Hi folks! Alaina here, dropping in with some just-for-our-Friends updates.

We have a few exciting developments in the coming weeks. We are proud to be a media partner for the May 15 Arts Affair with Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, hosted by REC Philly. And we have 10 free tickets to give away (each a $45 value), just for our Friends. To claim up to two tickets, please email Neil at [email protected] by 5pm ET on Monday, April 28. And save the date for this year's BSR Book Week, June 1-7. We'll have an exciting slate of book reviews, book giveaways, and an author panel featuring some of Philly's top writers. That event is happening the evening of Wednesday, June 4, so mark your calendar. As always, Friends of BSR attend free. Stay tuned for details and the chance to register.

BSR staff and writers met up at the Wilma's Good Karma Cafe recently to talk about our coverage. (Photo by Maya Arthur.)

Recommendations just for our Friends

Since arts and culture are my day job (albeit a beloved one), I often tend toward learning about things like nature, science, and medicine in my downtime. This led me to Dr. Wes Ely's 2022 book Every Deep-Drawn Breath: A Critical Care Doctor on Healing, Recovery, and Transforming Medicine in the ICU. Dr. Ely has a long career in critical-care medicine, and his book circles a fascinating thesis: while modern ICU care saves a lot of lives in the short term, it often causes profound and sometimes fatal problems for patients in the following months and years, including dementia and severe physical disabilities. Dr. Ely challenges the conventional wisdom of how we administer critical care, and since chances are high that you or one of your loved ones will end up in an ICU at some point, this info could be life-changing for the average reader. Along the way, Dr. Ely shares a lively history of ICU care, and his obvious love of art and literature shines through in the text. I encountered this book thanks to an interview with the author about Long Covid on the Ologies podcast.

And here are some streaming recommendations:

The Pitt on Max. As a teenager of the 90s, I grew up watching Noah Wyle as Dr. John Carter on ER. So I had to try the new hospital drama starring Wyle as a grizzled yet idealistic attending physician at a crowded Pittsburgh ER. The twist is that this show happens in real time across its 15 episodes, following a single ER shift hour by hour. There's plenty of soapy drama, grisly medical saves (watch out; from wounds to childbirth, it's graphic), and just the right amount of food for thought in these tightly written and well-acted episodes.

Alone from The History Channel, with most episodes streaming on Hulu. I tried this show on a whim and quickly got a bit obsessed. Each season maroons 10 charismatic survivalists alone in a remote region (like Patagonia, the Mongolian foothills, or the Canadian arctic) with nothing but 10 survival items (like a sleeping bag, axe, or fish hooks) and a set of cameras to catch what happens. Whoever lasts the longest wins a big cash prize. The ingenious contestants build cabins, boats, traps, and fishing nets out of whatever the forest provides, and as the game progresses, they wax increasingly philosophical about their lives. This show's bizarre combo of isolation and performativity, with contestants all alone except for the millions of people watching them, is really interesting. Be warned: it can get a little scary and graphic, with predators, illness, and injuries. If you're looking for a detox from the news cycle so you can fight another day, Alone might fit the bill. I still have a couple more seasons to go, so no spoilers!

Coming up soon at BSR:

Here's an exclusive look ahead at the stories our writers are working on.

At the end of this month, look for a story by Anndee Hochman all about new accessibility programs at the Kimmel campus, and hear from people who are included at the theater for the first time. We're also looking forward to critic Cameron Kelsall's coverage of Opera Philadelphia's Don Giovanni (running April 25-May 4, with limited tickets available).

In May, we have an exciting mix of museum coverage including the PMA and Woodmere, plus theater openings from Quintessence (a show about 18th-century radical abolitionist Benjamin Lay, an absolute badass), Philadelphia Artists Collective, Hedgerow, and more, including RENT at the Arden. Stay tuned and let our critics help you decide what to see. This is just a taste of the stories we have coming up next month.

Students of Delaware School for the Deaf at the Academy of Music for a performance of Hamilton last fall. (Photo courtesy of Ensemble Arts Philly.)

What Neil's Reading

I recently read a brief article about "stoop coffee" -- one couple's effort to meet their neighbors that kept expanding in scope. I love the idea of this, particularly as I look these days for ways to connect with the folks who live around me. (I'm also reminded of Friday Night Meatballs, made famous by former BSR colleague Sarah Grey.)

You Tell Us!

Alaina published an essay in early April about the intersection of disability and current political protests. When we write on political topics, we sometimes hear from readers who are angry about it and urge us not to be political. This time around, one reader was angry because they thought we weren't covering the protests enough. Do you see activism as a valid part of our coverage?