We're just one week out from BAD REVIEWS: How to write them, and why we need them. As I have developed and revised this webinar, I've had a lot of great conversations with friends, followers, and colleagues about the critic's role, and one thing I'm thinking about today is the phrase "everyone's a critic." As we explore in this new one-night Zoom class next Wednesday night (May 29), everyone is not, in fact, a critic. But why is that? Join us and find out.
This week's coverage takes us to opera in Wilmington, improv in Bristol, and to Mozart and choreographer Meredith Rainey in Philadelphia. Plus, come along with me to an unusual storytelling event in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. As someone who is living with mental illness, I dive into a brave roster of stories about suicide and the stigma surrounding mental health struggles. If you have (or suspect) your own diagnosis, you may see yourself reflected here. If you don't, you're sure to learn something that will help a loved one feel seen and supported.
Before you jump into this week's reviews below, remember that our BSR Book Week publishing panel (also on Zoom) is coming up on June 6! Check out the exciting line-up of local literary luminaries and get your tickets here. And look out for our slate of Book Week reviews, coming June 2-8. We'll have something for every reader, just in time for summer.
Alaina Johns
BSR editor-in-chief