https://www.csmonitor.comCoverage of arts and culture from The Christian Science Monitor.https://images.csmonitor.com/csm/2024/04/1172291_2_csmlogo_feed_250x30_standard.pnghttps://www.csmonitor.comChristian Science Monitor. All rights reserved.300en-usSat, 06 Jun 2026 01:05:02 EDThttps://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2026/0605/ukraine-war-volunteer-bravery-european-values?icid=rssde820c5db24eb6e0a8e9dc2906b9b38cAnastasia Fomitchova left her life in Paris to join the fight for her native Ukraine. She was inspired to write a book about the bravery and unflinching humanity of those she served alongside as a medic. Her message to Europeans: It’s their war, too.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 16:17:27 EDTHoward LaFranchihttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/2026/0603/nba-knicks-spurs-wemby?icid=rss31b50b5dd731a6a00a18b84e9eb9e3e8San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama is showing emotional maturity beyond his years as he seeks his first NBA title.Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:21:51 EDTKen Makinhttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Books/2026/0602/maggie-ofarrell-land?icid=rss9eabfa86fca307542ef22d84e046fe3b“Land,” Maggie O’Farrell’s 10th novel, burrows into her family’s past, and into the history of their patch of Ireland, with sensitivity and grace.Tue, 02 Jun 2026 15:17:37 EDTHeller McAlpinhttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Books/2026/0601/shaun-ossei-owusu-law-on-trial?icid=rss3a8aa21e9bb7380af77490b6c7dd4a5eLaw professor Shaun Ossei-Owusu dissects the shortcomings of the American legal system and holds it to a fairer, more humane standard.Mon, 01 Jun 2026 06:00:09 EDTTerry W. Hartlehttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Books/2026/0528/torched-jonathan-vigliotti?icid=rss71d0c5084bb755a39e299348679a20b0“Torched” offers a reporter’s keen take on an evolving story, analyzing breakdowns in public safety systems and placing the Pacific Palisades blaze into larger context.Thu, 28 May 2026 12:02:34 EDTApril Austinhttps://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2026/0522/phoenix-library-gaza-war-rebuilding-omar-hamad?icid=rssaaa250ffee4529425f148cbf5175c665Opened April 2026, the Phoenix Library in Gaza City is rebuilding a culture of reading with books salvaged from more than two years of destruction.Fri, 22 May 2026 10:56:15 EDTGhada Abdulfattahhttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Books/2026/0521/victor-mallet-far-right-france-bardella?icid=rssdf2a5807313bec1a4dc8e5ce623d8158In a Q&A, Victor Mallet, author of “Far-Right France,” talks about changes in French politics, and voter embrace of a party long considered outside the mainstream.Thu, 21 May 2026 14:12:24 EDTColette Davidsonhttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/2026/0520/stephen-colbert-trump-comedy?icid=rss0982c0c0a197cf8af7e3e064c84abbfcThe demise of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” raises questions of whether humor can bring together a polarized nation.Wed, 20 May 2026 13:24:46 EDTStephen Humphrieshttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Books/2026/0515/best-may-books-fiction-nonfiction?icid=rssfff1ec9c360e87723f4bc9a9008bad13Historical anniversaries share space with satisfying mysteries and far-flung, imagination-stretching novels in our roundup of May’s best reads.Fri, 15 May 2026 13:14:39 EDTMonitor reviewershttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Books/2026/0512/transcription-ben-lerner-memory-authenticity-tech?icid=rsse8c759e87cbd0287d98400ae3c3339a7Ben Lerner’s noteworthy novel explores tech’s impositions on memory, history, and relationships.Tue, 12 May 2026 12:24:17 EDTJoan Gaylordhttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Movies/2026/0507/The-Sheep-Detectives-is-a-tender-fable-wrapped-in-a-murder-mystery?icid=rssa9dd120570630c80cc876e8497fe7ee1"The Sheep Detectives" could have been just a funny fable about sheep searching for their shepherd's killer. Our reviewer says tenderness and melancholy elevate it.Thu, 07 May 2026 15:00:10 EDTPeter Rainerhttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Books/2026/0504/declaration-of-independence-news-emily-sneff?icid=rss3d9f104b8819faf1e89264bef2f77bd3How did the American colonists separate fact from fiction? It wasn’t easy, explains Emily Sneff in “When the Declaration of Independence Was News.”Mon, 04 May 2026 11:22:58 EDTScott Baldaufhttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Books/2026/0428/the-westerners-megan-kate-nelson?icid=rss86fe674781f2aff94106822b5fc98204Men like Kit Carson captured fame, but the West was also shaped by Black men, Chinese and Hispanic women, and a Cheyenne chief.Tue, 28 Apr 2026 16:13:12 EDTBarbara Spindelhttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Books/2026/0421/jayne-anne-phillips-small-town-girls?icid=rss24a73bd3cceedba29287ff4636b27ad8In “Small Town Girls,” Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jayne Anne Phillips taps her deep connection to West Virginia and the rural life that infuses her writing.Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:07:16 EDTHeller McAlpinhttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Books/2026/0417/best-books-april-2026?icid=rss37468d585a2a090f9071494adb6915e5April’s top nonfiction titles include a revelatory take on Lewis and Clark’s expedition, while fiction favorites cover the latest from Tana French and Ben Lerner.Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:54:53 EDTMonitor reviewershttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Movies/2026/0417/lorne-michaels-documentary-snl?icid=rss653a4421a8f3e9ccce61520672409313Lorne Michaels, the creator and longtime producer of “Saturday Night Live,” is the subject of a new documentary promising unprecedented access.Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:33:21 EDTPeter Rainerhttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Books/2026/0416/seydou-keita-tactile-lens-photographer-african-gaze?icid=rssa4066b514ff87b89cb78356f6e0abe00Self-taught portraitist Seydou Keïta introduced “the African gaze” during a time of transition for the continent. A catalog celebrates his artistry.Thu, 16 Apr 2026 08:02:11 EDTCarol Stricklandhttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Books/2026/0414/the-lost-book-of-elizabeth-barton-jennifer-brown?icid=rsse96783deb774ebc1477b73a0afa7ad53Hailed as a prophet, Elizabeth Barton railed against King Henry VIII and his plan to break with the pope in Rome and form his own church.Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:32:50 EDTElizabeth Tooheyhttps://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2026/0413/immigration-president-lincoln-holzer?icid=rss197e6bcb9b6b23e4d12137a30d294c5aPresident Abraham Lincoln had a mixed record on immigration, but championed newcomers’ “right to rise.”Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:00:09 EDTSarah Matusekhttps://www.csmonitor.com/Arts-Culture/Books/2026/0410/judy-blume-biography-mark-oppenheimer?icid=rss0cefd33fff3f3d572ca6aced223ff9d5A new book illuminates the prolific author’s life, work, and fame. Her frankness made her a lightning rod.Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:56:55 EDTBarbara Spindel