• The art of war

    Jamie Roberts     |      July 10, 2024

    Like Niccolò Machiavelli ‘s The Prince, Sun Tzu’s The Art of War is a treatise of clear-sighted but ruthless realism in the pursuit of power.

  • A hard day’s night

    Alison Blair     |      July 7, 2024

    Pop stars like Elvis and the Beatles were a common staple of cinemas in the 1960s, as well as the radio waves.

  • Farewell transmission

    Mark Taylor     |      July 3, 2024

    He performed in bars and small town halls and drank himself to death in relative obscurity, but Jason Molina may just be the best American songwriter of his generation.

  • Reverse the polarity

    Mark Taylor     |      June 30, 2024

    British science fiction institution Doctor Who has undergone many changes over its 60+ years, but the latest incarnation of the time traveling enigma has split fandom down the middle.

  • In praise of Donald Sutherland

    Daryl Sparkes     |      June 23, 2024

    Donald Sutherland never pigeonholed himself as a certain defined type of actor. He could play goofy, dramatic, scary, intense, subtle, tough or gentle and excelled at them all.

  • Philosophy as a way of life

    Matthew Sharpe     |      June 20, 2024

    The most life-changing books can seem like they have always been there. What they say may seem obvious, once we’ve read them, but that’s only because they’ve reshaped how we look at things.

  • The proper study of man

    Matthew Sharpe     |      June 16, 2024

    The term ‘humanism’ has meant many things over the ages, and understanding its evolution offers insight into both the history of philosophy and the

  • A curious mind

    Matthew Sharpe     |      June 14, 2024

    Michel de Montaigne was perhaps the first, and is certainly the greatest, essayist of all. Rather than contemplate the mysteries of the universe, he turned his attention to the human condition, and so remains as pertinent today as he was almost half a millennium ago.

  • A “fair go” for all?

    Pandanus Petter     |      June 10, 2024

    Politicians and social activists of all stripes always frame their arguments in terms of giving Australians a “fair go”, but this famous Australian phrase has its roots in the field of sport, rather than politics.

  • The mystery of Mona Lisa

    Darius von Guttner Sporzynski     |      June 1, 2024

    More than half a millennium since it was first painted, the real identity of the Mona Lisa remains one of art’s greatest mysteries, intriguing scholars and enthusiasts alike.

  • What are words worth?

    Robbie Morgan     |      May 31, 2024

    Words and phrases change their meaning over time, sometimes because they’re so widely misused – like ‘beg the question’ or ‘disinterested v uninterested’ that the original sense is forgotten.

  • Australia’s crumbling castle

    Open Forum     |      May 24, 2024

    Australian networks used to produce iconic shows like The Castle, but the amount and quality of home-grown Australian focused drama on our screens is dwindling, according to a new report from QUT.