Opinion
110 results
Page 4
The man who called me an optimist: remembering writer Tom Purdom
“This is my editor.”
In January, the BSR community lost one of our founding members: science-fiction and music writer Tom Purdom. Near the end of his career, he never balked at having a youngster for his editor. Alaina Johns remembers a treasured friend and colleague.
Editorials
7 minute read
I’m an editor, but I want 2024 to be the year we stop harping on typos
Everyone makes mistakes. Why are we so anxious to point them out?
One drawback of working in the media is that your smallest mistakes are extremely visible to the public. Everyone loves to point out typos and errors, but only some of us are helping. Alaina Johns wonders why it matters so much.
Editorials
5 minute read
Thirteen ways of looking at a war zone: Poetry as vital pause
“I feel allergic to the show of taking sides. I want to be on the side of a just peace.”
Anndee Hochman was at an artists’ retreat on October 7, 2023, making things with words. She remembers how poetry works, even as atrocities rage.
Essays
6 minute read
At the darkest time of year, horror movies bring me unexpected healing
Falling for the darkness
Melissa Strong used to leave the lights on after watching The X-Files, and hated doing anything risky or scary. But when she pushed herself to begin watching horror movies, she experienced a surprising change.
Essays
5 minute read
BSR Behind the Scenes: An inside look at our editorial process
Going backstage at BSR: How do we publish so many writers?
Did you know that BSR is Philly's top destination for professional arts journalism ... and that we're a small, independent nonprofit made up entirely of remote-working part-timers? Here's how we do it.
Editorials
4 minute read
Menstruation is a part of life, but pain doesn’t have to be
Why don’t we take women’s pain seriously?
Despite studies that show women experience pain more acutely, we wait longer for diagnosis and pain relief than men do—if we get relief at all. Isabel Soisson considers.
Essays
5 minute read
The freedom on the bike, and the freedom in the weeds
Making magic in the ragweed
As a boy, Kile Smith knew there was no freedom like riding your own bike on your own time. But now, as he watches the world go by from his garden, a whole new kingdom opens up.
Essays
5 minute read
BSR Behind the Scenes: Why do we need arts criticism?
Going backstage at BSR: The truth about reviewing
In our experience, some people opine that the critics are just dragging the cultural scene down—especially when a review is mixed or negative. But is that true? Not at all. Alaina Johns explains in this BSR Behind the Scenes editorial.
Editorials
6 minute read
Remembering Stan and Jan Berenstain, the Philly artists who created the Berenstain Bears
The makers of America’s favorite bear family
Stanley Melvin Berenstain met Janice Marian Grant when they were both studying art in Philadelphia—ostensibly to join the army, but their career took a very different turn. Emily Zarevich considers.
Essays
3 minute read
BSR Behind the Scenes: What does public relations have to do with arts journalism?
Going backstage at BSR: The PR connection
What does arts journalism have to do with PR? As arts writers and editors, we often work closely with PR people. How do we collaborate? And what are the boundaries between our roles? Alaina Johns explains in this BSR Behind the Scenes editorial.
Editorials
7 minute read