While the show’s depiction of religion isn’t exactly robust, it is sincere, and—just as importantly—belief is never the punchline.
Elyse Durham
Elyse Durham is the author of the novel Maya & Natasha, forthcoming from Mariner/HarperCollins in February 2025. She lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan with her husband.
Posted inArts & Culture, Film
Oscar winner ‘Anora’: The Cinderella story that wasn’t
At its heart, “Anora” is a film about loneliness.
Posted inArts & Culture, Film
In ‘Priscilla,’ Elvis’s twisted love shows what marriage is—and isn’t—for
There’s much more to this story than glamour. At its heart, “Priscilla” is about a woman lost in a twisted marriage.
Posted inArts & Culture, Television
‘Abbott Elementary’ is a show about vocation — and the tenacity teaching requires
‘Abbott Elementary’ manages to be both hilarious and honest about life in the classroom.
Posted inArts & Culture, Music
Andrew Bird sings good news for a hurting America
On his new album, Andrew Bird takes a hard look at the ills of contemporary America and wonders how on earth we got here.
Posted inArts & Culture, Film
Wes Anderson’s ‘The French Dispatch’ is the nostalgic film we need 2 years into the Covid-19 pandemic
Perhaps this is why Wes Anderson’s work resounds so strongly: We all long for homes to which we cannot return.
Posted inArts & Culture, Music
Mandolinist and singer-songwriter Chris Thile writes psalms for those who struggle to believe — or belong
In “Laysongs,” mandolinist Chris Thile lays theatrics and sea captains aside and sings simply and honestly about his struggle to believe.
Posted inArts & Culture, Film
Like saints and poets, Frederick Wiseman looks at life moment by moment
Frederick Wiseman’s patient, deliberate lens into everyday life reveals glory in the mundane.
Posted inArts & Culture, Ideas
I had Covid-19. Ballet renewed my faith in the human body.
To a world in upheaval, ballet is an emblem of calmer times.
Posted inArts & Culture, Film
What Greta Gerwig’s new take on ‘Little Women’ teaches us about death
‘Little Women’ reminds us that death, despite its inevitability, is not permanent. It’s as temporary as falling asleep on a train.