Freedom, liberty and independence are human rights. But they depend on responsibility. Responsibility to others, to our future, to the community. Responsibility for our actions and our choices. The only way to earn our independence is to keep the promises we’ve made. Can we
In 1939, Igor Stravinsky emigrated to the United States, first arriving in New York City, before settling in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he delivered the Charles Eliot Norton lectures at Harvard during the 1939–40 academic year. While living in Boston, the composer
More than a few visitors to Florence make a beeline to the Galleria dell’Accademia, and once inside, to Michelangelo’s David, the most famous sculpture in the world. But how many of them, one wonders, then take the time to view the three other Davids in that city alone? At the
Institutions across the United States are collecting birthday wishes for the nation’s 250th anniversary. They paint a picture of a divided but desperately hopeful country.
NPR Tiny Desk Concert by the cast of Buena Vista Social Club , a hit Broadway musical about the Cuban musical ensemble. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
The Muppets have always encouraged us to express our feelings, right? Well, this song expresses our feelings about the terrible things happening right now.
This week: Coney Island’s mermaid parade, medical museums rethink their collections, anthropologists and curvy statues, a baby yak named Burrito, and more.
An original technicolor print of Star Wars (before all of Lucas’s tinkering) was recently shown in Britain . “It was very clear — without a doubt — that Han shot first.” 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
Hued is a daily game in the vein of Wordle/Spelling Bee where you have three guesses to match a target color. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
“Gardening keeps me preoccupied as my ideas continue to germinate.”
The quintessential superhero has always stood for truth and justice, but the final part of his catchphrase has morphed to match a more connected world—and his place in it
French artist Mantra paints photo-realistic murals that look like massive butterfly specimen display frames . Fantastic. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
"When Nicole DuFresne was killed in New York in 2005, the media twisted the narrative by latching onto a phrase that fell out of her mouth: 'What are you going to do, shoot us?'"
Tressie McMillan Cottom, one of America’s leading public intellectuals, posted this to Bluesky yesterday : I’m going to be very honest and clear. I am fully preparing myself to die under this new American regime. That’s not to say that it’s the end of the world. It isn’t. But
In a range of forms, the Edinburgh-based artist explores the possibilities of pattern. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Vibrant Patterns in Frances
As many of my readers get ready for a long weekend, here are two of my books now on discount at Amazon–for another few days. This is Strategy is 90% off on the Kindle. $3! And This is Marketing is discounted as well. If you’ve read or listened to either one, here’s a new AI […]
I Will Do Anything to End Homelessness Except Build More Homes . “Look, if you give people homes, the next thing you know, they’re going to start to get their lives together and then get jobs and start organizing.”
"Professor Marcia Bjornerud urges us to understand rocks as records of earlier versions of the planet—and as a call to protect its future."
Explore the world from perspectives usually reserved for air travelers and birds. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article A New Aerial Photography Contest
"Black Americans are moving to Ghana — and driving up the cost of living for everyone around them."
Diogo Jota, Liverpool and Portugal footballer, dies aged 28 in car crash . This is sad news. Jota was a favorite player of mine; he brought a positive energy to the pitch. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
Cinematic shots of Californian farmland frame the stories of its immigrant workers, who live between precarity and hope - by Aeon Video Watch at Aeon
How the ideas circulating among one noblewoman’s coterie in 16th-century Dubrovnik anticipated modern feminist thought - by Luka Boršić Read at Aeon
Seven stories highlighting the perspective of estranged adult children.