Jun 26 Watch 6:10 At this D.C. jail, a book club offers a safe space By Jeffrey Brown, Rachel Wellford Reading and writing can provide a profession, a passion or an escape from reality. In Washington, D.C., the Free Minds Book Club positions the activities as mechanisms through which incarcerated people can express themselves in healthy and constructive ways. As… Continue watching
Jun 25 Breakdancing takes step closer to Olympic debut in Paris By Graham Dunbar, Associated Press Paris wants to add four sports to its program, though the other three — skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing — will make Summer Games debuts in Tokyo next year. Continue reading
Jun 24 Watch 3:34 Why this Italian violin travels with its own security By Jackie Shafer, WOSU In 2015, a delegation of city leaders from Columbus, Ohio, went to Italy's Genoa, where they heard a performance of the famed Paganini violin. The contingent spent the next four years working to arrange a visit for the violin to… Continue watching
Jun 21 Watch 6:10 Why critics seemed 'absolutely irrelevant' for this youth-driven Broadway musical By Jeffrey Brown, Anne Azzi Davenport, Ilana Bernstein “Be More Chill,” a Broadway musical written by Joe Tracz and scored by Joe Iconis, explores the emotional rollercoaster of growing up -- with a magical twist. The show’s release comes on the heels of several other successful musicals about… Continue watching
Jun 21 YA literature has more LGBTQ characters than ever. Here are 5 books to read By Elizabeth Flock The world of YA is “finally giving LGBTQ+ teens the literature they deserve," New York Public Library’s manager of young adult programs said. Continue reading
Jun 21 The day Judy Garland's star burned out By Dr. Howard Markel A singer of remarkable power and range, Garland was one of the brightest stars. But she also suffered a lifetime of mental and physical health problems, fueled by addiction. Continue reading
Jun 20 Watch 6:43 The life and legacy of opera star Luciano Pavarotti, according to Ron Howard By Jeffrey Brown Acclaimed director Ron Howard has released a new documentary on the life of opera star Luciano Pavarotti, who grew up in Modena, Italy, and rose to fame with the global phenomenon The Three Tenors. The film is filled with archival… Continue watching
Jun 19 Watch 7:11 This musician is taking the sounds of the pipe organ on the road By Cat Wise Pipe organs are typically associated with churches and cathedrals. Their very size and complexity can render them intimidating. But one young organist, Cameron Carpenter, is reshaping the perception of the instrument. Special correspondent Cat Wise recently attended one of his… Continue watching
Jun 19 Joy Harjo becomes first Native American named U.S. poet laureate By Hillel Italie, Associated Press Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in a statement that Harjo helped tell an "American story" of traditions both lost and maintained, of "reckoning and myth-making. Continue reading
Jun 18 Sometimes readers need to be traumatized, author N.K. Jemisin says By Elizabeth Flock When N.K. Jemisin began writing “The Fifth Season,” the first of a trilogy of sci-fi books, she knew that she would start the story with the end of the world. Continue reading