culture

Iman Vellani stars as the titular superhero in the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel.

Arts

'Ms. Marvel' head writer says the show is a deeply personal superhero story

12:31pm July 19, 2022

by Sam Briger

Ms. Marvel is the first show or film in the Marvel universe to feature a Muslim hero. Head writer Bisha K. Ali drew on her own experiences growing up in England as the child of Pakistani-born parents.

A video showing two Black girls reaching out to the Sesame Street character Rosita and not being acknowledged has resulted in allegations of racism at Sesame Place Philadelphia.

Sesame Place apologizes after video shows 2 Black girls being passed over at a parade

10:24am July 19, 2022

by Wynne Davis

In its apology, Sesame Place Philadelphia said its employees will undergo more training after criticism over a video in which an employee in costume appeared to ignore two Black girls during a parade.

Books
Arts

Books in Translation: Three tales touching on French colonialism

9:42am July 19, 2022

by Lily Meyer

Mutt-Lon's The Blunder, Pina by Titaua Peu, and Thuận's Chinatown all come from different continents and not only were written in French but also deal, glancingly or in depth, with French colonialism.

Dorcas Sowunmi and Mary Badham on the national tour of To Kill A Mockingbird.

Arts

Scout from the 'To Kill A Mockingbird' film now plays the racist neighbor onstage

5:58am July 19, 2022

by Neda Ulaby

Mary Badham was 10 years old when her performance as Scout earned her an Oscar nomination. Now, six decades later, she's touring the country's stages in the Broadway version.

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Books
Arts

A head injury gave Ingrid amnesia. Then came the journey to rediscover her history

5:00am July 19, 2022

Author Ingrid Rojas Contreras was forced to relearn the supernatural legacy of her family when faced with an injury that left her with amnesia.

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Actor Constance Wu, pictured in 2018 at the premiere of Crazy Rich Asians, has opened up about mental health struggles in a social media post.

Constance Wu's reveal speaks to the profound pressure Asian American women face

7:33pm July 18, 2022

by Juliana Kim

Experts say that when Constance Wu opened up about mental health struggles, it spoke volumes about the pressures typically felt by Asian American women.

In her memoir, author Ingrid Rojas Contreras shares her family's mystical history

6:18pm July 18, 2022

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with author Ingrid Rojas Contreras about her memoir, The Man Who Could Move Clouds, and how writing it helped her rediscover herself after losing her memory.

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Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, founder of the dance ensemble Urban Bush Women, has won the $250,000 Gish Prize.

Arts

Dancer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, of Urban Bush Women, wins prestigious Gish Award

5:36pm July 18, 2022

by Neda Ulaby

Jawole Willa Jo Zollar created one of the first major ensembles composed solely of African-American female dancers. She's just won one of the largest cash prizes in the arts.

The large-scale street art "Saw, Sawing" by Claes Oldenburg / Coosje Van Bruggen Sculpture is seen last year in Tokyo.

Arts

Claes Oldenburg, creator of Pop Art on a giant scale, has died at age 93

1:45pm July 18, 2022

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

The Swedish-born, New York City-based artist was famed for his gargantuan renditions of prosaic objects — a lipstick, a clothespin, a cherry perched on a spoon — installed as public art.

Arts

'A Strange Loop' writer and composer started out on Broadway as an usher

1:40pm July 18, 2022

by Terry Gross

Michael R. Jackson's Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical is about a young Black gay musical theater writer named Usher, who works as an usher at a Broadway show — just like Jackson once did.

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