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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

A middle-aged woman holding the hand of a boy in the middle of a desert.

Review: In ‘Time is a Mother,’ Ocean Vuong explores grief through the prisms of time and space

Published on April 5, 2022, Ocean Vuong’s new collection of writing situates the death of his mother within the remnants of memory and the potential of language.
Katherine Williams, Contributing Writer May 2, 2022

“I used to cry in a genre no one read,” Ocean Vuong writes in “Time is a Mother,” his most recent collection of poetry and prose. One of the most critically acclaimed contemporary...

An illustration of a computer on a bed covered with a blue blanket. The computer’s screen displays light blue mountains. Next to the computer is a small teacup.

Off the Radar: ‘Woman in the Dunes,’ a twinge of horror in the eyes of monotony

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Woman in the Dunes” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Amira Aboudallah, Contributing Writer April 29, 2022

“Woman in the Dunes” (1964), directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara, is a tale confined to a pit in a sand dune. Amateur entomologist Niki Junpei (Eiji Okada) is on the hunt for a...

Will Wood wants to be authentic, whatever it takes

Avant-pop musician Will Wood talked with WSN about the perils of social media, his upcoming album, “In Case I Make It,” and how his mental health has shaped his music.
Caitlin Hsu, UTA Publishing Editor April 29, 2022

Songwriting inspiration can come from odd places — even from trapping and poisoning a mouse in one’s kitchen. When musician and artist Will Wood first found the creature last...

An elderly couple holding hands sitting at the opposite end of a table accompanied by a middle-age male and an infant in a family living room.

Review: ‘Vortex’, a reminder that death is destiny

Gaspar Noé’s latest, “Vortex,” offers a simple, albeit heavy, meditation on death. “Vortex” opens in select theaters this weekend.
Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer, Arts Editor April 29, 2022

“Vortex,” the latest film from Paris-based Argentinian provocateur Gaspar Noé, is a poignant reflection on the material insignificance of dying. As is to be expected from...

A woman with orange hair and a black headband wears a pensive expression. She has one hand next to her mouth and appears to be biting a bit of her nail. Behind her there is a window that looks out to green trees and grass.

Review: Post-grad panic personified in ‘The African Desperate’

Anxiety, memes and art school cliches coalesce in Martine Syms’ hazy directorial debut. The film played as part of New Directors/New Films 2022 at Film at Lincoln Center.
Isabella Armus, Deputy Arts Editor April 29, 2022

Graduation is absurd. Although it’s regarded as a fundamental rite of growth and transition, the ceremony — or, rather, the awkward procedure — is never quite as climactic...

A shot of silhouetted figures in front of a blue wall. The silhouettes are raising their arms up.

Review: ‘Quiet as It’s Kept,’ the 2022 Whitney Biennial, redefines the American experience

This year’s Whitney Biennial is an interdisciplinary showcase of contemporary American art that grapples with the social issues of a complex world.
Natalia Palacino Camargo, Contributing Writer April 25, 2022

The highly anticipated “Whitney Biennial 2022: Quiet as It’s Kept” has finally debuted, and contrary to its title, it’s anything but quiet.  Held every two years since...

Matt Maltese sings into a microphone while sitting down and looking away. Red lights glow onto him and the stage.

Q&A: Singer-songwriter Matt Maltese uses acerbic lyricism to articulate heartbreak and apocalyptic fears

Matt Maltese, best known for “As the World Caves In,” talked with WSN about his lyrics, the possibility of venturing into film and TV soundtracking, and his new EP, “Quiet Recordings.”
Stephanie Wong, Staff Writer April 22, 2022

If you’ve been on TikTok at all in recent years, chances are that you’ve come across Matt Maltese’s unexpectedly viral apocalyptic ballad “As the World Caves In.” Despite...

An illustration of a computer on a bed covered with a blue blanket. The computer’s screen displays a woman holding a rifle behind a red fort and a red background. Next to the computer is a small teacup.

Off the Radar: ‘La Chinoise’ asks ‘revolutionary or revisionist?’

“Off the Radar” is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “La Chinoise” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Trace Miller, Managing Editor April 22, 2022

There is fission. There is fusion. And there is the immortal science of Marxism-Leninism. In his satirical film “La Chinoise,” Jean-Luc Godard traces the merger and split of...

Actress Joséphine Sanz wears a green sweater and a white turtleneck and holds a measuring cup with flour. Next to her, actress Gabrielle Sanz wears a green-and-blue sweater under overalls and holds a wooden spoon.

Review: ‘Petite Maman,’ a monumental miniature of magical moviemaking

“Portrait of a Lady on Fire” director Céline Sciamma’s latest effort indulges the act of seeing life through a child’s eyes. “Petite Maman” opens in select cinemas across New York City on April 22. 
Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer, Arts Editor April 21, 2022

After the success of Queer Palm winner “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” at its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019, Céline Sciamma returns to the silver screen with an...

The indoor stand of Kim’s Video. The square structure stands in the middle of a hallway with framed movie posters. Inside the structure there are DVDs in display shelves.

The resurrection of Kim’s Video

The Alamo Drafthouse revival of the iconic Kim’s Video reestablishes video rental stores in New York.
Saige Gipson, Staff Writer April 21, 2022

Kim’s Video reopened inside the new Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Lower Manhattan near the World Trade Center on March 30. The famous video and music rental store quickly became a...

Actor Taika Waititi has black and gray hair, a long beard and a black jacket. His left hand is holding actor Rhys Darby by the neck. Darby has blonde hair and has his mouth opened in a panicked expression.

Review: ‘Our Flag Means Death’ revives piracy with a queer twist

The HBO Max show combines romantic comedy and historical drama to create absurd shenanigans and campy gore that are sure to entertain.
Sunny Sequeira, UTA Staff Editor April 18, 2022

Spoiler warning: This article includes spoilers for “Our Flag Means Death.” Pirates most often evoke images of skulls, swords and scurvy. Rarely are impassioned singers,...

An illustration of a computer on a bed covered with a blue blanket. The computer’s screen displays a blue screen. Next to the computer is a small teacup.

Off the Radar: ‘Blue’ is 79 minutes of a single color addressing the injustices of the AIDS crisis

Off the Radar is a weekly column surveying overlooked films available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships. “Blue” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer, Arts Editor April 15, 2022