Essays

1112 results
Page 25
Illustration by Hannah Kaplan for BSR.

Overbooked for the holidays

Recipe for survival
From concerts to community events, the holidays in the Philadelphia area can delight and deplete. Add a family wedding, and this year’s holidays can be harrowing. Kathryn Taylor considers.
Kathryn Taylor Illustration by Hannah Kaplan

Kathryn Taylorand Illustration by Hannah Kaplan

Essays 4 minute read
The dreaded library shusher strikes. (Illustration by Hannah Kaplan for BSR.)

Shouting it forward

Bringing in the outside voice
Are libraries sanctuaries of silence or community hubs? A hearing-challenged patron unintentionally raises the question. Roz Warren considers.
Roz Warren

Roz Warren

Essays 4 minute read
"Ice-cold beer und pretzel here!": Oktoberfest in Munich or German Heritage Celebration in Philly? (Photo via Creative Commons/Wikipedia.)

Let me entertain you

Home run
At the Phillies' October German Heritage Celebration, the German Men's Chorus sang their way through the stands. They got back a lot more than peanuts. Kile Smith considers.
Kile Smith

Kile Smith

Essays 4 minute read
Davis and Wise are well-matched as a couple who love — and hurt — deeply. (Photo by Ahron R. Foster.)

Atlantic Theater Company presents Donja R. Love's 'Fireflies'

Burning Love
'Fireflies,’ a New York premiere by Philadelphia-born playwright Donja R. Love, explores the desires of a black queer woman in the Jim Crow South. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Essays 3 minute read
In the film, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps helps a little boy overcome his fear. (Photo courtesy of IndieFlix.)

Friends Select School Wellness Program and IndieFlix's 'Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety'

Fear factors
Friends Select School kicks off the third year of its Wellness Program with a screening of 'Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety.' SaraKay Smullens reviews.
SaraKay Smullens

SaraKay Smullens

Essays 3 minute read
Dr. Ahmadu has chosen to be the face of "female circumcision." But what about women who don't choose the procedure? (Photo courtesy of WIL.)

Dr. Fuambai Sia Ahmadu visits Philly’s Women International Leaders

FGM: A big misunderstanding?
Is it 'female genital mutilation' or 'female circumcision'? A visiting scholar offered a new perspective and left some questions unanswered. Alaina Johns considers.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Essays 5 minute read
Selections from Hochman's "clothes with causes" collection. (Photo by Andee Hochman.)

The shirt off my back

Second skin
When is a shirt more than a shirt? When it broadcasts a personal and political alliance some might find controversial. Anndee Hochman considers.
Anndee Hochman

Anndee Hochman

Essays 4 minute read
The view from inside Benezette's Elk County Visitors' Center: An elk appetizer before the smorgasbord. (Photo by Taylor Studios, Inc., via Flickr.)

The elk of Benezette, Pennsylvania

Hoofloose and fancy-free
A summer road trip leads to elk country... in Pennsylvania. Who knew? Kile Smith considers.
Kile Smith

Kile Smith

Essays 5 minute read
Does the city's soda tax hurt communities it's supposed to help? (Photo via capallies.com.)

ICE and soda

Is Mayor Jim Kenney trying to have it both ways?
Has Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney failed to keep two of his major campaign promises? Robert Zaller considers.
Robert Zaller

Robert Zaller

Essays 3 minute read
What do children see when they look at America's future? (Illustration by Hannah Kaplan for BSR.)

Fire and ICE

Frozen out, boiling over
This summer's protests over ICE's policy of separating children from their parents have ramped up pressure on the Trump administration. But is it enough? Anndee Hochman considers.
Anndee Hochman Illustration by Hannah Kaplan

Anndee Hochmanand Illustration by Hannah Kaplan

Essays 4 minute read