Hanukkah Ends, but the Sanctuary Lamp Is Eternal
“Light my fire,” God tells Moses, “and keep it lit.” That’s my dynamic-equivalence translation of Bible passages — Exodus 25 and 27, Leviticus 24 — that form the basis for ...
Books, Arts & Manners
Incompetent Vice Swings at Dick Cheney and Misses
When it comes to conservatives, anything goes.
Scandinavian Art at the Phillips: Wild, and Wildly Diverse
Norse myth, nature mysticism, and modern camp defy cliché in Nordic Impressions.
Two Ladies of the Southern Pantheon: Flannery O’Connor and Caroline Gordon
Newly released letters between the writers chronicle marital woes, mystical insights, and excellent editing advice.
Turning Japanese
The growing number of disaffected Westerners who seek the secret to a fulfilled life in other cultures are bound to be disappointed.
Nézet-Séguin Impresses in His Met Debut, with La Traviata
Under his baton, the glorious music made up for so-so staging and ugly costumes.
The American Film Institute’s Terrible Top Ten of 2018
In a rush to bad judgment, they heap praise on propaganda and scorn on moviegoers.
Vox Lux Paints a Portrait of the Artist as America’s Soul
A shooting victim hurtles toward pop stardom and self-destruction, while hanging on to hope.
Beautiful Boy Gloms On to a Social Dilemma
Cushy affluence is the real drug of choice in this sentimental tour through yuppie woes in the Bay Area.
The Met’s Imprudent Expansion Plans
No museum can or should be all things to all people.