In the prologue to his latest book, prolific historian H. W. Brands writes: “In every colony, and then every state, were thousands of men and women who wanted nothing to do with independence.” This schism is the premise of “Our First Civil War: Patriots and Loyalists in the American Revolution” (Doubleday, 496 pp., eeEE).
One may read a sentence, write a sentence, be sentenced. The word’s meaning is informed by power: who wields it, who is subject to it. In Louise Erdrich’s dazzling sentencesoaked new novel “The Sentence” ((HarperCollins, 400 pp., eeee), a woman named Tookie grapples with how the claims of the past – lineage, brutality, love – come to shape and illuminate the present.
There is so much to enjoy about “Encanto” – the songs, the gorgeous animation, the cultural traditions. • All of which make the script’s serious shortcomings all the more surprising and disappointing. • A major plot development arrives out of nowhere, unearned, and changes everything. Then a further development undercuts the apparent message the filmmakers have been trying to send for the entire movie. • It’s confusing at best. • Too bad. Because there is a lot of joy in the Disney film, directed by Jared Bush, Byron Howard and Charise Castro Smith.
Thanksgiving is a day Americans have set aside for not just eating turkey and drowning out family with televised sporting events but also giving thanks and taking stock, perhaps, in that for which we should be grateful.
It’s official: Hollywood studios are playing Santa and bringing yuletide cheer back to movie theaters as well as streaming services this holiday season. h The party got started on Nov. 5 with Marvel’s “Eternals” and the Princess Diana drama “Spencer.” From there, Ghostbusters, Lady Gaga, Spider-Man, Steven Spielberg and even Shakespeare will all be making an appearance at the cinema before the end of the year. But along with the blockbuster comebacks (Keanu Reeves in another “Matrix” movie, guys!), there’s plenty of Oscar season fare, including Guillermo del Toro’s first directorial effort since winning best picture for “The Shape of Water.” h Here are the 10 movies you absolutely, positively must see in the next two months.
Travelers will go across the world to immerse themselves in other cultures when there are hundreds to explore right here at home. h “With the impact of COVID-19 on travel, people have been wanting to get out of the metropolitan cities, away from people, and get to those beautiful outdoor spaces in their own backyard,” said Sherry Rupert, CEO of the nonprofit American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association. “A lot of people don’t realize that in their backyard are these 574 tribes that are so unique and diverse at the same time.” h There are 574 federally recognized Native tribes across the U.S. and many members have opened their doors to cultural tourism, sharing their heritage while bringing business to their communities. h “Your experience in Alaska with the Alaska Natives is going to be very different than the Pueblos in New Mexico versus your experience with the Native Hawaiians in Hawaii,” said Rupert, who is Paiute and Washoe.