French critic and novelist Simone de Beauvoir reinvented the feminist debate with her shocking text, "The Second Sex" (1953), which has become a theoretical bible for those interested in Existentialist and Marxist analysis of women's societal subservience. Since the arrival of Postmodernism at the ce

Existentialist literature, Existentialist theory, Feminism, Feminist, Pioneering, Smart, Social revolution, Women's literature

It's 1959, and the Beatles, the most famous rock 'n' roll band in the history of the universe, are just a four-cell fetus gestating in the backwaters of Liverpool, England. They aren't even called the Beatles yet. Time-lapse to 1960: the wunderkinder are now a year old and have toddled as far as Hamb

Composed, Dreamy, Eclectic, Psychedelic, Smart, Smarty arty pop

Manny Farber, though still much-revered as a film critic, eschewed film in favor of painting. Farber began writing film reviews for The New Republic in 1942. He continued his film career through the 1970s, writing most notably for publications such as Film Comment. As his book "Negative Space" (1970)

Agitated, Dense, In-your-face, Quirky, Smart

Originally trained as a visual artist, Brian Eno has moved on to become a prolific contributor to avant-garde music. He began improvising lyrics in an early band called Maxwell Demon, demonstrating an intentional randomness that soon became a trademark. He was also a founding member of the influentia

Ambient, Elegant, Mathematical, Minimal, Quiet, Serene, Smart