A culture critic reflects on the limits of language -- and the magic of silence
Pulitzer Prize-winning New Yorker writer Hilton Als says we "don't actually have much silence left" in our world. His latest exhibition challenges the way we see art, identity and storytelling.
Emmy-Nominated 'Watchmen' Writer Explores Generational Trauma And Racism
Cord Jefferson wrote the episode of the HBO superhero series in which the main character goes back in time and to relive the trauma of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre. Originally broadcast Aug. 13, 2020.
Country Singer Marty Stuart Plays Songs Of Sin And Redemption
The Grammy winning singer-songwriter started out in Lester Flatt's band. Now he's being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Stuart played some of his own music in this 2014 interview.
French-Canadian Clarinetist François Houle Bridges The Border With 'RECODER'
An improviser well-versed in modern jazz, Houle often works with international collaborators in all sorts of settings. His latest album features music from a half-Canadian, half-American quartet.
'Ratched' Gives A First Name — And A Backstory — To The Iconic 'Cuckoo's Nest' Nurse
Violence and humor create a complicated character arc in a Netflix series that serves as a prequel, of sorts, to Ken Kesey's famed novel. Sarah Paulson gives a star turn as Mildred, AKA Nurse Ratched.
'Homeland Elegies' Novelist Reflects On Homesickness And The Immigrant Experience
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar centers his new novel on a Muslim man who, like Akhtar, is the son of Pakistani immigrants living in Wisconsin.
The Happy Fits Deliver Fresh And Snappy Pop On 'What Could Be Better'
The musical trio met in college and are now making some of the catchiest tunes around. Their sound features a guitarist, a drummer and one lead singer — who's also a classically trained cellist.
Charlie Kaufman's 'I'm Thinking Of Ending Things' Is A Wildly Inventive Comic Thriller
The relationship at the center of Kaufman's new Netflix film might not be long for the world, but the main characters are nevertheless awfully hard to get out of your mind.