Archive - For the Sake of Argument

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"Asteroid City": A Celebration of Storytelling and Andersonian Stagecraft

In Wes Anderson's new film, the director's distinctive style reaches its apogee. It may also be his most profound film yet.

Jul 9 •

May 2023

The Tárring and feathering of classical music

Todd Field’s psychological drama Tár nearly takes a side in the classical music culture wars.

May 28 •

September 2022

What we lost when we lost the Queen

Queen Elizabeth II was a unifying influence. The virtues she embodied are now in scarce supply.

Sep 11, 2022 •

August 2022

The Islamists' greatest weapon

The West has lost its desire to defend its most important values. The fundamentalists have not.

Aug 28, 2022 •

May 2021

Heroically Misunderstanding Opera, Act I

An editorial that recently appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle argued that a number of “orientalist” operas, such as Madama Butterfly, are…

May 15, 2021 •

March 2021

The Tautology of Anti-Racism: Anti-Asian Hate Edition

Solving any problem begins with correctly identifying its cause – armed with a viral strain of anti-racism, we are headed in the wrong direction.

Mar 31, 2021 •

There's No Utopian Solution (Worth Having)

The murder of Sarah Everard was tragic. But it's an exaggeration to claim women can't go out after dark. Utopian counterfactuals will not protect women…

Mar 16, 2021 •

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