Our Friends deserve special access to our team.

Thank you for being a Friend of Broad Street Review. With this message, we're launching a new newsletter series just for you. Once a month, we'll share what we're reading online & offline, bring you a sneak peek at some upcoming BSR coverage, and ensure that you know how you can be in conversation with us at events. We appreciate your support and want you to stay involved in our work. Let us know what you think of this new series!

BSR writers and Friends gathered at the Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts office in 2023. We hope to continue such gatherings in 2025!

Alaina's recommendation

Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender by Kit Heyam

For cis folks (like me) who are concerned about executive orders, laws, and rulings harming trans people in America, one of many actions we can take is to learn more about trans identities throughout history and spread the word that trans people have always been here and they always will be. This fascinating book dives into trans identities that don't conform to gender binaries, and explores nonbinary identities throughout world history which were tied to their ethnic and/or cultural context. Heyam, a trans activist and historian, argues that a current move in progressive circles to separate the concepts of gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation may not be helpful. They also argue that the validity of trans identities today should not rely solely on locating trans identities in history. It's a fascinating read!

Photo by Dario Calmese

Coming up in February at BSR:

As usual, we have an exciting slate of theater reviews coming to you as the winter openings continue. Our writers will be heading to InterAct, the Wilma, the Walnut, the Lantern, Delaware Theatre Company, Trenton's Passage Theatre, PTC, and People's Light (whew!). These include an exciting variety of well-known works (A Raisin the Sun, Much Ado, Topdog/Underdog) and world premieres (Quixotic Professor Qiu, Night Side Songs, a new adaptation of Mae West's The Drag). And that's just our theater coverage. We'll also be looking in on the Philadelphia Orchestra, The Crossing, Opera Philadelphia, BalletX, and the Print Center. About 15 writers are on the schedule for February! Plus Alaina has a Valentine's Day counter-romance roundup in the works.

'BSR' editors Alaina and Kyle and executive director Neil have been working together on Philly arts and culture coverage since 2019. (Photo by Daralyse Lyons.)

We're bringing Office Hours back! Come say hi to us Thursday, February 13 from 4-6pm at Elixr Coffee in Center City (207 S. Sydenham Street). We typically congregate in the square banquette area near the entrance. It’s very informal. Neil, Kyle, and Alaina will hang out for the duration and chat with whoever comes through. It’s a great chance to meet our team and other BSR writers and talk about ideas. Thanks to everyone who has made this meetup a success over the last year!

Neil's to-be-read pile spans genres. What are you reading this winter?

What Neil's Reading

I have, let's call it, a few dozen browser tabs open on my phone. I started recently grouping together some that give me guidance and hope for the coming months. One such article comes from the lovely site Literary Hub, covering the topic of mutual aid, a term I didn't know before 2020. The article, by local writer Kim Kelly, mentions work here in Philly and beyond as it lays out principles and tips of how to actively support individuals in our communities.

You Tell Us!

We heard from a few readers who were angry that we featured an essay about sports as Philly culture. What do you think? Should BSR avoid mentioning the Eagles? Or is it fair for an arts and culture publication to acknowledge sports?