2019 In Arts And Culture
The ARTery critics reflect on the year's best books, music, movies, theater and art.

The Existential Anguish Of Claire Saffitz, Host Of Bon Appétit’s ‘Gourmet Makes’ YouTube Series
The pastry chef undertakes the often Sisyphean task of recreating popular snack foods, a struggle that threatens to destroy her every time.

In 2019, Music Made Black Women Feel Free
For black women, music this year embodied an unapologetic, authentic claim to ourselves and what makes us beautiful -- an exuberant celebration made for us, writes Paris Alston.

The Year In Boston's Classical Music Scene
From Gustavo Dudamel's performance of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” to the Boston Lyric Opera's "Handmaid's Tale," critic Lloyd Schwartz recounts his year in classical music.

The 10 Best Films Of 2019
With films from Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, Greta Gerwig and more, this year proved there’s still plenty of magic to be found in movies, no matter what kind of screen...

10 Visual Art Installations In Boston That Made Us Think In 2019
In 2019, a lot of what we saw in the Boston area reacted to our political moment, recontextualized artists that were overlooked in the canon, and reflected a booming Boston...
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10 Best Books From 2019 That Present The Body As A Radical Act
The tumult of 2019 has made the year feel as long as the decade it’s concluding, and the books published this year certainly reflect that.

2019 In Boston Arts: A Year Of Convening
"It seemed to me, that everywhere I turned in the creative world, there was a hunger, or at least a confrontation with, the idea of convening," writes senior editor Maria...

The 15 Best Albums Out Of Boston This Year
A number of the records on this list stood out due to their treatment of political topics, writes critic Karen Muller. Others fly against expected genre conventions to powerful effect.

12 Plays And Musicals That Mattered In Boston This Year
From "Cambodian Rock Band" at Merrimack Rep to "Dragon Cycle" at the A.R.T., critics Carolyn Clay and Ed Siegel take a look at the year in theater.

The Best Poetry Boston Gave Us In 2019
The poetry world in and around Boston is one of the richest in the country — so many good writers, so much variety and depth. Here are a few of...