Essays

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Page 19
When poets phone it in. (Image courtesy of FringeArts.)

Philly Fringe 2019: The Digital Fringe presents ‘Voicemail Poems’

Poetry on the line
A curated selection of poetry from all over the world goes live for listeners as part of this year’s Digital Fringe. Michelle Nugent reviews.
Michelle Nugent

Michelle Nugent

Essays 2 minute read
Ready for your questions: Dana Suleymanova in ‘Dear qupid.’ (Photo by Alaina Johns.)

Philly Fringe 2019: Dana Suleymanova presents ‘Dear qupid’

Free love
If Cupid landed in Love Park, what would you ask? Alaina Johns reviews the Fringe Festival’s ‘Dear qupid.’
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Essays 3 minute read
One teacher's toolkit. (Photo courtesy of the author.)

Facing those back-to-school jitters as a teacher

Anxiety and joy in the classroom
Youngsters aren’t the only ones who feel nervous as the school year approaches. Teachers are facing their own challenges. Michelle Nugent considers her job in special education.
Michelle Nugent

Michelle Nugent

Essays 5 minute read
Close-up of a small kalimba on a white background. It's a wooden handheld instrument with metal tines played by your thumbs

In the city of Philadelphia, to exist is to make music

Musical humans
Music is about watching the baton, following the notes, and controlling your sounds—a furtive tune in your own headphones, judged worthy by somebody else. Or is music something different? Aaron Pond considers.
Aaron Pond

Aaron Pond

Essays 6 minute read
Toothbrushes are a simple thing, but could they send a powerful message? (Photo by Jonas Bergsten, via Wikimedia Commons.)

What happened when ordinary people answered the immigration crisis in Clint, Texas?

For the children
Philly-based therapist and educator SaraKay Smullens couldn't bear to keep quiet when news broke of inhumane conditions inside a Border Patrol station in Clint, Texas, that housed hundreds of migrant children. Here's what happened next.
SaraKay Smullens

SaraKay Smullens

Essays 5 minute read
Does making friends come easier when we’re young? The author (bottom right) in 2011. (Photo courtesy of Christina Anthony.)

How do we make friends in adulthood—and why bother?

Love and friendship
How do your friendships evolve as you age, and how hard are you fighting to keep them? Christina Anthony considers.
Christina Anthony

Christina Anthony

Essays 4 minute read
Language can divide or repair: a Marais street sign becomes “The Avenue of the Just,” for Jewish allies in World War II. (Photo by Anndee Hochman.)

How much time do we have left for bumping into barriers, at home and abroad?

Walls around the world
A summer trip to France and Israel is a privilege. It’s also a reminder of how easy it is to lose your center of gravity amid barriers old and new. Do we have time to tear them down? Anndee Hochman considers.
Anndee Hochman

Anndee Hochman

Essays 5 minute read
Why didn’t this show get noticed in the press? Cast members of Theatre Exile’s ‘Whisper’s Gone.’ (Photo by Johanna Austin.)

Why didn’t MJ Kaufman’s ‘Whisper’s Gone’ garner more press?

Progressive failure
An enjoyable summer show made barely a blip in our local media. Can we find the reason? Brad Rothbart considers.
Brad Rothbart

Brad Rothbart

Essays 4 minute read
An anthropocentric clod? Ian McHarg in Portugal in 1967. (Courtesy of the Ian and Carol McHarg Collection, University of Pennsylvania Architectural Archives.)

The University of Pennsylvania presents Ian McHarg in ‘One Planet, Three Exhibits’

Earth's apostle
A special trio of exhibits celebrates our capacity for environmental solutions, while honoring landscape architect Ian McHarg, who never minced words about the ravages of humankind. Pamela Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Essays 5 minute read
If you can run a race anywhere, why do it in a national historic park? (Illustration by Hannah Kaplan for Broad Street Review.)

Should we honor “hallowed” ground at Gettysburg by running marathons there?

A historic finish
Confusion at Gettysburg National Military Park illustrates how running—and specifically, racing—in national historical and military parks might be a crucible for the interpretation of our national history. Helen Walsh considers.
Helen Walsh Illustration by Hannah Kaplan

Helen Walshand Illustration by Hannah Kaplan

Essays 8 minute read