touchstone

She, like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith who came before her, remains an enduring touchstone of black musical culture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

For color, Tiernan referenced early hand-tinting of black and white, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s Technicolor masterpiece “The Red Shoes” and Alfred Hitchcock’s dreamlike “Vertigo,” which was his touchstone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

A breezy mix of history, profiles and memoir, the book seeks to answer a straightforward question: How did marathons evolve from a niche competition for maniacs to a cultural touchstone for the masses?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

The statement continued, “We are heartened and encouraged by the conversations we’ve had thus far, and we are committed to working together to ensure the continuation of this cultural touchstone that we all treasure.”

From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2023

Its Olympian tone made it a perennial touchstone at those political occasions requiring platitudinous wisdom.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

But the air, space and instrumental cohesion of touchstones like, say, Bonnie Raitt are nowhere to be found.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

And just always having that through line of, “What were the touchstones of Carolyn as a young woman, and where did I want her to end up physically?”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026

And of course, Bad Bunny is hugely popular across the United States, which has among the largest Spanish-speaking populations globally -- so why wouldn't he take part in one of the country's cultural touchstones?

From Barron's ● Jan. 31, 2026

Four decades after it flopped in theaters, “Labyrinth” and Bowie’s work in it are now beloved cultural touchstones.

From Salon ● Jan. 24, 2026

They were the codes and touchstones of the world, capable of translation and possession.

From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison