The fact that we live in a fast-paced and technologically advanced society becomes more apparent with each passing year. However, there are still some areas of the globe where the allure of creative thinking and the celebration of art—particularly, literature—is still a priority. Bibliophiles: take note!
We could all use a little bit of beauty right about now, couldn’t we? Take some time out of your day to bask in the sheer cinematic sumptuousness of the latest music video by Polish composer and pianist Hania Rani, who creates enthralling worlds with her singular sound.
There are a select few who know the pains (both physical and mental) associated with prolonged periods of isolation. Astronauts like Scott Kelly, who spent time on the International Space Station, and D. Marshall Porterfield, NASA’s former Space Life and Physical Sciences Division Director, are all too familiar with the concept of coping with a life spent, periodically, at arm’s length (or longer). Here are some tips on how to live with those overwhelming feelings of loneliness—straight from the experts.
If you are short on things to do during your period of quarantine, The Getty has a challenge for you. The Los Angeles Museum has been encouraging its isolated subscribers to take a break and recreate some of the classic works of art found in its online collection.
Born in 1875 on the rugged Caribbean island of Martinique, Ludger Sylbaris led a roguish, if uneventful, life of crime and debauchery. Petty thievery, drunken stupors, fisticuffs with local merchants—Ludger earned a well-deserved reputation as being the island’s bad egg. So how did this nefarious character earn his claim to fame?
During this uncertain time, stories of human survival—especially in times of sheer hopelessness—can provide an uplifting swell throughout long periods of tedium and fear. This one, in particular, redefines the term: perseverance.
Many of us are currently sequestered indoors, away from our invigorating and purpose-driven routines. It can be argued that those who are confined with others, like roommates, family, or friends, are lucky in that they are at least allowed to engage in conversation with others and aren’t made to struggle with complete loneliness. Wherever you are, you should know that there are benefits to being alone. And, of course, some drawbacks.
Nestled deep in the hidden valleys of Yunnan, China, east of the Himalayas and abutting the blue waters of Lugu Lake, sits a community of inhabitants known as the Mosuo people. And like most members of this community, they collectively share several similarities—traits, ideals, morals, beliefs. What sets this group apart from the rest of their mainland counterparts is their surprisingly modern approach to Chinese tradition. In this mysterious and unspoiled region, known as the “Kingdom of Women,” men take a backseat.
In the quaint Romanian town of Săpânţa, the local Merry Cemetery features a colorful tableau of more than 800 grave markers that manage to elicit emotions that are uncharacteristic of traditional burial grounds. Somber slate and graphite mounds are replaced with colorful wooden crosses—each depicting, in almost playful detail, the life and death of each of the town’s former residents.
The Spanish Flu wreaked havoc on an unsuspecting audience between the years of 1918 and 1919. While flu viruses are common, this particular strain proved deadly—and was an eerie foreshadowing of things to come.
