John J. Winters
Cognoscenti contributor
John J. Winters teaches at universities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and is the author of "Sam Shepard: A Life."
Recently published
What Will Smith should have done
Instead of slapping Chris Rock, Smith should have used his acceptance speech to talk about the importance of family and how all of us are judged by our words and...
Goodbye, Philip Roth
The late, great author saw both sides of life -- its existential dread and the absolute silliness of it all.
Tom Wolfe And The Search For The Real
His stories were alive on the page and because of this, writes John J. Winters, they will retain a powerful resonance long after we’re all gone.
Michelle Wolf Aside, It's Time For The White House Correspondents' Dinner To End
The real problem with the dinner goes way behind a few harsh jokes and profanities, writes John J. Winters.
5 Years On, Still Boston Strong?
Five years after the marathon bombings, does the ubiquitous phrase still have meaning?
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At The 90th Academy Awards, An Object Lesson In Diversity
As the film industry has evolved, it has usually opened the door for new voices, writes John J. Winters. Let's hope that continues.
'The Perfect Nanny' Doesn't Hide From The Depths Of Darkness
In Leila Slimani’s American debut, she gives us much to think about through a well told story about a nanny's long slow mental collapse like immigration, class, women at work,...
Why 'Three Billboards' Doesn't Add Up
As much as I enjoy seeing one of my favorite playwrights, the film’s writer and director Martin McDonagh, get recognized for his quirky genius, “Three Billboards,” I fear, is hollow...
Dying Of ALS, Sam Shepard Told His Final Story Of A Man Not Ready To Go
“Spy of the First Person,” published a few months after Shepard’s death, holds no answers, but reminds us why its creator was intent on seeking them all the same.
Whether Steve Bannon's In Or Out, 'Devil's Bargain' Is An Enlightening Read
Author Joshua Green demonstrates how Trump may not have understood the theoretical grounding of Bannon’s “hard-edged ethno-nationalism” but that he proved the perfect vessel for taking it public.