“The fact that Lawrence Ferlinghetti, a friend and publisher of his better-known confreres, has recently celebrated his hundredth birthday in style by publishing Little Boy, an uncategorizable stream-of-consciousness bildungsroman offers an inspiriting case study of keeping the blessed callings of poetry, art, and political radicalism alive by example.” – The Baffler
Blog
Small Colorado Public Radio Station Takes Over Two Festivals
KSUT in Ignacio, Colorado was given the Folk N’ Bluegrass festival, which brings in about 2,000 attendees per day and the Four Corners Folk Festival, which draws nearly double that. – Current
How Spain Became A Case Study For The Global Streaming Wars
“Netflix may have been the first to crack the key European market, with locally produced hit Money Heist, but the streamer is now facing heated competition from the likes of Amazon, HBO, Viacom and local player Movistar, which are all vying for Spanish talent and content.” – The Hollywood Reporter
The Complicated History Of “This Land Is Your Land”
“As the author of three books on Woody Guthrie, I sometimes wonder how the folksinger would respond to the criticism of “This Land Is Your Land” for its omissions. While we can’t know for sure, a glance at some of his unpublished writings and recently discovered recordings can offer some clues.” – The Conversation
Despite Tyranny And Censorship, Ugandan Women Are Leading A Literary Renaissance
“Uganda was once at the fulcrum of African literature. It was at Makerere University, on a hill above Kampala, that giants such as Chinua Achebe and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o gathered in 1962 for the first African Writers’ Conference, a landmark event held on the eve of independence for many countries. But Uganda would soon sink into an abyss, where power flowed from the gun and not the pen. … Yet in a place where history and politics weigh heavy, writers are finding fresh voice.” – The Economist
Prague Grapples With Over-Tourism
In the years since the 1989 Velvet Revolution, a rising tide of visitors has flooded in, up from 2.62 million in the year 2000, to just under 8 million last year, drawn by Prague’s reputation as home to stunning baroque and gothic architectural gems – and cheap beer. Numbers this year are forecast to reach just under 9 million. – The Observer (UK)
An Exit Interview With The Two Teens Who Debated Heidi Schreck In ‘What The Constitution Means To Me’
With the Broadway run of the show having ended, 14-year-old Rosdely Ciprian will travel with the production to the Kennedy Center whole 17-year-old Thursday Williams heads off to college. The pair talk to a reporter about juggling a Broadway schedule with high school and the thrill of having two Supreme Court justices (Sotomayor and RBG) visit them backstage. – The New York Times
To Desegregate Public Schools, NYC Proposes To Eliminate Gifted Programs
Gifted programs and screened schools have “become proxies for separating students who can and should have opportunities to learn together,” the panel, made up of several dozen education experts, wrote in the report. – The New York Times
Brazil’s Culture Minister Resigns Over Bolsonaro Administration’s Moves To Defund Queer-Themed Projects
In response to the suspension of a government funding program for film and TV over LGBT+ projects, culture minister Henrique Pires said, “It is very clear that I am out of tune with … the president on freedom of expression. I don’t agree that culture can have filters, so I’m leaving. … We need to pacify Brazil to work, not keep looking through a magnifying glass to see if there is a naked man kissing another man.” – The Art Newspaper
Bolsonaro Gov’t Suspends Brazilian Film And TV Funding Program Rather Than Fund Queer-Themed Programming
“Ramping up the drive into censorship in Brazil, its Minister of Citizenship, Omar Terra, has suspended a call for applications for governmental TV funding … Terra’s announcement comes just days after Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro lashed out at funding for LGBTQI series in an outburst during a scheduled state of the union-style address.” – Variety