LISTEN: The Real World is at Cinecittà
The latest Smoke Social, read aloud by the author
Smoke Social
Roaming cultural correspondence. Got a light?
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The Real World is at Cinecittà
Mussolini’s plaything, concentration camp, a beacon of movie stardom and an elegy to it – so goes the legend of Italy’s great dream factory
Smoke Social — Returning in 2026
In brief, where I’ve been; in briefer, what’s coming next
LISTEN: Looking for Llewyn Davis
The latest Smoke Social, read aloud by the author
Looking for Llewyn Davis
In the continuation of my long journey nowhere, New York City has given me something to latch onto: real life
LISTEN: Vexed in Venice
The latest Smoke Social, read aloud by the author
Vexed in Venice
With an enormous quantity of work on show, the 2022 Venice Art Biennale rests its bona fides on scale and technical trickery. But the end result is one big empty gesture
Losing Godard: a Smoke Social extra
A brief reflection on art, despair, and the irreplaceable, in the wake of Jean-Luc Godard's death last Tuesday at age 91
LISTEN: The Envy Factory
The latest Smoke Social, read aloud by the author
The Envy Factory
Velvet ropes, cynicism, and an unshakeable sense of unreality all have their day in the sun at this year's edition of the Cannes Film Festival