HadNews.com

One of the most critically acclaimed animated films to come out in recent decades is Don Hertzfeldt’s 2012 It’s Such a Beautiful Day. The film, which received top honor at the Sundance Film Festival among many other accolades, is as beloved for its story — about a man named Bill who suffers from a mysterious, debilitating neurological disorder — as its unusual visual style. Blending traditional animation with live-action and photography, most of the characters are drawn as stick figures, with dots for eyes and simple shapes for bodies. You’d think the film’s crude and minimalist aesthetic wouldn’t be a recipe for sparking intense...... Read Full article on HadNews

As poets have demonstrated for centuries, a sonnet for your beloved never goes out of style. The gift of verse may carry extra cachet this Valentine’s Day, on the heels of Taylor Swift’s announcement that her next album is poetry-themed. But in carrying out my research on Renaissance literature and gender, I’ve been struck by how many of that period’s love poems were not for lovers. These sonnets, composed for friends and family, are not just beautiful; they’re also a reminder that love and Valentine’s Day aren’t exclusively for couples. The love sonnet is born The sonnet was invented in 12th century Italy as a 14-line poem with 11...... Read Full article on HadNews