Horror Film 'The Sonata' Is Tuneless And Off-Key
A young violin virtuoso inherits a spooky mansion — and a Satanic piece of music — in this "dreadfully dull" film.
Arts
'Three Christs': A Too-Simple Film About The Messiah Complex
Loosely based on the story of real-life psychiatrist who treated three patients who believed themselves to be Jesus, Jon Avnet's film clings to glib Hollywood cliches about mental illness.
Tell Me A Story: What Narratives Reveal About The Mind
We live in a world of stories. They're in movies, books, and plays. They're even in the things that we buy.
'Creatures' Examines The Heartbreak Of Being Human
Crissy Van Meter's debut novel is so assured, it's hard to believe it's a debut. It's the story of a young woman dealing with her mother and her difficult family history on the eve of her wedding.
'The Gimmicks' Has Heart, But A Few Too Many Gimmicks
Chris McCormick's new novel layers the glitz and artifice of pro wrestling over a wrenching tale of two Armenian cousins whose involvement with a militant Armenian liberation group goes badly awry.
'American Oligarchs' Reveals How Trump, Kushner Families Learned To Work The System
Author Andrea Bernstein says Donald Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, have benefited from family connections — and the influence of money in politics.
John Baldessari, Conceptual Art Pioneer, Has Died
Artist John Baldessari died last Thursday at his home in Venice, Calif. The artist helped shape not just a movement — conceptual art — but the LA art scene itself. He was 88.
New Collection Celebrates Jean Stafford, A Gifted Novelist Who Deserved Better
Stafford is often remembered as wife No. 1 in the many biographies and studies of poet Robert Lowell. But a new Library of America edition of her three novels showcases her masterful writing.
The Emoji Designer Who's Bringing African Culture To Smartphone Keyboards
O'Plerou Grebet, a graphic design student from Ivory Coast, created over 360 emojis depicting different facets of African life, from the djembe drum to a henna-dyed hand.