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What The State Of London’s National Theatre Says About The UK

The questions facing the National Theatre reflect the broader themes of British politics right now: elitism, identity, diversity. In the half century since it was founded, the National has always commissioned plays that represent the “state of the nation,” tackling everything from the privatization of the railways to the Iraq War. “The National Theatre repertoire is a time capsule for the socioeconomic condition of Britain at any moment.” – The Atlantic

Book Clubs Sprang Up Across The Country After The Death Of A Cultural Icon

After Nipsey Hussle was killed on an L.A. street in front of his shop last March, fans wanted to figure out how to honor him. Shop at his store? Paint his face as murals on walls? Yes, and start book clubs around the country, founded to read Nipsey’s favorite books. “A 31-year-old fan from Wisconsin created a meme listing all of the books that Hussle had mentioned in interviews, songs and motivational messages that she had been compiling for years. It includes self-help bestsellers, cult classics and little-known books by black authors.” – Los Angeles Times

Norway Debates The Ethics Of Writing A Near-Autobiographical Novel

Vigdis Hjorth’s novel, in which a woman in her 50s reveals to her family that her father sexually abused her as a child, has touched off a debate in Norway – and fury in her own family. “Hjorth’s sister, Helga, a human rights lawyer, responded to the book by writing a novel of her own, Fri Vilje (Free Will), in which a character suffers the trauma of living with the public fallout from a narcissistic sibling’s ‘dishonest’ autobiographical novel.” – The Observer (UK)

The Heart Of Reggae Still Beats In The Bronx

And Lloyd Barnes, the founder of Wackie’s, wants his reggae studio and label to live on after he retires – but more than that, the sound and the style. “His concerns now are ensuring that his studio carries on the traditions of roots reggae and lovers rock — the primary styles he works in — and sharing his knowledge with the younger people who populate it.” – The New York Times

Hikers Recently Found The Skeleton Of An Artist Who Went On A Painting Walk Out From A WWII Japanese American Internment Camp

Giichi Matsumura died during a freak summer snowstorm when other members of his hiking group went on to fish in a lake, and he stayed back to paint. Though the family knew roughly where his grave was, the area is remote – and hikers stumbled across the cairn of stones atop the grave in October of 2019, bringing it to the attention of local authorities. – NBC (AP)

When Writers Become Perfume Consultants On Twitter

Well, one writer: Rachel Syme, who, every once in a while, calls herself the Perfume Genie – and people on Twitter ask her for recommendations. She thinks, “When people are saying, I want to smell like this, they’re actually thinking, I want to appear like this to myself, which is a really interesting prompt because I think a lot of people are saying, oh, I want everybody to think I’m glamorous or take me seriously – but people aren’t going to know that through your perfume.” – NPR

Comedian Kate McKinnon’s Golden Globes Speech Was Raw And Honest About Lesbian Representation On TV

The speech, which introduced Ellen DeGeneres as that comedian won the Carol Burnett Award, made it clear that Ellen was a trailblazer. McKinnon said, “She risked her entire life and her entire career in order to tell the truth, and she suffered greatly for it. Of course, attitudes change, but only because brave people like Ellen jump into the fire to make them change.” – The New York Times