Ryu Spaeth

@RyuSpaeth

Jean Giono’s short, unclassifiable book is an ode to "Moby-Dick" and the power of literature to command empathy.

Notes from the end of the world as we know it.

The death of Chris Cornell and the 25th anniversary of the movie "Singles" bring a musical era into focus.

Minae Mizumura's "Inheritance From Mother" takes on aging, family, and Japan's complicated relationship with the West.

When we assess the reputation of a great man, can we still prioritize the work over the life?

I never expected to see people like myself in positions of power. Then Obama came along.

Burhan Ozbilici's photo of the assassination of Andrey Karlov captures our unraveling moment.

Donald Trump drowned out nearly every cultural event in 2016. And it’s only going to get worse.

The forces that led to Donald Trump's election eclipse any single person.

Donald Trump's election is a rejection of everything the president stands for, racial progress above all.

In the wake of his latest controversy, Republicans are trying to distance themselves from Donald Trump. It is far too little, too late.

Alice Kaplan’s new book, "Looking for 'The Stranger,'" explores Albert Camus’s fraught relationship with his Algerian homeland.

A five-hour Japanese movie reflects a growing desire for entertainment that moves at the pace of life.

The outrage prompted by her role in "Ghost in the Shell" simplifies Japan and America’s long history of mutual appropriation.

In the fifth volume of “My Struggle,” contemporary Norway comes into view at last.

With 'Louder Than Bombs,' the Norwegian director brings his studies in alienation to America.

Does Herman Melville’s classic make sense in the internet age?