Art and Culture

“Bad Wisdom” is sung by Suzanne Vega. These lyrics leave unclear exactly what the underlying cause of shame might be, allowing them to be applied to a number of different situations. The words concern a young girl whose relationships with her friends and with her mother have been irreparably damaged because of some ill-advised sexual experience. 
Mother the doctor knows something is wrong
Cause my […]

In 1848-1849 Edouard Manet voyaged to Rio de Janeiro on a naval training ship. He writes to his mother, describing his impressions of Rio:
After lunch I went off with my new friend to explore the town. It’s quite big, but with very small streets; for an artistically minded European it has a very special character; […]