-
2 weeks ago | 
newcriterion.com | Keith Windschuttle |Harry Cluff |Roger Kimball |Renee Winegarten |Brenda Wineapple
When he was asked how Paul Cézanne influenced his work, Picasso declared: “He is the father of us all, a sort of God of painting.” This admiration was shared by Picasso’s coeval Cubist-in-arms, Georges Braque, and by the founding father of Fauvism, Henri Matisse, as well as by many other artists who came to prominence after Cézanne’s death in 1906. Cézanne’s contemporaries likewise appreciated his massive talent.
-
Nov 13, 2024 | 
theoldie.co.uk | Harry Cluff
WH Auden’s Platonic Theory of Love
No, not in the sexless sense of the term. Quite the opposite in fact. When the world-famous poet WH Auden retired from the role of Professor of Poetry at Oxford in 1961, he was afforded enough free time to reflect rigorously on his private theories about god, reality and arguably poetry’s primary concern - the nature and meaning of romantic love.
-
Oct 21, 2024 | 
thespectator.com | Cosmo Landesman |Freddy Gray |Andrew Sullivan |Harry Cluff
When an old friend says to you, “we must meet up for lunch sometime,” you can be sure of one thing: you will never meet for lunch. Why? Because your friendship is over. The clue is in the word “sometime.” It’s a rain check that never gets cashed. It’s what friends say to each other when they feel obliged to see a friend they don’t really want to see — but they don’t want to dump either.
-
Sep 24, 2024 | 
theoldie.co.uk | Harry Cluff
On the afternoon of the 27th July, 1946, the Chief Prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trial, Sir Hartley Shawcross concluded his epic arraignment against what remained of the Nazis high command. The group of largely unrepentant defendants sat, some stolidly, some stupefied, in the dock and with disturbing insouciance listened to the urbane English lawyer as he methodically laid waste to their evil philosophy.
-
Sep 12, 2024 | 
thespectator.com | Simon Parkin |Bryan Appleyard |Paul F Kildea |Harry Cluff
Even before the 872-day long siege ended, both survivors and onlookers had already begun to refer to Leningrad — formerly and currently known as St. Petersburg — as a city of heroes. Tales of bravery and self-sacrifice were enshrined in memorials, histories and memoirs, which between 1945 and 1991 were published in the Soviet Union at an average rate of one per day.
-
Sep 12, 2024 | 
thespectator.com | Harry Cluff |Christopher Howse |Alexandra Coghlan |Travis Elborough
Late one January night in 1945, a young black man stumbled drunkenly toward Broad Street Station in Philadelphia. He was exhausted after playing a long set in a grotty club half a mile away. The naturally nervous musician often used alcohol to settle his unbearable over-excitements and debilitating despairs. On this occasion he had one too many. His awkward gait caught the attention of two policemen.
-
Sep 12, 2024 | 
flipboard.com | Harry Cluff
Walt Disney Company1 hour ago‘Inside Out 2’ Sets Disney+ Premiere DateDeadline - Matt Grobar • 1hPixar‘s Inside Out 2 is set to begin streaming on Disney+ on September 25, the studio announced via its social media channels on Thursday. The film …SoundbarNowOne of the best-value soundbars I've tested delivers glorious sound for any movie or TV showZDNET - Jack Wallen • 32mFrom my testing, the Yamaha True X Bar is worthy of all the film and TV you can toss its way.
-
Aug 19, 2024 | 
thespectator.com | Harry Cluff |Amber Duke |Jonathan Spyer |Laurie Graham
As Enoch Powell pointed out, “all political careers end in failure.” More often than not, those failures are self-inflicted. Without Partygate, for example, Boris Johnson might still be Britain’s prime minister. Although the debacle may not have been the final nail in his professional coffin, it certainly arranged the wake. His fans and critics alike were infuriated by the idea of public servants living it up while the rest of the nation was locked down during Covid in May 2020.
-
Aug 19, 2024 | 
thespectator.com | Damian Thompson |Christopher Bray |Justin Marozzi |Harry Cluff
The Hollywood adaptation of Conclave, Robert Harris’s thriller about a conspiracy to rig a papal election, won’t be in cinemas until November. But judging by the trailer released this summer, its starry cast, crafty plot and spectacular cinematography — jets of smoke scattering cardinals as an explosion shatters the Sistine Chapel — will instantly erase memories of The Two Popes, Netflix’s risible Oscar-nominated fantasy in which Benedict XVI secretly chooses Cardinal Bergoglio as his successor.
-
Aug 17, 2024 | 
theoldie.co.uk | Harry Cluff
This week marks the 346th anniversary of the poet Andrew Marvell’s death. He was but one bright star in a vast constellation of English poets who wrote exquisite verses throughout the Stuart and Interregnum periods. He lived during a time of great upheaval and extraordinary social and political transformation, but he managed to maintain his individuality throughout. Some ancient sage (Diogenes, I think) was asked what makes a person a philosopher.
