First up this week, a correction: we regret that dancer Ashley Simpson's name was mistakenly written as "Ashley Smith" in last week's newsletter headline. Did you catch Melissa Strong's profile of her last week? We're proud Philly attracts artists like Simpson, and we're proud to bring you her story.
This week, Pamela J. Forsythe reviews Declaration House, a new book of "essays, poetry, and conversation" that dive into the legacy of people like Robert Hemmings, Thomas Jefferson's enslaved valet, who was tending to Jefferson while he wrote the Declaration, literally making Jefferson's work possible. His life story was forgotten for decades, but it re-emerges now, alongside many descendants of Monticello.
“As we write this book from the United States in 2025,” co-editor Anna Arabindan-Kesson notes, “as websites are taken down, as stories are censored, as language is redacted and speech restricted, the stakes of the struggle are becoming sharper. So, how do we remember what powerful people have decided we should forget?” Read the review. The book sounds like a powerful complement to the saga at the President's House.
Stephen Silver is also with you this week, giving you his picks for a packed September schedule of film screenings. Tomorrow, more previews are coming your way, including a roundup of September's 250th-themed events, and a dance guide from Camille Bacon-Smith.
These are the final days of our inaugural Fringe Coverage Friends Drive, open through August 31. We were thrilled to meet our initial goal in early August, but we're keeping that summer momentum going to see how much we can raise to support our September review calendar, our busiest month of the year. All Friends of BSR and Local Media Champions are invited to a special BSR happy hour on September 14, and we even have a little swag for you!
Alaina Johns
BSR editor-in-chief
