“Invisible Cities” by Italo Calvino  — Alexa Donovan, Arts Editor  “Cities, like dreams, are made of desires and fears, even if the thread of their discourse...

Poetry is a space to experiment with language — communications through this medium enables deeper emotional expression. This National Poetry Month, if you are looking to be inspired,...

On March 27, President Donald Trump signed yet another executive order with a deceptively benign title: “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” What this order actually...

In this world, it’s not always clear who’s a good guy and who’s a villain. Even when it is, sometimes being bad just feels right. This April, we’re honoring our favorite...

“Self-Help” by Lorrie Moore Lorrie Moore’s short story collection “Self-Help” made me truly appreciate the art of prose. Looking into the lives of various women going...

Instead of “kiss me, I’m Irish,” this St. Patrick’s Day, the WSN Arts Desk presents you with “consume me, I’m Irish media.”  “The Bee Sting” by Paul Murray Filled...

“The Painted Word” by Tom Wolfe Famed journalist Tom Wolfe, known for his flamboyant and eclectic writing style, manages to both take down and praise the New York...

March is a wonderful month — the flowers start to bloom, the sun gets a little bit stronger and we honor the trailblazing female activists of history. Even if Women’s History...

During all open hours, hoards of people crowd in front of Vincent van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” in the Museum of Modern Art, impatiently waiting for their turn to take...

This semester, I signed up for an advanced art history seminar all about the life and work of renowned French filmmaker Agnès Varda. I didn’t know much about her, but I always...

Happy Valentine’s Day from the Arts Desk! If you’re a cynic like most of us, Valentine’s Day is just another Friday in February. Therefore, here are some anti-lovey media...

“The White Album” by Joan Didion “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” I have been praying at the altar of Joan Didion since I was a melancholic...

“Foster” by Claire Keegan “And that is when he puts his arms around me and gathers me into them as though I were his own.” “Foster,” a short little book by...

The light at the end of a grueling, dark fall semester is a winter break free from academic responsibilities — and there’s no better replacement for lecture halls than a good...

As we settle into the beginning of a new semester in this freezing cold weather, it’s important that we take the time to practice self-care. While the beginning of the semester...

As the snow falls — but certainly does not stick — and holiday decor pops up along the streets of New York City, our lives feel a little bit more magical. As we all get older,...

“On Womanhood: Bodies, Literature, Choice” by Sophie Gilbert  “But the ability to shape the narrative in our own terms is a transformative one, as so many of the subjects...

In the summer after my first year of college, I considered some of my closest friends to be the statues in the Greek and Roman Art section of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Feeling...

“Writers & Lovers” by Lily King “There’s a particular feeling in your body when something goes right after a long time of things going wrong. It feels warm and...

The Democrats have severely underestimated the power of the insecure white man.  — Yezen Saadah, Editor-in-Chief To the women from our grandmothers’ generation and to the...

Nov. 5 is Election Day in the United States, and we at the Arts Desk implore you to vote. Politics and art have always been intrinsically intertwined and oftentimes ignite each...

“Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder” by Salman Rushdie “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder” is a short memoir recounting the immediate aftermath...

“Hot, Cold, Heavy, Light, 100 Art Writings 1988-2018” by Peter Schjeldahl “Schjeldahl has enriched the sensibilities of several generations by narrating his own process...

Warning: This review contains spoilers.  I don’t really watch TV, but when my 84-year-old grandfather called me to tell me to watch “Nobody Wants This,” I figured I should...

Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, Oklahoma revived a law that made abortion illegal except when it is “necessary to preserve” the life of the pregnant person....

“Red” by John Logan “When I was your age, art was a lonely thing: no galleries, no collecting, no critics, no money. We didn't have mentors. We didn't have parents. We...

BOO! It’s the Arts Desk. We’re back with some particularly spooky recommendations as October kicks off. Whether you’re an avid hater of the holiday and will spend the entirety...

I have been eagerly waiting to read “Blue Sisters” by Coco Mellors since early May, when I asked a bookseller at McNally Jackson Books if a copy could be held for me. The book...

“Martyr!” by Kaveh Akbar “Martyr!” by Kaveh Akbar tells the story of Cyrus Shams, a first-generation Iranian immigrant struggling with sobriety and grief while living...

“Peggy” by Rebecca Godfrey with Leslie Jamison Before reading "Peggy," I imagined the glamorous art collector Peggy Guggenheim in a luxurious caftan, sitting at her waterfront...

With rested minds and lingering tan lines, the summer ends and the school year begins once again. New classes mean new professors, a new workload and new expectations. If you get...

The endless summer is coming to an end, and with autumn comes our favorite fall media. Maybe you are a sweater weather enthusiast restarting “Gilmore Girls” for the 10th time,...

New York City has a plethora of art offerings — there’s something to see, listen to or watch at every turn. The endless options can be overwhelming, especially at the start...

The days are getting longer and the heat is turning up. Most of us have nearly finished our classes this semester and are fighting our way through final exams. But there is...

“Playing to the Gallery: Helping Contemporary Art in Its Struggle to Be Understood” by Grayson Perry — Alexa Donovan, Deputy Arts Editor My copy of “Playing to...

(Alexa Donovan for WSN)

“The Bee Sting” by Paul Murray — Emily Genova, Deputy Managing Editor  This nearly 700-page novel follows an Irish family as they reckon with a failing family-run...

There’s nothing more exciting than the first day the weather is warm enough to head to the park, bask in the sun and finally get lost in a good book. It’s important to pick...

