Poetry Sunday: “Tree of Life,” by Diane Frank
I wrote “Tree of Life” after the synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh on October 27, 2018, to honor and grieve for my friend, Dr. Jerry Rabinowitz, and the other beautiful souls who lost their lives that day.
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‘Diana: The Musical’: Yes, It’s That Bad
There isn’t much to love about 'Diana: The Musical.' And that’s a shame, because a lot of talented people have spent quite a lot of time (and money) bringing the show to life.
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Poems by Lisa Rosenberg and Mini-Review of
A Different Physics
These four poems share very similar paths of creation. An unexpected sighting—backyard bird, beloved fossil, lost poet, solar eclipse—set in motion a questioning of inherited models: cultural, cognitive, and physical.
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The Benefits of Change: Retiring, Relocating or Reinventing Yourself
There comes a time, though, when old habits and patterns are obsolete, or when circumstances change enough so that they don’t work the way they used to.
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For these Female Directors, First Time’s the Charm
Here’s to larger budgets, broader audiences, and many, many more opportunities for women to tell important stories and share their unique visions, as these promising new directors have.
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“Even Now” by Susan Zimmerman
Sometimes we rely on poetry as a sort of goad—to bear witness, expose evil or hypocrisy in others, or expose ourselves to ourselves.
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What Do Margaret Thatcher and Sex Education Have in Common?
“What Do Margaret Thatcher and Sex Education Have in Common?” Gillian Anderson—a serious talent who shines equally bright in stories about affairs of state, affairs of the heart, and the clumsy affairs of hormonally challenged teenagers.
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Poetry Sunday: “Blackbody curve,” by Samiya Bashir
As enriching as it is to consider “Blackbody curve” in terms of its scientific allusions or placement in Samiya Bashir’s collection, it’s important to note that the poem stands on its own as an enjoyable and rewarding literary experience.
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In ‘Y: The Last Man,’ Women’s Work is Never Done
'Y: The Last Man' raises many more questions than it answers. It’s also smart, timely, compelling, and extraordinarily well-acted television.
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Poetry Sunday:
“Before the Killing Frost,” by Diana Whitney
“Before the Killing Frost” is suffused with longing for the natural world—an almost physical grief at summer’s end—and the longing for a beloved.
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Fall Television:
It’s the Most Musical Time of the Year
There may be several opportunities for us to enjoy some musical television together this fall.
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Leticia Hernández-Linares:
“One Million Minus One” and “Despierta”
The poems in 'Mucha Muchacha, Too Much Girl' paint their own murals in words glowing with passion and conviction. There is also a good dose of sass, a quality visually captured in book’s cover photo.
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In ‘The Chair,’ Sandra Oh Combines
Acting and Activism
'The Chair' tells the trials and tribulations of Professor Ji-Yoon Kim (Oh), the first woman and the first person of color to chair the English department of “lower-tier ivy” Pembroke College.
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‘CODA,’ The Celebrated Sundance Film, Sings
If you paid attention to Sundance’s (virtual) Film Festival last January, you’ve already heard of 'CODA.' It not only took the festival’s top honors — the Grand Jury Prize as well as the Audience Award — it set a new record for distribution rights.
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Poems by Jane Hirshfield
Each column (including these three on Jane Hirshfield, one of my all-time favorite contemporary poets) was an exciting discovery and a lesson, not just in craft, but also in the endurance and resilience of the human spirit.
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This Week, ‘Remember the Ladies’
Since 1971, August 26 has been designated Women’s Equality Day. The date was chosen because it marks the anniversary of the certification of the Nineteenth Amendment.
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“I Was a Mixed-Race Zombie,” by MK Chavez
I'm looking at race and trying to understand and explore and untangle my personal identity, but also the place and time that we find ourselves in, in this world around race. —MK Chavez
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Portraits of Motherhood
in Two New Women-Led Films
In 'Confetti' and 'Rare Beasts' a mother's love proves stronger than any challenge or even the most unhinged storyline.
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‘The Pursuit of Love’ Asks, “Are You a Bolter or a Sticker?”
'The Pursuit of Love': Gorgeous costumes, fox-hunting on a country estate, romances (both sanctioned and forbidden), countless cups of tea. If you’ve missed 'Downton Abbey' (or even 'Bridgerton,' for that matter), you could definitely do worse.
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‘Blood Dazzler’ by Patricia Smith
In Patricia Smith’s exquisite collection 'Blood Dazzler,' I find myself drawn to the stories of resilience even more for the comfort and reassurance they provide. The durability of the collection speaks to the hope and lingering fear in this pandemic moment.
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‘Playing with Sharks’ Chronicles a Lifetime of Affection and Regret
The charismatic subject of writer-director and Emmy-nominee Sally Aitkin’s new documentary, 'Playing with Sharks: the Valerie Taylor Story,' has been at home in — and in love with — the ocean since she was in her early twenties.
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“The Soft Part of the Brain,” by Maw Shein Win
'Storage Unit for the Spirit House' began as a group of poems I had been working on around the idea of containers and containment. Questions I considered: Who is held and who is not held? What do we save and what do we discard?
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People Will Say I’m in Love … with Schmigadoon!
Regardless of where you land on the “Musicals, pro or con?” debate, 'Schmigadoon!' is well worth your time.
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“I Am Writing This in My Head,
My Hands Inside Gloves That Don’t Match,”
by Silvina López Medin
Silvina López Medin’s poem is from her newly published book 'Poem That Never Ends,' itself a study of loss, multiplicity, and containment in terms of form, language, and content.
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