A thunderstorm descended upon the southeastern coastal town of Kronobäck, Sweden in the spring of 1885 as poet and preacher Carl Boberg made his way home from church one warm afternoon. Though he was temporarily caught in the rain, by the time he reached his house the rolling storm had already moved on. His office…
TV Docuseries Review: ‘100 Years of Warner Bros.’
TV-MA | 3h 52min | Documentary, Film History | 01 June 2023 (USA) If there is anything that the Hollywood hit machine is consistently great at, it is the conception, packaging, marketing, and distribution of what will eventually become nostalgia. Most movie fans (meaning at least 50%+1) believe films of the past are far better than those of the present, and…
Serving up Mostly Mozart: A Concert of ‘Shining Stars’
Just as an inspired and experienced chef plans his celebration menu, a music director creates the excitement of the artistic process by finding a perfect balance of talent—only then is the experience a feast for listeners. Such a balance is what Julie Jordan hopes to achieve in her 15th anniversary season of Julie Jordan Presents with her…
Andrew J. Russell: The Great Railroad Photographer
Andrew J. Russell (1829–1902) grew up in the northeast pursuing the life of an artist. As he progressed artistically, he received numerous commissions from political and railroad figures to paint portraits, along with landscapes. He slowly moved into photography by using photos as references for his paintings instead of creating sketches. His move toward photography…
The Opera Lakmé’s ‘Flower Duet’: A Timeless Classic
With its beautiful harmonies and melody, the “Flower Duet,” for soprano and mezzo-soprano, has become one of the most famous duets in the operatic repertoire. Some listeners might wonder what this piece is really about, and what makes it a timeless classic. An Exotic Setting While often performed as a standalone concert piece today, the…
Know Any Joans? May 30 Is Your Day
If one hopes to one day join the ranks of the saints in heaven, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to get to know a few more of them first. While I wasn’t raised Catholic by any means (I’m the daughter of a pastor), I have realized that the world of saints is a truly rich and…
Which to Choose: Mark Twain’s Short Story, ‘The Five Boons of Life’
Throughout our lives, we desire many different gifts but rarely desire death. We come to fear our end and so seek what we think are better gifts, rather than face what is the end of all mortals. Yet, in his short story, “The Five Boons of Life,” Mark Twain focuses on how we should see…
Rewind, Review, and Re-Rate: ‘Hard Boiled’
1992 | R | 2h 8m | Action, Drama, War Having established himself as one of the world’s most innovative action directors during the 1980s, with “A Better Tomorrow” (1986), “A Better Tomorrow 2” (1987), and “The Killer” (1989), Hong-Kong-reared John Woo quickly garnered for himself a cult following and was considered to be a…
Paradise Lost?
Have you ever looked around and thought to yourself that there’s so much evil that it seems like there’s hell on earth? It seems like violence, lust, anger, dishonesty, and discord have become the norm. Or has it? Is there still positivity among us despite the steady stream of negativity? In the last part of…
Words Were Her Weapon: ‘The Incomparable Hannah More’
While researching his book “Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery,” writer and radio host Eric Metaxas encountered one of Wilberforce’s staunchest allies and good friends, Hannah More (1745–1833). In a later book, “Seven Women: And the Secret of Their Greatness,” Metaxas revisits More and describes her in glowing terms. She…
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