Culture Corner
The Arts Desk’s weekly picks for music, movies and more
By NATALIE SALTER — arts@theaggie.org
Album: “Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain” by Raveena (2024)
Like a butterfly’s wings or a dewdrop glittering on the petal of a spring flower, Raveena’s music is delicate and enchanting. Nowhere is this more true than on “Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain,” the artist’s 2024 studio album, which is full of dreamy, diaphanous melodies that flutter and float as if on a fairy’s wings. Raveena’s lovely voice adds a magical touch to an album that already feels like a daydream brought to life from start to finish. For those hoping to embrace their softer sides or looking to develop a more starry-eyed outlook on life, this album is a wonderful place to start.
Book: “Cannery Row” by John Steinbeck (1945)
John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden” tends to take the title of his most masterful work, especially considering the Netflix adaptation it recently received. But many of the author’s shorter, lesser-known novels are masterpieces in their own right — “Cannery Row” not least among them. A pastiche of misadventures and mundane, yet meaningful, moments in Depression-era Monterey, the novel leaps from humor to melancholia with charming authenticity. Steinbeck’s loving attention to the simple comings and goings of the townsfolk, each unique and yet interconnected, makes the reader feel as though they are staring into one of the tide pools that the coastal city is known for. Through all of its quirky characters and their unconventional lives, “Cannery Row” excels at finding magic in the ordinary, gently encouraging its readers to open their eyes to the overlooked beauty of everyday life.
Film: “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar” dir. Beeban Kidron (1995)
When drag queens Vida (Patrick Swayze) and Noxeema (Wesley Snipes) decide to take the young Chi-Chi (John Leguizamo) along to Los Angeles, they’re forced to swap out an all-expenses-paid flight for a cross-country road trip. Happenstance lands them in the small rural town of Snydersville, a far cry from Hollywood. What begins as bad luck, however, turns out to be a valuable opportunity for the three companions to transform a community from the inside out. “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar” is hilarious and full of genuine warmth; its story balances humor with heart, and its lead actors give unforgettably charming performances that you’re not soon to forget.
Video Game: “Night in the Woods” by Infinite Fall and Secret Lab (2017)
After college dropout Mae finds herself back in her hometown in the middle of autumn, figuring out where her life is headed turns out to be the least of her problems. When she witnesses a kidnapping at a festival, she winds up seeking the answer to a mysterious conspiracy at her hometown’s heart. “Night in the Woods” balances spookiness and coziness in a way that makes it a perfect game to play this autumn, but more importantly, it is an incredibly profound and thoughtful story about community and mental health. Every moment of the game is a reminder that an unconventional path through life is no less valuable than a traditional one. Its thrilling mystery and memorable cast of characters make “Night in the Woods” difficult to put down once you’ve started, and impossible to forget long after it ends.
Written by Natalie Salter —- arts@theaggie.org