Category Archives: DIVERSIONS

music, movies, books, art, and culture

Why You Need to Know Cindy Sherman

These days, anyone with an Instagram account is intimately familiar with the idea of stylized self-representation. But long before “selfie” was a word and Kim Kardashian dominated the medium, Cindy Sherman was producing experimental photography using herself as the subject.

Cindy Sherman
Cindy Sherman (Photo by M. Von Holden/WireImage for Springer/Chicoine PR)

She came to prominence in the late 70s with her black-and-white series, Untitled Film Stills. In all 69 photos, a twenty-three-year-old Sherman takes on the persona of a young starlet, appropriating the look of the 8-by-10 glossy images put out by film studios in the 1940s-60s. Uncanny, surreal and completely captivating, the images show Sherman encompassing all the clichés and tropes of femininity from the big screen. They’re photos of her, but at the same time, her identity is nowhere to be found in them.

In the 35 years since then, Sherman has created an extensive body of work that, for the most part, uses her own body as a way to explore the roles women are meant to play in society. Using makeup, prostheses, costumes, and an astonishing ability to control her facial muscles, she has transformed herself into hundreds of completely unique characters. Brutal, in-your-face (pun fully intended) directness dominates her imagery whether she’s channeling an Upper East Side matriarch, 18th-century courtesan, or demented clown with melting face paint. Unlike Kardashian, Sherman doesn’t have a glam squad or assistants. She works alone in her New York City studio, applying makeup and adjusting lighting until she’s satisfied.

Cindy Sherman published by Hatje Cantz
Hatje Cantz just released, Cindy Sherman, an extensive collection of photographs from the prolific artist. As discussions of how women are portrayed in the media, the changing face of feminism and how we present ourselves through photography are trending daily, it’s the perfect time to take an in-depth look at this groundbreaking artist. Now available on Artbook, here.

(GERMANY OUT) Germany - Berlin - Kreuzberg (Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg): Martin-Gropius-Bau, retrospective of the American artist Cindy Sherman (Photo by Martin Sachse/ullstein bild via Getty Images)
(GERMANY OUT) Germany – Berlin – Kreuzberg (Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg): Martin-Gropius-Bau, retrospective of the American artist Cindy Sherman (Photo by Martin Sachse/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

7 Songs to Inspire Your Story

Some writers swear by music and others need perfect silence when creating. Whatever your writing process, these songs can help energize you, transport you to another world for a moment, and help you focus on getting your story out. Listen online before or during your writing session and feel the music move you.


 

Brave Sara Bareilles

 

“Say what you wanna say. Let the words fall out.” Sara Bareilles’ wisdom when it comes to love and bravery applies to writing, too.


 

Nothing Else Matters Metallica

 

Let everything else slip away. It’s just you, your characters and your story.


 

You and Me Penny & the Quarters

 

Ryan Gosling himself suggested that director Derek Cianfrance use this undiscovered demo track as the leitmotif in Blue Valentine. The raw vocals of Penny will make you feel all kinds of feelings.


 

Tongue Tied Grouplove

 

For when the story is on the tip of your tongue, but you need a little oomph to get the words on the page, turn on this exuberant pick-me-up.


 

Ritual Union Little Dragon

 

A writing ritual can help trigger inspiration, too.


 

What Makes a Good Man? The Heavy

 

Ask yourself questions as you write, particularly about your characters.


 

Ave Maria Céline Dion

 

And if you’re still stuck, a little divine intervention could do the trick.

Summer 2015 Album Releases

With all the new album releases this summer, we wouldn’t blame you if you found it hard to keep up. Here are some suggestions from us that are worth a listen (or ten.)

 

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful – (Indie rock)

Florence and the Machine  If you’ve missed the soulful, yet fierce voice of Florence Welch, or found yourself looping “Spectrum” and “Shake it Out” over and over again the past few years, you were probably as pumped as we were when Florence and the Machine’s How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful was released this past June.

