This is where the tangents live. I’ve been covering arts, culture, and tourism since the alt-weekly days: sometimes in print, sometimes online, always with a deep love of overlooked brilliance. I’ve always read compulsively—the kind of library kid the director remembers forty years later. Curiosity Cabinet is the blog equivalent of that kid all grown up: part cultural commentary, part time capsule, part unrepentant nerdery rooted in the humanities. Expect reflections on literature, history, language, music, and the occasional detour into speculative fiction, old-school internet ephemera, or the philosophy behind your favorite memes. Whether it’s a post-punk deep cut or a forgotten corner of intellectual history, this is where the rabbit holes are celebrated.
Oh, the Humanities
Why federal cuts to Virginia’s cultural lifeblood should alarm us all When I read the recent news from Virginia Humanities, I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. A $1.7 million cut in federal funding—gone. Staff layoffs. Program closures. An uncertain future for an organization that has been a cornerstone of public culture and…
Read MoreHello, Numan
April 19–26, 2001 Hello, Numan Gary Numan didn’t really go anywhere, but he’s back all the same. by Helen H. Thompson Rise and shiner: Dark lord Gary Numan. “Ohh, Gary Numan,” nods one of the uninitiated. “Didn’t he write that ‘Short People’ tune?” Nah. Different Newman. But this Numan is also largely remembered for one…
Read MoreDamned to Eternity
(Republished May 23, 2017 from the now-defunct Philadelphia City Paper) October 10-16, 2002 Old’s Cool: It’s quite bizarre that The Damned have become history, says Vanian (top). Dave Vanian’s gonna smash it up till there’s nothing left. by Helen H. Thompson It’s hard to believe that the first punk band to chart a single is…
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