A formal tribute to the death of a fellow poet cannot, in the end, restrain its passionAn Epitaph on the Death of Nicholas GrimaldBehold this fleeting world, how all things fade, 
How every thing doth pass and wear away; 
Each state of life, by common course and trade, 
Abides no time, but hath a passing day. 
For look, as life, that pleasant dame,...

Cannes film festival Close attention is required for this sombre but impressive Taiwanese feature debut about exploited illegal staff, and their patients and gangmastersTaiwan-based Wei Liang Chiang and You Qiao Yin have made this feature directing debut in the Directors’ Fortnight selection at Cannes. It evokes an almost Zen state of suffering and...

A new docuseries traces the highs and lows of the Memphis record label, soaring with major acts like Otis Redding and Isaac Hayes but a victim of both capitalism and racismDuring its breakout phase in the mid-1960s, Stax Records seemed to be soaring. The small company from Memphis managed to score huge, international hits with the new stars it introduced,...

A French cartoonist has doubts about her boyfriend in Mirion Malle’s third book in English, a striking hymn to women and solidarityEnter the Faber/Observer/Graphica graphic short story prize 2024I always read the acknowledgments first – is there anyone who doesn’t? – and thanks to this, I came to So Long Sad Love by the French-born, Canada-based cartoonist...

Alternative music event series Death of Classical invites small groups to witness one-of-a-kind performances at crypts, catacombs and other unlikely spacesThe Church of Intercession rises on West Harlem’s vibrant 155th Street with an ornate gothic heft. A less conspicuous feature of the 110-year-old gargantuan Episcopal sanctuary is its small underground...

The Pulitzer prize-winning critic turned author identifies a polarised and unstable world and suggests solutions: embrace risk, welcome otherness and open dialogueFor more than three decades from 1983, Michiko Kakutani was the lead book critic for the New York Times. She won a Pulitzer for her “fearless and authoritative” criticism, shorthand for an...