“Ship to Wreck” has a fast-pulsing beat to shake your hips to while skillfully applying winged eyeliner. “St. Jude” has a more ethereal melody, a perfect accompaniment to a cup of morning joe.

 

Peace is the Mission – (Electronic, electro house, reggae)

Major LazerMajor Lazer’s third album was one of the hottest electronic releases of the summer. If you spent any time at a club, pool party, or around any of your house junkie friends, you undoubtedly heard “Lean On” a gazillion times, and didn’t hate it. With vocals from Danish singer/songwriter MØ, the song features reggae sounds, as is the norm for the group, although accompanied by a more relaxed vibe than may be expected for the genre.

Someone pass the mojitos, and maybe a pillow; we all need someone to lean on.

 

Beneath the Skin – (Indie pop)

Of Monsters and MenOf Monsters and Men’s second album doesn’t disappoint, but, don’t expect the same sounds we heard in My Head is an Animal. While “Little Talks” may have been on your same playlist as tracks from the Lumineers and Mumford and Sons, Beneath the Skin has a more introspective and spiritual feel.

“Crystals” has a quick tempo, with beautifully elaborate lyrics. “Organs” plays like poetry, pleasant and near brooding at the same time.

 

Films You Didn’t Know Were Books First

Looking for new books to add to your book list? Browse your library of streaming movies. You read that right. Bookstores are great for discovering new titles but sometimes it’s the silver screen that introduces you to stories worth reading. Check out this list of lesser-known books that are movies.

 

The Rules of Attraction

The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis

Plenty of dystopian college kids identified with this 2002 film about disengaged intellectuals smoking too many cigarettes. TRoA was Ellis’ second book (after his breakout novel Less Than Zero) and it continued his brand of nihilistic characters talking about indie bands and philosophers. If you enjoyed the antipathy in the movie, there are many more paragraphs of it in the book.

 


 

Madame Doubtfire

Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine

OK, maybe there can be no Mrs. Doubtfire without Robin Williams, but the lovable trans-manny character was actually the brainchild of Anne Fine and her British novel of a slightly different name published in 1987. When your streaming services run out of good movies about creative childcare, delve into the pages of this delightful novel.

 


 

Jaws

Jaws by Peter Benchley

This is one of those movies that’s a great teaser for an even better book. Benchley’s terrifying tome was based on a real-life series of shark attacks on the Jersey shore. If you enjoyed the adventure of the film, the book has even more vivid character development and, believe it or not, heightened tension.

 


 

He's Just Not That Into You

He’s Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo

This movie was a book. A self-help book. Originally meant to be a real talk dating advice manual, it took its title from an episode of Sex and the City where Behrendt was a script consultant. The movie took a humorous approach with cutting loose the players, but the book offers specific advice on finding (and holding onto) love.

 


 

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

Here’s a film adaptation with a unique twist: casting actual people from the 1994 non-fiction book. Berendt’s riveting New York Times bestseller chronicles the stories of the eccentric people he met during a stay in Savannah, Georgia. Reading like the best crime fiction, it’s one of those stories that’ll have you espousing “truth is stranger than fiction.”

10 Songs to Say Farewell to Summer

Summer officially ends later this month so we’ve compiled a list of some of the best songs of the season to ensure you get the most out of what little we have left.

 

 

  1. “This Summer’s Gonna Hurt Like a Motherf*****” by Maroon 5
  2. “California Gurls” by Katy Perry (featuring Snoop Dogg)
  3. “Soak Up the Sun“ by Sheryl Crow
  4. “Feel this Moment” by Pitbull (featuring Christina Aguilera)
  5. “Island in the Sun“ by Weezer
  6. “Steal my Sunshine” by Len
  7. “Cool for the Summer” by Demi Lovato
  8. “Cheerleader” by OMI
  9. “Summer” by Calvin Harris
  10. “Summertime Sadness” by Lana Del Rey