Why Playing Cards Matters
Ambrose Bierce famously defined cribbage as “A substitute for conversation among those to whom nature has denied ideas.” Admittedly, this is from his achingly funny satirical work, The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary. But you don’t have to be a fan of cribbage to consider this a bit unfair. Both to card games generally and the people who play them.
Van Gogh: The Red Vineyard at Arles
Vincent Van Gogh’s art has often been viewed through the prism of his turbulent personal life. He experienced recurrent bouts of mental illness, featuring bouts of depression as well as psychotic episodes, and may have been suffering from bipolar disorder. He committed suicide at the age of 37. But this interpretation demeans him as an individual by reducing him to his illness.