While we love to revel in the world of pretentious high-brow art, there is no better feeling than drowning yourself in a sea of pop-culture trash. Sometimes we find the most comfort...

From a piano playing itself in a dark room to pastel buoys suspended over a pile of rope and lobster traps, the 81st Whitney Biennial: Even Better Than the Real Thing invites viewers...

“A Life of One's Own: Nine Women Writers Begin Again” by Joanna Biggs  — Alexa Donovan, Deputy Arts Editor Mixing memoir with biography, Joanna Biggs seeks to understand...

“They’re Going to Love You” by Meg Howrey — Alexa Donovan, Deputy Arts Editor The night I began reading “They’re going to Love You” by Meg Howrey, I knew...

The greatest part of March — besides the warming weather — is that it celebrates women. It creates a space to go back in time and highlight powerful women in history who were...

There’s a new purple banner flying in the East Village, marking NYU’s recently relocated Grey Art Museum. The museum, formerly the Grey Art Gallery and located on Washington...

Behind large glass doors directly opposite to the Jewish Museum’s entrance, Marta Minujín’s gigantic mattress sculpture “Intertwined Concepts” invites viewers into her...

“Don’t Forget to Call Your Mother” is now on view at The Met through Sept. 15. (Alexa Donovan for WSN)

“Breasts and Eggs” by Mieko Kawakami — Alexa Donovan, Deputy Arts Editor At first, I felt silly reading a book called “Breasts and Eggs” on a crowded subway —...

“Happy Hour” by Marlowe Granados — Alexa Donovan, Deputy Arts Editor New York in the summer has a particular feeling to it. The feeling may just be one of thick,...

Whether you’re excited for or dreading Valentine’s Day, we at the Arts Desk have compiled a wide range of romance-related media to get you through the holiday. We’ve got...

For many students, our first taste of New York City was through the silver screen. Whether it was watching the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man trample through Midtown or Meg Ryan climax...

“Daughter” by Claudia Dey  — Alexa Donovan, Deputy Arts Editor  I am absolutely certain about only a few things in life, but one thing I am sure of is this: when...

“Thirst for Salt” by Madelaine Lucas — Alexa Donovan, Deputy Arts Editor “It’s in the water where she first sees him,” reads the blurb of “Thirst for Salt”...

The final stretch of the year is both cherished and chaotic with its never-ending festivities. Before you gorge yourself on Christmas cookies or get tipsy on spiked eggnog, though,...

On giving gifts Krish Dev — Deputy News Editor  Whenever I have to buy gifts for the holidays, I feel like I am walking on a tightrope — it’s a delicate balance between...

“Penance” by Eliza Clark — Emily Genova, Copy Chief “Penance” is a dream read for those who love true crime podcasts. The novel centers around the night that...

With banana hands holding up boobs, shrimp-printed jeans, dress-patterned dresses and hand-painted gowns, “Mood of the moment: Gaby Aghion and the house of Chloé” is the museum...

If you couldn’t tell, we had a little trouble coming up with a theme for this month’s staff recs. November is a strange month, awkwardly sandwiched between two of our favorite...

“Stay True: A Memoir” by Hua Hsu  — Krish Dev, Deputy News Editor In his personal essay for The New Yorker, “My Dad and Kurt Cobain,” Hua Hsu discusses his experience...

Trick or treat from WSN’s Arts Desk! We can’t give you candy, but we can give you something even more delicious — our Halloween-themed favorites.  In case you haven’t...

On the morning of his exhibition opening, artist Joe Fig told me that “Seeing is like a superpower.” Fig and I sat in the middle of the light and airy main gallery space and...

We know what the first days of school are like. Whether you’re a first-year trying to navigate living in New York City for the first time or an overwrought senior ready to wrap...

Going to a rigorous college in New York City can be challenging, but I’ve learned certain things that have made the transition easier. College can be fun, academically challenging...

It is hard to miss the Cecily Brown exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; its advertising banner creates a stark contrast of color on the colossal and ornate building on...

The most recent exhibit at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology emphasizes the bridge between high fashion and interior design. Drawn from the museum’s permanent...

The humble exterior of the Grey Art Gallery, NYU’s fine arts museum located inside the university’s Silver Center, fails to convey the beauty of the spectacular pieces of art...

In October of 1963, a 23-year-old Annie Ernaux wrote in her diary, “I am pregnant. What a nightmare," an entry later featured in her 2000 book, “Happening.” Though at the...

Women’s History Month may be ending soon, but appreciation for feminism and women’s empowerment is a year-long affair. With a storied past and thriving culture celebrating...

I like to consider myself to be one of the Carrie Bradshaws of the world. Perhaps we are not one hundred percent alike — where she falls victim to Manolo Blahniks, I fall victim...

The entire rotunda of Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is full of color and life thanks to artist Alex Katz. Katz is familiar with NYU’s surrounding...

With the holidays just around the corner and Black Friday sales starting soon, you may find yourself wondering what to get that NYU student you know and love for the holidays....

Edward Hopper’s 1945 painting “August in the City” depicts the side view of a rounded window protruding from an elegant brownstone. The urban house, adorned with yellow curtains...

I have always been more anxious than the average person. A panicker. A perfectionist. A people pleaser. I overthink, I overshare, I overexert myself.  New York City works better...

Known for creating fantastical art that expresses chaos and evokes powerful emotions, Swiss-born and Los Angeles-based artist Christina Forrer is hosting her second solo exhibition...