Articles of Note

The cross-cultural similarities of work songs and love songs suggest certain musical universals. Why do scholars find this idea so threatening?... more »

New Books

Orson Welles and the myth of the self-destructive auteur. Yes, he was difficult. But his late-career slide was less a mark of failure than of integrity... more »

Essays & Opinions

The naïveté of neuroscience. The field makes “objective” claims, but scanning Shakespeare’s brain wouldn’t bring us closer to understanding his soul... more »