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Jacob (Steven Yeun) moves his family from California to farm in rural Arkansas in Minari. A24

‘Minari’ Follows A Family’s Immigration With Humor, Humanity And Hope

NPR News February 24, 2021

The travails of immigrant life take a quietly beguiling form in Minari, a semi-autobiographical film by Lee Isaac Chung that brims with humor, humanity and hope. Showing us characters new to American screens, the story centers on a South Korean family named Yi who hope to make a go of farming in rural Arkansas during the Reagan years. Minari takes its title from the name of a spicy Asian plant that’s known for its hardiness and ability to grow seemingly anywhere. The question is, will the same prove true of the Yi family? Continue Reading ‘Minari’ Follows A Family’s Immigration With Humor, Humanity And Hope

Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center in New York City remains closed following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on Jan. 16, 2021. CREDIT: Cindy Ord/Getty Images

Metropolitan Opera Backstage Workers: ‘Without People, The Opera Is Nothing’

NPR News February 23, 2021

The Met is the largest performing arts organization in the United States, employing close to 3,000 people, with an annual budget of over $300 million. When it shut down because of COVID last March, the company cited the force majeure provision of its agreements, and made the decision to furlough all its union artists and craftspeople. Continue Reading Metropolitan Opera Backstage Workers: ‘Without People, The Opera Is Nothing’

BOOK REVIEW: In ‘Nubia: Real One,’ Trying To Be A Hero When Society Thinks You’re A Threat

NPR News February 22, 2021

Nubia: Real One doesn’t take place on Wonder Woman’s home island Themyscira, but somewhere in modern-day America — though a modern-day America in which superheroes are a real thing. And Nubia is not an adult woman warrior who knows who and what she is (as she did when she first appeared in 1973’s Wonder Woman Vol. 1 #204), no. This is McKinney’s take on Nubia for real. Continue Reading BOOK REVIEW: In ‘Nubia: Real One,’ Trying To Be A Hero When Society Thinks You’re A Threat

Dated between 1905 and 1915, this photo shows Nannie Helen Burroughs holding a banner that reads, “Banner State Woman’s National Baptist Convention.” Photo courtesy of Library of Congress

Black Women Were Vital To The Black Church. Their Stories Are Explored In New PBS Program

PBS Newshour February 21, 2021

In his latest documentary series and book, “The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song,” Gates examines the cultural institution within Black communities. He explains how the Black Church has played such a vital role in Black liberation, since its beginnings. And along with viewing the Black church through a critical eye and exploring its origin, the new PBS series also pays tribute to the often overlooked work of Black women for the Black church. Continue Reading Black Women Were Vital To The Black Church. Their Stories Are Explored In New PBS Program

Where Are They Now? We Check In With Broadway Workers, Now Off Broadway Nearly A Year

NPR News February 20, 2021

Every year, as a set-up for the Tony Awards, we take you backstage to meet people who aren’t even eligible. These are Broadway’s essential workers – ushers, stage managers, costumers. But this year, the Tonys seem like a faraway dream; even though nominations for the shortened season were announced in October, no date has been set. So, I decided to check in with some of those essential workers I’ve interviewed before, to find out how they’ve been coping since theaters closed. Continue Reading Where Are They Now? We Check In With Broadway Workers, Now Off Broadway Nearly A Year

It's a Sin follows a cast of characters (Omari Douglas, Lydia West, David Carlyle, Callum Scott Howells and Nathaniel Curtis) in London as they deal with the emergence of the AIDS epidemic. CREDIT: Ben Blackall/HBO Max

TV REVIEW: ‘It’s A Sin’ Series, Set During AIDS Epidemic, Resonates During COVID-19

NPR News February 17, 2021

The emergence of AIDS provides the impetus for It’s a Sin, a hit British series about five young people who share a London apartment over the years from 1981 to ’91. The show is the semi-autobiographical brainchild of Russell T. Davies, a writer best known for creating Queer as Folk and resurrecting Doctor Who. With his gimlet eye for the pop jugular, Davies turns the story of that deadly pandemic into a soapy drama that, like many dance songs from that era, is equal parts bounciness and woe. Continue Reading TV REVIEW: ‘It’s A Sin’ Series, Set During AIDS Epidemic, Resonates During COVID-19

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