The Times They Are a-Changin’

Protest singers like Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan drew popular attention to social issues and civil rights in the United States through their songs, so will a new generation of artists carry the torch against the appalling excesses of Donald Trump?

Standing in front of a painting I didn’t understand

Public art galleries offer a rare forum in which contemplation and ‘slow thinking’ are encouraged. Encounters with art, no matter how new or strange or challenging, remain a precious opportunity to engage with ourselves, our nation and each other.

Six of the best

Six Australian podcasts approach the world of books in very different forms but all contribute to audio has ironically become such an important medium for contemporary reading.

In vino ineptias

Florid descriptions of wine are designed to boost the purchase price and flatter the taste of all concerned, but however comical they appear to non-wine buffs, they directly influence purchasing decisions and people’s enjoyment.

The magnificent seven

Many people resolve to read more at the turn of the year, so here are seven books from 2025 offering fascinating glimpses into other cultures and people’s lives.

Remembering Brigitte Bardot

From luminous actress to social activist Brigitte Bardot’s death at the age of 91, brings to a close one of the most extraordinary careers in post-war French cultural life.

5 from ’25

2025 won’t be remembered as a great year for film, but here are five movies you may enjoy if you see art as a means to make political points as well as entertain the public.

A brief history of angels

Angels are barely mentioned in the bible, but the public’s continued interest in them reveals the human desire for transcendence and even immortality.

In praise of libraries

Though always under-funded and continually under threat, public libraries remain vital centres of community life and individual well-being as well as safeguarding free access to precious culture, literature and art.

Celebrating Hanukkah

As we grieve for the victims of the Bondi shooting, Hanukkah calls on us to remember that “a little light drives out much darkness.” and ensure Jewish life is never extinguished.

The snag

In her memoir The Snag, Tessa McWatt takes on themes of personal and collective grief in the near-future context of the climate crisis and the solace and inspiration we can find in connecting with nature and each other.

The hollow men

T.S. Eliot’s “The Hollow Men” disregarded many of the liberal shibboleths of its time to explore a new wave of populist, religio-nationalist thinking which seems all too relevant today.