Welcome

My name is Matthew Olsson. I’ve been reading and thinking about books for as long as I can remember. Mostly I read literary fiction, but I dabble in film and art, and am attempting to learn poetry. My tastes follow a meandering, idiosyncratic aesthetic driven by the winds of life.

Why does this exist?

The Cultural Review exists because it must. Because ideas cultivated from readings and musings require an expressed outlet. In other words, I feel compelled to write: to share feelings, to share thoughts, to share experience. There is no choice but to write The Cultural Review, and it is one of the great joys of my life.

The hope is that through these essays others may find joy and meaning in the shared expressions. That it may be one ember in a sparked collective cultural dialogue.

What is The Cultural Review?

Weekly essays are centered on literature, film, history, art, and ideas. It does not pluck from the bestseller list or the box office charts. It is sometimes current but always curious.

Essays are rarely straightforward reviews. Sometimes I’m writing the piece I wish I could read. Sometimes I’m trying to explain an emotional resonance I felt. Sometimes I’m trying to understand the mechanics behind why the art works. Each piece is approached in a unique and thoughtful manner.

The Cultural Review is not a compendium of other reviews and thoughts. Each piece attempts to write in isolation of the broader cultural consciousness and in doing so add a unique voice to the collection of thought and perspective.

Who is this for?

The Cultural Review is for those who desire and are open to engaging with books, art, and ideas — the very essence of which makes us human. I welcome you to join by reading and exchanging thoughtful ideas.

How to start

Start from the very beginning. The first post. The memoir that inspired the dream that is The Cultural Review.