All Forms of Art

  Season 3 of Silo starts with a moment of supposed peace. Juliette ( Rebecca Ferguson ) is back. She is now something of an icon for the people inside the silo—the one who went out and came back. But the peace is fake, and before long, it becomes clear that Juliette’s return has changed everything. The Real Power Juliette is now Mayor, elected by the people out of love and admiration. There is a Council now, where the Heads of each department talk, share ideas, and solve problems together. It all looks very democratic. But we know better. Inside the Silo, the real power still belongs to the Head of IT—and that's Camille ( Alexandria Riley ). Camille was directly chosen by the supposed computer to be Head of IT. At first, I assumed it was because there was something special about her. The real reason was much scarier: she was ruthless. She obeys, and she isn't afraid of doing terrible things if she believes they are for the greater good. The Power of Stories Stories were al...

  Some actors become famous because of one character, but a small percentage can make it almost impossible for audiences to separate the character from their identity. For many viewers worldwide, Pedro Alonso is Berlín. The Spanish actor became internationally famous for playing Andrés de Fonollosa, better known as Berlín, in Money Heist ( La Casa de Papel ). The character was arrogant, sophisticated, unpredictable, and often deeply unpleasant — yet somehow impossible to look away from. Alonso gave him enough charm and vulnerability to become one of the most memorable characters in the series. But there is much more to Pedro Alonso than Berlín. From Vigo to the Stage Pedro González Alonso was born on June 21, 1971, in Vigo, Galicia, Spain. He developed an interest in acting at a young age and eventually moved to Madrid, where he studied at the prestigious Real Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático (RESAD) and graduated in 1992. He also studied at Teatro de la Danza. His professio...

  Jeff Kinney is the American author and illustrator best known for creating Diary of a Wimpy Kid , one of the most successful children's book series of the 21st century. Born in Maryland in 1971, Kinney originally dreamed of becoming a newspaper cartoonist rather than a children's author. While studying at the University of Maryland, he created a comic strip called Igdoof for the university newspaper. After college, however, he struggled to get his work syndicated. Instead of giving up on his ideas, Kinney eventually found another way to use them. From Cartoonist to Children's Author Kinney began developing the ideas that would become Diary of a Wimpy Kid in the late 1990s. He worked on the project for several years before publishing it online on Funbrain in daily installments in 2004. The response was enormous. After attracting millions of views online, the project was eventually turned into a print book. Diary of a Wimpy Kid was published in 2007 and quickly becam...

  Reading children's books as an adult is a strange experience. Reading them as a mother is even stranger. And reading them as a psychologist means that sometimes I notice things I probably wasn't supposed to notice. But that's exactly why I enjoy reading my daughter's books and discussing the topics with her later. This time, I picked up Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules , the second book in Jeff Kinney 's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.  After reading a couple of Dork Diaries books, I found myself comparing Greg with Nikki. I have to say it: I prefer Greg. Here's why. Greg Is a Terrible Kid — But There Are Consequences Greg is not exactly a model child. He lies. He tries to avoid responsibility. He makes selfish decisions. Sometimes he is mean. And, obviously, he spends a considerable amount of time trying to find ways to get out of trouble. But here's the thing I really appreciate about these books: Greg's actions have consequences. He gets puni...

  Viggo Mortensen is one of those actors who can disappear so completely into a character that it is easy to forget the person behind the performance. For many viewers, he will always be Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings , but his career has been far more varied than that iconic role suggests. Born in New York in 1958 to an American mother and Danish father, Mortensen spent part of his childhood living in South America and Denmark. He eventually returned to the United States and began pursuing acting, making his film debut in Witness in 1985. His career developed gradually, with supporting roles in films such as Carlito's Way , Crimson Tide , A Perfect Murder, and G.I. Jane . Then came the role that changed everything. Becoming Aragorn In 2001, Mortensen appeared as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring . It is difficult to imagine anyone else in the role now. Mortensen brought something unusual to Aragorn. He wasn't simply a heroic warrior. His pe...

  Captain Fantastic  is not interested in knowing whether the main character is right. It's more uncomfortable than that.  Ben ( Viggo Mortensen ) has a very particular way of raising his children. They live away from society, deep in the woods, hunting their own food, exercising, reading constantly, and learning about everything from philosophy to politics. They are taught to question the world rather than simply accept it. It is extreme. But it is also fascinating. Ben's way of parenting isn't entirely wrong There is a lot about Ben's parenting that I actually admire. He doesn't talk down to his children. When they ask difficult questions, he tries to answer them honestly. He expects them to think, understand, form opinions, and defend them. There is something beautiful about that. I've always believed that children deserve honest answers. Sometimes the answer is complicated. Sometimes it's uncomfortable. And sometimes the most honest answer is simply:...