From gospel spirituals, to folk music, to punk, and beyond, music has a long and storied history with social movements and human struggle. Over the past few decades, hip-hop has emerged as the genre of choice for many contemporary movements the world over. The blend of poetry and rhythm makes for the perfect outlet for both youthful angst and genuine optimism. In a world where culture is increasingly manufactured for mass consumption, hip-hop continues to spread organically throughout the globe, giving rise to hip-hop(e). If youre a fan of hip-hop or interested in global social movements, check out Hip-hop(e): The Cultural Practice and Critical Pedagogy of International Hip-Hop, available at the Richardson Library 370.115 H667.
I love the Coen brothers. Their unique style of storytelling and unusual sense of humor makes for some very entertaining movies. I also love philosophy. So once again, I use this blog to highlight another book from the Philosophy and Pop Culture series. This particular edition, The Philosophy of the Coen Brothers, probes the important questions raised by the brothers films: how does power effect the human soul? Does evil exist? Is laziness a virtue? Does the dude abide (and what does that really mean)? If you want to over-analyze some of the greatest films of the past few decades, check out The Philosophy of the Coen Brothers, available at the Loop campus Library,791.4302 P5689.