as to what we might want that accountability to look like. 

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