Semiquincentennial Blues
"I am yearning to reject something that is not even being sold to me."
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Trump’s Unhinged Attacks on the Smithsonian
The White House accuses the public institution of “extreme activism”; plus, an interview with queer icon Carmelita Tropicana.
‘The emperor is far away’
Ming Dynasty China left us copious texts, but these veil the lives of the vast majority of its people from our view - by Craig Clunas Read on Aeon
My Almond Archive
In southeastern Italy, almond groves hold centuries of local history. A granddaughter returns to gather the bitter and the sweet.
The Builder’s Creed
A hundred and fifteen years ago, Christian Larson wrote one of the first popular self-help manifestos. The Optimist’s Creed argued that it was a choice, and a useful promise. Not to promise the world, or the boss, or the market. To promise ourselves. Optimism is not a mood.
How Nashville Became Home to a Full-Scale Replica of the Parthenon
Asked to identify “the Athens of the South,” many Americans might well point to Athens, Georgia, especially if they happen to be fans of REM, the B‑52s, or Of Montreal. In fact, that title was claimed by Nashville, Tennessee as early as the eighteen-fifties, when the city put
Benedict Cumberbatch Reads Albert Camus’ Touching Thank You Letter to His Elementary School Teacher
It’s never too late to thank the teacher who changed your life. Oprah Winfrey fell to pieces when she was reunited on air with Mrs. Duncan, her fourth grade teacher, her “first liberator” and “validator.” Patrick Stewart used his knighthood ceremony as an occasion to thank
Thich Nhat Hanh on the Art of Deep Listening and the 3 Buddhist Steps to Repairing a Relationship
"The intention of deep listening and loving speech is to restore communication, because once communication is restored, everything is possible."
Trump Accuses Smithsonian of “Anti-White Activism” in Draconian New Report
The White House’s 162-page document claims museum leadership has promoted "extreme political activism."
The Met Museum's Staff Have Some Thoughts About the Art
A new book gathers essays by the museum’s curators, researchers, librarians, and conservators on everything from Renaissance portraiture to the work of Wendy Red Star.
America’s Greatest Hot Dog
"The price and quality of the $1.50 Costco frank haven’t budged in 40 years. It’s the last—and best—deal in the country."
Carmelita Tropicana Was Born Out of the Closet
Hyperallergic spoke with artist Alina Troyano about lesbian performance in 1980s Lower East Side, satirizing stereotypes, and embodying her iconic alter ego.
Thieves Steal Over $4.5M in Jewelry From French Museum
The morning raid at the Musée Lalique comes less than a year after the infamous heist at the Louvre.
Just dropped a couple of days ago: Lane 8’s Summer 2026...
Just dropped a couple of days ago: Lane 8’s Summer 2026 Mixtape (4 hours long). Also available on Soundcloud .
In Two Chicago Exhibitions, Liberation Takes the Floor
Shows at MCA Chicago and Wrightwood 659 chart a path from colonial dispossession to the possibilities of dance, music, and community.
Nebulae, Comets, and Aurorae, Oh My! See the ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year Shortlist
769 photographers and astronomers submitted more than 4,000 images to this year's competition. 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 Nebulae, Comets, and
The Ruthless Portraits of Elizabeth I’s Reign
An exhibition in London traces how depictions of the monarch projected an image of authority, power, wealth, and the right to be regarded as a god in all but name.
Our Lives Are “an Orchestrated Shuffle of Technology”
If you are anything like me, your soul let out a big “oooooof” while reading this: The Year Is 2063 and You Were Never Interesting . But wait. You are 70 years old. You’re sitting in your home. Your grandchildren ask you what your 20s were like, and you honestly can’t tell
Veks Van Hillik Suspends Fish, Insects, and Other Objects in Surreal Murals
Art history and ecology merge in Van Hillik's bold, vaguely unsettling murals. 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 Veks Van Hillik Suspends Fish,
Hermann Hesse on How to Read a Book and How to Read Yourself
Books show us what it is like to be another and at the same time return us to ourselves. We read to learn how to live — how to love and how to suffer, how to grieve and how to be glad. We read to clarify ourselves and to anneal our values. We read for the assurance that others
👀 Craig Mod interviewed by Debbie Millman on Design...
👀 Craig Mod interviewed by Debbie Millman on Design Matters . (I guess those eyes should be ears but an ears-bugging-out emoji doesn’t exist.)
How I Bought a Private Jet by Selling $10 Subscriptions to 404 Media
"My journey inside the world of LARPing, where hustlebros pretend to be rich for TikTok."
The (Mostly) True Story of Hobo Graffiti
TIL that the hieroglyphic hobo code probably wasn’t used as extensively as the internet suggests. However, hobos and tramps did tag bridges, water towers, and train cars with tramp writing , which usually consisted of their moniker (i.e. their hobo name), the date, and the
Alfred Hitchcock Wanted Frank Lloyd Wright to Design the North by Northwest House: An Architect Just Built It for $45 Million
Villains who live in opulent, remote modernist houses may have been a cliché since the last century, but given Hollywood’s addiction to the tried and true, they do still turn up now and again. Unsurprisingly, few filmmakers have managed to use them anywhere near as memorably as
A Young Magician Wanted to Build an Epic Magic Collection. Did He Go Too Far?
"Rory Feldman was accused of deceiving, defrauding, and stealing. But he says he’s been the target of a relentless smear campaign by a 'magic mafia.'"
The Fun Shortage Is Real, and It’s Making America...
The Fun Shortage Is Real, and It’s Making America Miserable (gift link). “With fewer places to relax and socialize, and steeper prices for entry, having fun is quantifiably harder than it used to be.”
Bard MFA Presents 2026 Thesis Exhibition in Barrytown, NY
"Reassembly: The Class of 2027 Thesis Performances and Exhibition" will be held in the Bard College Massena Exhibition Center from July 11-19, 2026.
San Francisco Art Book Fair Celebrates 10 Years
Presented by Minnesota Street Project Foundation, SFABF returns this July, welcoming 160 independent publishers from around the world.
I love this short little video montage of actresses...
I love this short little video montage of actresses during Charlie Rose interviews . No dialogue, just quiet reactions. Musical accompaniment by Laurie Anderson ( O Superman ).
One of the great things about the World Cup and the US:...
One of the great things about the World Cup and the US: In the United States, Every World Cup Team Is a Home Team . “Soccer fans from all over the world, many now making their homes in America, have packed bars, restaurants, living rooms…”
America: Birth Of A Nation
To celebrate the 250th anniversary of our great nation, The Onion has produced a Ken Burns-esque film called Birth of a Nation ( “the only movie ever named this” ). 250 years ago, a group of illiterate men would gather in these hallowed halls to scribble down what historians
In 1937, the NYT ran a piece about the last living son...
In 1937, the NYT ran a piece about the last living son of a Revolutionary War soldier . “Many times Constant said his father spoke of meeting George Washington…” The Great Span in action.
Vibrant Folded Canvases Form Garment-Like Sculptures by Susan Maddux
Maddux often stacks the bunches of folds several feet high, mirroring human proportions. 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 Folded Canvases
Five young descendants of Frederick Douglass read his...
Five young descendants of Frederick Douglass read his famous “What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July?” speech .