I just spent half an hour reading all of the reasons that Dr. David Banner turned into the Hulk on the television show The Incredible Hulk. My favorite: the time he tried to help a midget wrestler in the ring and ended up getting clobbered. That made Hulk angry. But…
Art has embraced digital technology more and more in the past 20 years in many new and inventive ways. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t still something to be said for handcrafted art done the old-fashioned way: I have an friend that creates the most complex and interesting pieces via…
To say that digital art is a trend would be an oversimplification. With Kristin Lucas’ work on display at the And/Or, and artists such as Miranda July and Sandro Bocola gaining more and more attention for their digital pieces, it’s tempting to think that art is going through a phase…
The world’s fascination with Anne Frank, nearly 60 years after her death, can probably be explained by one quote: “In spite of everything, I still believe people are really good at heart.” Anne Frank wrote that in her diaries after giving up her childhood to live in hiding from the…
Jimmy Carter is not the sexiest ex-president. He’s quiet, a little mousy and he stays out of the spotlight for the most part. While Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush have stood for every possible photo opportunity in the years since their presidency, Carter has calmly reached out to world…
The rodeo is a quintessential, stereotypical Texan activity—one that I’m not really going to pretend to understand. Fort Worth is actually built around the event, with the stockyards remaining a big part of the town’s infrastructure. Countless films and books have been valentines to the lifestyle of the rodeo, as…
In a simpler time, long before musicians stole bass lines and choruses from Sting to create hooks, there was doo-wop. The vocal style was popular in the ’50s and ’60s and was characterized by its signature harmonies—sometimes including the syllables “doo-wop.” Pull up The Five Satins’ “In the Still of…
Last spring, a friend invited me to a screening of a documentary about legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, the man behind The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. I expected Coppola—who was present for the screening—to be a larger-than-life figure, so when they introduced him, we were shocked that the man sitting…
The word diva evokes a number of celebrity prima donnas: Jennifer Lopez, Diana Ross, Barbara Streisand, Clay Aiken. It’s not supposed to be an endearing term—it’s a near epithet for a fussy, self-possessed woman whose backstage rider demands room-temperature Evian for her dog and white couches with tuberose Diptyque candles…
Jay Leno is a hack. Carson Daly is an infuriatingly milquetoast waste of space. Conan and Dave, I can live with. But my late-night loyalties truly belong to Craig Ferguson. He’s got every quality I look for in a man: He’s got a lyrical Scottish brogue, he’s literate, he’s hot,…
The 16-year-old version of myself must hate me right now. I’ve broken so many promises, forgotten so many credos and I never got the chance to marry Michael Hutchence. But now that I have committed the ultimate sin against my teenage convictions, I’m not sure I can ever win her…
There’s no getting around it: The Rape of Europa is not a cheerful holiday flick. It’s more of a historical odyssey, tracing the plight of countless works of art looted by the Nazis during World War II. Some were lost, some were destroyed, many are still in limbo. While most…
I always wondered about the veracity of stories about kids who ran away from home to join the circus. To me, the circus sounds like a terrible way of life—all trailers, animal manure and creepy clowns. I see the appeal, though, on an abstract level. It’s all about contorting reality…
Brian Gibb has a dream. From cobbling together random blogs, interviews and press releases, it seems that Mr. Gibb really, really wants you to like art. Or maybe not even like it, but appreciate it. Or at least go see it. Gibb has a vested interest in your interest in…
Gaston Lachaise would have hated Dallas. Going to a party in Dallas, or even traipsing through NorthPark, you encounter enough sculpted, anorexic women to completely turn your concept of normal body image on its head. However, Lachaise’s ideal body image is the complete opposite of the ideal Dallas woman. That’s…
For Valentine’s Day, you probably get roses. Roses are a lovely gift; they’re traditional, beautiful, fragrant…the list goes on. So don’t get me wrong—I love roses. They are in no way an Oscar-nominated screenplay, though. That’s what Marsha Mason got from her husband, Neil Simon, for Valentine’s Day. He even…
Ah, Bob Dylan. There is little doubt that he is one of the most influential musicians in popular music history. But no matter how brilliant his songs are, there are few of us that can stand to listen to him sing them anymore. It’s downright painful, really, and I consider…
Remember the days when you would shuffle into a school cafeteria, arrange yourself on those weird carpeted rafter things and sing your little off-key heart out to “Jingle Bell Rock” for the benefit of the PTA? Those were the good old days, when the Jewish kids had to sing “Silent…
Doubtless, with the Christmas holidays coming up, you are scrambling to find activities to keep your kiddos busy while they’re out of school. You’ll want to find the right balance of arts and crafts activities, cultural outings and Guitar Hero II, I’m sure, so let me make a suggestion: glassblowing…
It’s that time of year again. Everyone is festive and cheerful. Celebrations are aplenty. The days are merry and bright. And everyone is waiting for the arrival of a kindly older man…in a pinstriped suit. God bless you, Tim Gunn. Project Runway is back. And as we all gather around…
It struck me a few weeks ago that I’d never been to the opera. After spending half my life living in a town where culture meant a tour stop by Jeff Foxworthy, I decided to take advantage of the more highbrow offerings afforded by big-city livin’ and bought a couple…
Wes Anderson tends to be a polarizing figure in film…like Roman Polanski without the felony. I’ve seen folks walk out of his films in frustration, while others sit through the credits all misty-eyed. Many people find his films lush and easy to connect to, while some feel his work is…
