New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

Arts

An illustration of a blue book cover with a woman wearing a large dress with a sunset and people on it. It says “NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER PACHINKO Min Jin Lee”.

6 page-turners to get you out of a reading slump

These gripping reads are full of short chapters, fluid prose and enthralling plots, which will kick-start your reading era just in time for summer.
Lulu Chatterjee, Staff Writer April 25, 2024

“Severance” by Ling Ma “Severance,” published in August 2018, is eerily evocative of the COVID-19 pandemic that followed two years later. The book follows Candace...

An abstract line drawing of a person wearing headphones playing a guitar, in front of a pink background with blue stars.

Review: The play ‘Stereophonic’ tells the bittersweet story of a ’70s band

After originating at Playwrights Horizons, “Stereophonic” brings the raw reality of band life to Broadway.
Skylar Boilard, Contributing Writer April 25, 2024

If you like “Daisy Jones & The Six,” listen to Fleetwood Mac, have an adoration for ’70s clothing, or are just in the mood for a moving story, then “Stereophonic”...

Illustration of a blonde woman on a black and white album cover clutching her head with both hands.

Review: Taylor Swift is back, better and sooner than ever

Released two hours after the original album dropped, Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology,” proves her mastery in lyricism and a complete understanding of her sound.
Emily Genova, Deputy Managing Editor April 24, 2024

Taylor Swift fans dropped everything Thursday night to listen to the newly-released “The Tortured Poets Department,” a compilation of 65 minutes of heartbreak, angst and regret....

A film still of two men in military outfits holding guns and walking people with black bags over their heads. Behind them, a girl sits against a wall with chalk markings of pink, blue and green, wearing a black vest with the word, “PRESS” written on it.

Review: ‘Civil War’ asks viewers what kind of American they are

Alex Garland criticizes journalistic and bystander integrity in his new A24 film “Civil War.”
Bella Simonte, Contributing Writer April 24, 2024

British filmmaker Alex Garland has returned to A24 with his newest film “Civil War.” Though the title suggests otherwise, the film is less about politics and more a critique...

An illustration of an albums black-and-white cover depicts a woman crossing her arms and lying down on a bed, with the words THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT above her.

Review: ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ is a humanizing and chaotic chronicle of heartbreak

Taylor Swift continues to keep her fans on their toes with an album that peers into her mind as she rises into incomprehensible fame.
Julia Diorio, Music Editor April 22, 2024

Taylor Swift is a polarizing artist. Aside from her music, many tend to hold very passionate opinions about her life, decisions and music, especially within her relationships....

A girl pictured wearing a green sweater, dark jeans and red socks sits on the ground holding her hands together.

Review: girl in red’s ‘I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!’ freshly approaches artistic development

In dropping an album both introspective and divergent from her traditional sound, the Norwegian artist paints a journey of self-discovery that cements her creative voice.
Eleanor Jacobs, Staff Writer April 22, 2024

Do you listen to girl in red? The recent release of her second studio album serves as a prime incentive to do so and acquaint yourself with the artist. Singer-songwriter Marie...

A woman with black hair, wearing a black shirt and black leather jacket, stands in front of a gray tiled wall.

Q&A: Miki Berenyi on ‘Fingers Crossed’ and the new chapter of her life

WSN sat down with Berenyi to talk about her memoir, the impact of music as she ages and what it was like navigating the ’80s alternative music scene as a biracial woman.
Stephanie Wong, Arts Editor April 22, 2024

Best known as the frontwoman of the band Lush, Miki Berenyi was an icon of the shoegaze scene back in the ’80s and ’90s. Her red hair is instantly recognizable to any veteran...

On a bright magenta background is a neon red-headed girl in a red and black dress, black sheer tights, and black ankle boots, sitting on the ground reaching for a white teacup filled with a dark, coffee-colored liquid.

Review: ‘Fingers Crossed’ is a stripped portrait of a shoegaze icon

Miki Berenyi’s memoir, “Fingers Crossed: How Music Saved Me from Success” recounts the seasoned musician’s complicated upbringing and tumultuous journey navigating the British alternative music scene in the late ’80s to ’90s.
Stephanie Wong, Arts Editor April 19, 2024

Amid the current shoegaze resurgence brought on by nostalgia-fueled TikToks, new fans of the 30-year-old subgenre are indulging in its ethereal soundscapes by way of Cocteau Twins...

In the background is the Letterboxd website window, which shows three films in the “Popular Films This Week” category: “Dune: Part Two” “La La Land,” and “Spirited Away.” To the lower right, there is a phone screen showing the overview for the film “The First Omen.”

Inside the Boxd: ‘Monkey Man,’ ‘Dune: Part Two,’ ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ and more

Inside the Boxd is a column documenting WSN staffers’ recent film reviews on Letterboxd. Grab some popcorn and get that watchlist ready!

With roughly 10 million site-wide users in 2023, including the likes of NYU alumni Martin Scorsese and Ayo Edebiri, Letterboxd has become the premier social media platform for...

A girl wearing a white tank top and blue jeans sits on a store countertop, holding a wooden sign that reads, “Brandy Melville.”

Review: ‘Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion’ has been a long time coming

Australian documentarian Eva Orner calls for strikes and boycotts against the exploitation and overconsumption at Brandy Melville, within a larger conversation about fast-fashion culture.
Bella Simonte, Contributing Writer April 18, 2024

In the early 2000s, Brandy Melville gained traction because of its breezy, coquette-style clothing. Soon, the aesthetic turned into a stamp of approval used to brand the haves...

A screen displayed on the wall of wooden sticks in water with a mountain in the background, an art piece displayed dangling from the ceiling and a red art piece displayed on a platform.

Review: ‘Threads to the South’ explores Latin American identity through textile art

The current exhibition at the Institute for Studies on Latin American Art pays homage to Latin American artists and history.
Diana C. Sánchez González, Staff Writer April 18, 2024

“The slow turn of the spinning wheel is what makes the thread perfect,” reads written narration from Elvira Espejo Ayca’s to a 17-minute-long video where she spins, winds...

Two women wearing neutral colors are shocked as the woman in front of them flips her hair.

Review: ‘Wicked Little Letters’ spells out what it means to be kind

In “Wicked Little Letters,” handwriting isn’t the only script that denotes what it means to be a good mother, drunkard, neighbor or friend.
Liv Steinhardt, Contributing Writer April 17, 2024

Chronically bad handwriting runs in my family. When my mom and I exchange holiday cards, it becomes a race to see who can decipher whose faster. But as much as we would like to...