Dear BSR Subscriber,

It feels strange to be back in this space.

Name: Cotter Interactive
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But it also still feels strange that I left at all. For the last few weeks, associate editor Kyle has been helming this community while I focused on my ongoing recovery. Thanks to everyone who reached out in support! My recent editorial was not an easy one to write or publish, but our community's positive response makes me hope that many similar conversations are coming in future. And Kyle's recent leadership in this space proves the value and necessity of collaboration, especially in the face of disability.

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Cookware for sale at the Ninth Street Market. (Photo by A. Esposito Inc. archive, courtesy of Temple University Press.)

A bridge to Italy

Pamela J. Forsythe

For at least three centuries, Italian culture has been an important part of our region. The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia, a new book from Temple University Press, takes a multifaceted look at Philly’s Italian story. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

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This beautifully illustrated new book has intriguing essays about Italian immigrants' impact on Philly's food, architecture, neighborhoods, and much more.

Alaina Johns, Editor-In-Chief

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One of the featured works by Watson in his exhibit at AAMP. (Photo courtesy of AAMP.)

Moving through time and space in Black America

Olivia J. B. Baxter

AAMP brings us a collection of naturalistic and abstract representations of Black history through illustrations, found objects, collages, and more by artist-in-residence Richard J. Watson. Olivia J. B. Baxter reviews.

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Our reviewer takes you inside the latest exhibition at AAMP, always an excellent stop for art that tells an essential piece of the American story.

Alaina Johns, Editor-In-Chief

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Love makes them larger than life: ‘Rosemarie with Two Cats’ (2020-2021), by Michael Ferris. (Photo by John Carlano.)

Carved with love

Corey Qureshi

Artist Michael Ferris offers an engaging, larger-than-life tribute to loved ones with his intricate wooden sculptures, now on view at Old City’s Center for Art in Wood. Corey Qureshi reviews.

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BSR heads to the Center for Art in Wood for an exhibition that is both intimate and larger-than-life.

Alaina Johns, Editor-In-Chief

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This week's roundup features meditations for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. (Photo retrieved via Flickr.)

Finding the blueprint with MLK speeches

Kyle V. Hiller

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year, Kyle V. Hiller considers what the blueprint will be for 2022 and beyond via a series of speeches from the civil rights activist.

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If you haven't yet read Kyle V. Hiller's reflections on three speeches by Martin Luther King, Jr., be sure to click through now.

Alaina Johns, Editor-In-Chief

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