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Kyle, a Black man, lies against large rocks in a river, looking up to the sunny sky while wearing sunglasses and swim trunks

After years of writing from trauma, I’m choosing joy

Why do you want to amplify my voice?

After two long summers and many challenging writing sessions in between, Kyle V. Hiller contemplates how trauma-inspired work is no longer his cup of tea.

Kyle V. Hiller

Sep 07, 2021 Editorials 5 minute read

The Art Museum, with its giant east stairway large in the foreground. Higher up, people sit in groups on the steps.

Who decides on the outside of the Philadelphia Museum of Art?

The right steps for our public spaces

As new plans for a people-friendly Parkway roll out, the Philadelphia Museum of Art remains an important part of Philly’s public space—but do the people on the outside matter? Camille Bacon-Smith considers.

Camille Bacon-Smith

Aug 31, 2021 Essays 5 minute read

A photo from between two high bookshelves in The Strand, facing more bookshelves, and a rolling cart full of books.

After a summer of solo adventures, I learned how good it can be to go it alone

Why I’m not waiting for you

In a world that expects everyone to travel in pairs, going out alone is a refreshing and important way to reframe your relationship to yourself—and others. Alaina Johns wanders.

Alaina Johns

Aug 31, 2021 Editorials 6 minute read

A man holding a spray bottle walks down an ornately carpeted stairway, wiping the banister as he goes. He wears a face mask.

As a theater critic, I’m prioritizing coverage of events that require Covid vaccination for all

Getting back to the theater, as safely as possible

As companies in Philadelphia and beyond prepare for a return to in-person performances, theater and music critic Cameron Kelsall knows vaccines are the key to safety, even amidst the Delta surge.

Cameron Kelsall

Aug 23, 2021 Essays 5 minute read

A selfie showing Anndee Hochman in a large mirror on the wall of a freshly orange-painted living room with a leather couch.

Repairing the world takes all kinds of builders, including the ones with words

The tools of tikkun olam

A volunteer stint repairing a Germantown row house reprises Anndee Hochman’s teenage impulse to wield a hammer in lieu of words, and reminds her that all tools can both create and destroy.

Anndee Hochman

Aug 23, 2021 Essays 5 minute read

An inside view from the back of a commercial airplane, with the white cabin ceiling overhead and people in rows of seats.

When white people hear racist comments from fellow travelers, how should they respond?

Bigotry in the air

When a stranger shares racist views with you, how do you respond, especially if you’re stuck in the next seat? Roz Warren considers.

Roz Warren

Jul 27, 2021 Essays 5 minute read

A nighttime city view in Islamabad, Pakistan, with dozens of boxy white buildings and colorful lights under a cloudy sky.

From Islamabad to Santa Fe: Finding the elegance in my difference

Ready for my next leap

Shaheer Naveed is BSR’s summer 2021 intern. He remembers what he learned about fitting in during his first trip to the United States from his home in Pakistan.

Shaheer Naveed

Jul 26, 2021 Essays 4 minute read

Katie Samson, a white woman, is outdoors with a group of about 6 smiling people. She uses a wheelchair & wears a blue hat

Witnessing the Impact: What will post-pandemic life be like for disabled people?

A world not built for me—until now?

BSR is partnering with the Witnessing the Impact of COVID-19 in Disabled People’s Lives archive project. Writer, educator, and disability self-advocate Katie Samson asks whether we’ll keep considering accessibility when the pandemic wanes.

Katie Samson

Jul 20, 2021 Essays 6 minute read

The Walnut Street Theatre today. It has a gray exterior with columns and large windows. American flags fly on poles in front

As artists continue to rally against the Walnut, it’s time to ask: who is “America’s Oldest Theatre”?

Staging history

Most coverage of protests against the Walnut Street Theatre ignores a key fact: the building may be historic, but the theater company there started in the 1980s. Alaina Johns thinks that matters.