Topic: Academy Awards

Opinion: Move over Kanye West, Taylor Swift and the Millennial generation are taking over music

The 2010 Grammys will probably show that Taylor Swift and her generation are making over American music as triumphantly as they did politics with the election of President Obama.

When did the State of the Union become a red carpet event?

The Constitution directs the president to periodically brief Congress about the nation's needs. But not until Woodrow Wilson did a president deliver an address in person – and launch a tradition that is now in large part theater.

BigShot: Snap-together camera introduces kids to tech, and to their world

After-school program uses the simple, experimental BigShot camera to teach young students about art, engineering, and culture.

Ten best movies of the decade

The best of the decade include foreign fare and some American classics such as ‘Sideways’ and ‘No Country for Old Men.’

It’s Complicated: movie review

In the comedy ‘It’s Complicated,’ Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin bring intelligence and panache to their parts as a divorced couple having an affair with each other.

Golden Globe nominations tap 'Avatar' and 'Up' among others

Globes’ nominations offer a rough road map to the Oscars in March.

From Marriott to Ernst & Young to General Mills, why some companies excel

From personalized development plans to comprehensive wellness programs, some of America's top companies excel through treating their employees excellently.

2009 Gift Guide

Monitor picks for TV, movies, music, and games.

Six Picks: Recommendations from the Monitor staff

Norah Jones's latest CD, a contemporary 'Alice in Wonderland' on the Syfy Channel, acclaimed Pixar-animated movie shorts on ABC, and more.

Thanksgiving on Twitter: gratitude in 140 characters

Thanksgiving tweets are rolling in on Twitter, pondering recipes and giving thanks. But is tweeting while dining now OK?

On eve of UN food summit: 20 best ways to feed the hungry

The UN's food summit begins in Rome Monday. The lead-up to the summit has been mired in disputes, but one study highlights 20 innovative programs that have helped feed people worldwide.

New Vatican album: Can Pope Benedict sing?

Pope Benedict stars on a new Vatican CD featuring a hymn sung by the pontiff. Will the album soften his image?

Last Night in Twisted River

A life on the lam leads to a career as a novelist in John Irving’s new novel.

Horton Foote: The playwright's 'Odyssey' for modern times

Epic nine-hour 'The Orphan's Home Cycle,' opening in New York, explores how people face adversity and the elusive search for home.

Six Picks: Recommendations from the Monitor staff

Behind Obama's election on HBO, Charles Kuralt's travels on DVD, 'March of the Penguins' in new limited edition DVD, and more.

Sean Penn and Fidel Castro? The actor's top 5 forays into journalism.

The star of "Milk", actor Senn Penn, is in Cuba, reportedly to interview Fidel Castro for Vanity Fair magazine about how the Obama administration has affected the island.

South of Broad

GOP's Michael Steele tries to make money from Obama's Nobel prize

Free Roman Polanski? Case shows US-France cultural divide

French elites lobby to "Free Polanski." American and French students pick sides in a French debate over the rape case.

Can the Emmy Awards get its audience back?

The television awards show hopes that deploying Neil Patrick Harris as host and mixing up its usual format will grab viewers from 'Sunday Night Football.'

Obama's Wall Street speech: Days of reckless greed over

South of Broad

Pat Conroy’s first novel in 14 years follows a group of young friends on into adult life.

Review: 'Ponyo'

Japanese animator Miyazaki's latest film is a captivating tale of a tiny fish who jumps out of the ocean to see the world.

A new movie version of "The Diary of Anne Frank"

Rhino Ranch

McMurtry’s fifth and final novel about Duane Moore, whose story began in 1966’s “The Last Picture Show.”