John J. Winters

Cognoscenti contributor

John J. Winters teaches at universities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and is the author of "Sam Shepard: A Life."

Recently published

Will Smith cries as he accepts the award for best performance by an actor in a leading role for "King Richard" at the Oscars on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Chris Pizzello/AP)

What Will Smith should have done

Instead of slapping Chris Rock, Smith should have used his acceptance speech to talk about the importance of family and how all of us are judged by our words and...

Cognoscenti

Mar 28, 2022

In this Sept. 8, 2008, file photo, author Philip Roth poses for a photo in the offices of his publisher, Houghton Mifflin, in New York. Roth, prize-winning novelist and fearless narrator of sex, religion and mortality, has died at age 85, his literary agent said Tuesday, May 22, 2018. (Richard Drew/AP)

Goodbye, Philip Roth

The late, great author saw both sides of life -- its existential dread and the absolute silliness of it all.

Cognoscenti

May 24, 2018

Author Tom Wolfe poses in his New York apartment, Nov. 12, 1998. (Jim Cooper/AP)

Tom Wolfe And The Search For The Real

His stories were alive on the page and because of this, writes John J. Winters, they will retain a powerful resonance long after we’re all gone.

Cognoscenti

May 16, 2018

Michelle Wolf, pictured at the 2018 White House Correspondents' Dinner. (Global News/YouTube)

Michelle Wolf Aside, It's Time For The White House Correspondents' Dinner To End

The real problem with the dinner goes way behind a few harsh jokes and profanities, writes John J. Winters.

Cognoscenti

May 1, 2018

Race fans with a "Boston Strong" flag cheer for competitors near the finish line of the 118th Boston Marathon, Monday, April 21, 2014, in Boston. (Robert F. Bukaty/AP)

5 Years On, Still Boston Strong?

Five years after the marathon bombings, does the ubiquitous phrase still have meaning?

Cognoscenti

Apr 16, 2018

Miguel, left, and Natalia Lafourcade perform "Remember Me" from "Coco" at the Oscars on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

At The 90th Academy Awards, An Object Lesson In Diversity

As the film industry has evolved, it has usually opened the door for new voices, writes John J. Winters. Let's hope that continues.

Cognoscenti

Mar 6, 2018

Author Leila Slimani. (Courtesy Catherine Hélie/Editions Gallimard)

'The Perfect Nanny' Doesn't Hide From The Depths Of Darkness

In Leila Slimani’s American debut, she gives us much to think about through a well told story about a nanny's long slow mental collapse like immigration, class, women at work,...

Local Coverage

Jan 19, 2018

Frances McDormand in "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri." (Courtesy Merrick Morton/Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Why 'Three Billboards' Doesn't Add Up

As much as I enjoy seeing one of my favorite playwrights, the film’s writer and director Martin McDonagh, get recognized for his quirky genius, “Three Billboards,” I fear, is hollow...

Local Coverage

Jan 8, 2018

Writer and actor Sam Shepard. (Courtesy Grant Delin)

Dying Of ALS, Sam Shepard Told His Final Story Of A Man Not Ready To Go

“Spy of the First Person,” published a few months after Shepard’s death, holds no answers, but reminds us why its creator was intent on seeking them all the same.

Local Coverage

Dec 11, 2017

The image on the cover of Joshua Green's "Devil's Bargain." (Courtesy Penguin Press)

Whether Steve Bannon's In Or Out, 'Devil's Bargain' Is An Enlightening Read

Author Joshua Green demonstrates how Trump may not have understood the theoretical grounding of Bannon’s “hard-edged ethno-nationalism” but that he proved the perfect vessel for taking it public.

Local Coverage

Aug 17, 2017