Arts Columns
The Art of the Outside: Sonia S. Ralston on ‘Ghost Trees’
In an augmented reality exhibit called “Ghost Trees,” Sonia S. Ralston, an alum of the Harvard Graduate School of Design designed 3-D digital models of five Arboretum trees.
In Photos: A Typical Sunday Bell-Ringing
This photo essay illuminates the appearance of the bells up close, giving a glimpse of what goes on in the bell tower during a typical Sunday ringing.
Witching Out in Salem
Every October, the quaint city of Salem — only an hour outside of Boston by car or train — is transformed into a premier location for Halloween haunts
I Could Literally Be in Italy Right Now
But the Harvard ecosystem walks a fine line between fully immersing us in our studies and entirely overwhelming us to the point of giving up. This is precisely the reason I found myself studying abroad in Florence last semester.
Ringing the Lowell Bells: The ‘Great, Unfinalizable Symphony’
For this column, I will be living and breathing bells — anything to try to bridge that 128-step gap between the platform of the bell tower and the world below.
The Art of the Outside: Lorraine E. Bubar as an Artist-in-Residence at Acadia National Park
Even for people who aren’t professional artists, Acadia provides an escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life, providing the space to slow down to create and share art.
Autumn in Cambridge
The fall season in Cambridge has the potential to be just as transformative for its inhabitants as it is for its trees.
Outbound to the Magellanic Cloud: Ligia Bouton’s ‘Temporary Monument to Henrietta Swan Leavitt’ at Kendall/MIT
What is on display in the temporary tunnel is not just a collection of stars studied by an astronomer, but sight and wonder made material.
A Messy Masterpiece: Why ‘Bridgerton’ Works
“Bridgerton” costuming is replete with lavish masterpieces that practically overflow with anachronisms.
It is All Half Lights* / Before Memorial Day
The androgynous mind sleeps, it is halting/halted, faulting/faulted —
Virtually Famous: Music Journalism in A Social Media World
With social media playing a larger role in determining the music we listen to — and music streaming platforms increasingly resembling social media with features such as followers and likes — artists have claimed greater control over how their music and narratives are communicated to the public
‘There Is No Right Routine’: Zoulfa Katouh on Inspiration, Deadlines, and Navigating Growth
Writing a story changes for everybody. Routines differ by how writers set deadlines and goals, and how they structure their pieces — whether they outline or not. For Katouh, understanding what works best for her work was a large part of her journey as an author.
Close-Listening: Diving Deep into a Song’s Lyrics
Misheard lyrics can be a golden moment of serendipity. Despite their falsehood, these alternative listenings of a song can open up compelling new interpretations and personal connections to the music.
Weaver’s Way / In Blue
And the ceilings are high, voices echo from two rooms over among arches and paneling. Dark water. A river, green and lapping in a distant country in which I’ve never stepped foot —
The Seven Sisters Cliffs and Coastguard Cottages from “Atonement”
England, the site of numerous popular film locations, holds one of the most striking settings in cinema: the Seven Sisters, a stretch of sprawling cliffs in East Sussex.
The Record Review Logs On: YouTubers as Music Critics
Content creators embrace the subjectivity of the genre by sharing the stage equally with the music and putting their passion and appreciation on full display.
In Which I Have a Brief Chat With the Political Consultant Who Stands Outside My Window Every Night, Trying To Tempt Me Just Like Satan to Eve in the Garden of Eden
I close my third-floor Winthrop House window so that I can no longer hear the POLITICAL CONSULTANT. Time for bed.
Pitchfork’s Recipe for the Record Review
In this first installment, I start by assessing Pitchfork’s distinctive brand of album reviews — the bread and butter of music criticism — as the standard for what is both valuable and frustrating about the genre.
A Graveyard, Democratizing Decoration, and Art Beyond Repair: Joyce Kozloff’s ‘New England Decorative Arts’ at Harvard Station
A colorful, eight by 83-foot-long ceramic tile mural against a gently curved wall, Joyce Kozloff's "New England Decorative Arts" has enlivened the Harvard bus terminal’s double-ramp walkway since its installation.
Joanne Chang ’91: Happy Baking
When I walked into Flour Bakery for our interview, Chang stood by the take-out counter, casually helping out with orders. Astute and attentive, she sat across from me at the bar counter, positioning herself in a way so she could keep an eye on the bakery in action.